Macrogol

Active substance: macrogolThe text below is about the active substance macrogol .
Important to know about macrogol

Macrogol retains water in the intestine, which makes your poop softer. This makes it easier to go to the toilet.
In case of constipation and to empty the bowel for a bowel examination or operation (colonic irrigation).
In case of constipation : drink a glass of water after use.
You will notice improvement after 1 to 2 days. Going to the toilet becomes less painful.
Colon irrigation: start the evening before your treatment or on the day of your treatment. You should not eat any solid food for 2 hours before the treatment. You must go to the toilet within 1 to 2 hours.
Your doctor or pharmacist will explain how many hours you should have drunk everything before the examination.
You may experience bloating, nausea or diarrhea. This will pass by itself. Do you suffer from bad diarrhea? Then notify your doctor and stop taking this drug.
You may also experience stomach pain. This will pass by itself. Does the stomach ache last a long time? Or do you suddenly get a bad stomach ache? Then notify your doctor.

What does macrogol do and where do I use it?

Macrogol is a laxative .

It can be used for constipation or to empty the last part of the intestine for a bowel examination or bowel surgery. It is sometimes used in poisoning to quickly empty the bowels.

Blockage

Symptoms

The stool pattern differs greatly from person to person. You have constipation if the stool is very hard or if you have not had a stool for more than 3 days.
The stool can then be painful.

Causes

A constipation can occur if you hold up the stool for too long, use too little fiber in the diet, drink too little, have too little exercise or a lot of stress. A number of medicines can also cause constipation as a side effect.
These are, for example, medicines for depression, psychosis, epilepsy, some painkillers (morphine), codeine, iron tablets, verapamil and water tablets.

Treatment

The symptoms can be reduced if you use fiber-rich food, such as wholegrain products and vegetables, drink enough, exercise enough and avoid stress.
If this does not help enough, you can try whether macrogol reduces the symptoms.

Operation

After ingestion, macrogol ends up in the intestine.
Macrogol attracts moisture in the intestine. This makes the stool softer and stimulates the movement of the large intestine (colon).
Many products containing macrogol have minerals added, such as sodium chloride (salt), potassium chloride or sodium sulfate.
These minerals help the intestines to retain enough salt and moisture. This makes you less likely to become dehydrated due to laxation.

Effect

If you use macrogol against constipation, you will notice results after 1 to 2 days.
If you are using macrogol to empty the bowel, for example for a bowel exam, you need to use a large amount of macrogol in a short time.
You will notice within 1 to 2 hours that you get watery diarrhea. The intestine is thus ‘rinsed clean’ from the inside.

Poisoning

How a doctor treats poisoning depends on the toxin and its amount, your age and condition.
 Call your doctor’s emergency line right away and report what and how much your housemate or child has likely swallowed.
Keep the packaging to show to your doctor or the emergency room.

Preventing

poisoning It is of course important to prevent poisoning.
Keep children away from cleaning products or medicines.
Prevent them from putting poisonous plants or berries in their mouth.
A brochure with tips is available in the pharmacy (Gifwijzer).

Treatment

Ways to remove the toxin from the body as quickly as possible include vomiting, using a strong laxative, or filtering the blood so that the toxin is removed.
Which method is most suitable depends on the material and personal circumstances.

Effect

Macrogol in large quantities can sometimes be used for poisoning.
It ensures that a substance quickly leaves the body through the stool. It works within 1 to 2 hours.

What are macrogol side effects?

In addition to the desired effect, this can cause drug side effects.

The main side effects are the following.

Rare (affects 1 to 10 in 100 people)

Abdominal bloating, nausea and diarrhea . This usually disappears on its own after a few days or after lowering the dose . After prolonged use, severe diarrhea may occur.
Are you using this drug to empty the bowel for a bowel exam? Then watery diarrhea is precisely the intention. It will pass on its own when you stop taking this medicine.
Are you using it as a laxative ? In case of severe diarrhea, consult your doctor and temporarily discontinue this medication.
Stomachache . This is a consequence of the operation of the product and will disappear by itself. Do the stomach cramps last a long time? Then contact your doctor. Before starting to use this medicine, did you have a sudden severe stomach pain ? Do not use the agent. This severe abdominal pain can be caused by appendicitis or an acute intestinal blockage. These complaints can actually get worse by this medicine.

Very rare (affects less than 1 in 100 people)

Dehydration and mineral deficiencies, especially in the elderly. Elderly people can become confused and disoriented as a result. Be sure to drink a lot with this medication. If you use macrogol in a product containing minerals (‘electrolytes’), you are less likely to have this side effect .
Hypersensitivity . You will notice this by a rash, itching and hives. Then consult your doctor.
Severe hypersensitivity can be noted by dizziness, fainting, breathlessness or a swollen tongue, lips, throat or face. Then go to a doctor or the emergency room immediately.
If you are hypersensitive, do not use this medicine in the future. Therefore, pass this on to the pharmacist. The pharmacy team can then ensure that you do not receive macrogol again.

If you use macrogol to empty the bowel for examination , the following side effects may also occur:

Very rare (affects less than 1 in 100 people)

Painful skin around the anus (poop hole) due to diarrhea. If necessary, you can protect the skin around the anus (poop hole) with a little petroleum jelly or zinc ointment. Do you continue to suffer? Then consult your doctor.
Sudden failure of the kidneys . This can usually be prevented by drinking enough. Use the amounts of water specified by your doctor or pharmacist.
Palpitations , fluid behind the lungs, tightness . This is due to the sudden large amounts of fluid that the body has to process. Notify your doctor in case of palpitations or shortness of breath .
Do you have swallowing problems and therefore difficulty drinking fluids? You may choke earlier and get fluid in the lungs. If you have difficulty swallowing, talk to your doctor.

Consult your doctor if you experience too much of the above side effects or if you experience any other side effects that you are concerned about.
Do you suffer from any side effect? Report this to the lareb side effect center. All reports about side effects of medicines in the Netherlands are collected here.

Explanation of frequencies

Regular : affects more than 30 in 100 people
Uncommon : affects 10 to 30 in 100 people
Rare : affects 1 to 10 in 100 people
Very rare : affects less than 1 in 100 people

How do I take this medicine?

Always look for the correct dosage on the label of the pharmacy or in the package insert.

How?

In case of blockage :

Are you using the powder to dilute? Dissolve the powder in a whole glass of water. Stir well and drink it immediately. Then drink a second glass of water. This way you have enough fluid in your intestines and this medicine works better.
Are you using the drink to dilute? Dissolve the drink in half a glass of water. Stir well and drink it immediately. Then drink a second glass of water. This way you have enough fluid in your intestines and this medicine works better.
Are you using the drink in a bag? Drink the drink from the bag. So you do n’t have to dilute it. Then drink a whole glass of water. This way you have enough fluid in your intestines and this medicine works better.

For colonic irrigation : do not eat solid food at least 2 hours before use. Dissolve the required amount in 1 liter of water. Stir well until the powder is completely dissolved. Drink about 250 ml (a large glass) of this solution every 10 to 15 minutes. The solution is tastier if you drink it cold. Therefore keep it in the refrigerator.
How many liters of solution to use depends on your weight. Usual for an adult is 2 to 4 liters of solution.
In addition, use the amounts of water specified by your doctor or pharmacist.

When?

In case of constipation : it is best to take this medicine in the morning , for example with breakfast. Should you use it more often per day? Then take the dose spread over the day. There is always enough in the intestine to prevent blockage .
For colonic irrigation : take this medicine the evening before the day of the treatment or on the morning of the treatment. You can also divide the prescribed amount into two servings. Then use one half the night before and the other half the next morning. You will get information from your doctor or hospital when to start and when to drink the entire amount of liquid. You usually need to be ready a few hours before the exam.

How long?

In case of constipation : you can use this medicine for as long as you have symptoms of constipation . Do you still have complaints after a few months? Then see your doctor.
For colonic irrigation : use this medicine until all the drink that has been prescribed has been used up.

What if I miss a dose?

In case of blockage :

If you are taking this medicine once a day , will it be more than 8 hours before you normally take the next dose ? Then take the forgotten dose . Does it take less than 8 hours? Then skip the forgotten dose .
If you are taking this medicine twice a day , will it be more than 4 hours before you normally take the next dose ? Then take the forgotten dose . Does it take less than 4 hours? Then skip the forgotten dose .
If you are taking this medicine 3 times a day , will it be more than 2 hours before you normally take the next dose ? Then take the forgotten dose . Does it take less than 2 hours? Then skip the forgotten dose .

With colonic irrigation : did you forget to start on time? Then talk to your doctor.

Can I drive a car, drink alcohol, and eat or drink anything with this medicine?

driving or drinking alcohol?

There are no restrictions for this with this medication.

eat everything?

In case of constipation : there are no restrictions for this drug. Keep in mind that certain foods can make your symptoms worse.
Drinking a lot and a fiber-rich diet, such as vegetables, fruit and whole grain products, have a beneficial effect.
To empty the intestines: you will receive a detailed prescription of what you can eat on the day before the examination.
On the day of the examination itself, you may usually only use clear drinks, such as water, clear broth, tea, coffee without milk or soft drinks.

Can I use macrogol with other medicines?

There are no known major interactions with other medicines.

Can I use this medicine if I am pregnant, planning to become or breastfeeding?

You can use this medicine safely . It has been used by pregnant and breastfeeding women for years with no problems for the child.Are you on prescription or over-the-counter medications? Would you like to help increase knowledge about medication use during pregnancy and breastfeeding? Then report your experience to pREGnant .

Can I just stop taking this medicine?

You can stop taking this drug at any time at any time.

Under what names is macrogol available?

The active substance macrogol is contained in the following products:

Colofort
Klean-Prep
Movicolon
Transipeg
Movicolon Junior
Molaxole
Moviprep
Forlax
Forlax Junior
Pleinvue
Macrogol / electrolytes
Clensia
Macrogol

Do I need a prescription?

Macrogol has been on the market in the Netherlands since 1993. Forlax is available without a prescription and by prescription macrogol is available under the brand names Colofort, Forlax Junior, Klean-Prep, Molaxole, Movicolon, Movicolon Junior, Moviprep and Pleinvue and as the unbranded Marcogol and Macrogol / Electrolytes. It is available as an oral solution, powder for oral solution and as a concentrate to be diluted into a drink.
These products, in addition to Forlax and Forlax Junior, also contain minerals (electrolytes), for example potassium chloride, sodium chloride or sodium sulphate.

what medicine contains Macrogol 3350?