Movicol

[Book_Worm5]

Does anyone else find Movicol completely useless?! I’m 5 sachets deep today and have no urge whatsoever. Unless it’s a delayed effect in which case the next few days are going to be…interesting 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Shopnow1]

My advice be careful ! Ive been using Movicol since August and still not got the dosage right. One thing I have learned though there is a lag time ( different with everyone) but in my case about 7 days. When it does kick in my God you will know about it !!

[Book_Worm5 in reply to Shopnow1]

Oh god - I should probably stop taking the sachets then! I find it doesn’t give me a proper bowel movement either, it just produces a small amount of watery diarrhoea which gives me no relief.

[winfong in reply to Book_Worm5]

That's probably overflow diarrhea then, which you can get from being seriously impacted. Try a search on that on this community.

[Shopnow1 in reply to Book_Worm5]

I think you may have a impaction . What I would do is take a set amount for the next three days ie as youve taken 5 already take 4 each day for three days and then reduce say to 3 and a half sachets for three days and 3 each day for three days reducing by another half sachet over every three days until you get to 1 a day as a maintenance dose . Ive been impacted on and off since last August and only just beginning to get my head round this dosaging with movicol. It has been a nightmare if Im honest and movicol isnt great but the only thing that works !

[Book_Worm5]

As an aside - is everyone that’s taking 3+ sachets a day able to continue with work and daily business? I feel there’s no way I can go to work while taking these amounts but not sure if I’m just being over cautious and/or a massive wuss. Do people just get signed off while taking high doses for impaction?

[JCJourney]

I've been using Laxido (exact same as Movicol and have used in past) and actually had some success with it, but found it's about finding the dosage that works for you and not treating it as an instant laxative as it does take 2/3 days to start taking some affect, maybe even longer if your constipated. It's taken months to finally find some sort of routine of taking Laxido for around 4 days stopping for around 4/5 days and then as soon as I feel constipation occur again (warning signs start with pain in lower right of abdomen) then starting the process again, usually on the first day or 2 having 2 satchets a day.

If I over do it with the sachets I'll go to far and end up with diarrhea, too little and won't shift it.

In the process of it aswell I end up with bad gas and can tell its shifting the backed up stool as the pain always follows the same pattern around my body.

I'd say start off slow and build up gradually with what you take to find what works for you and whenever your feeling the effects of last time start taking them again, unless your somebody who may benefit from just taking one a day after a good clear out.

Everybody's body is different so don't give up on hope, and keep experimenting. Unfortunately there's no one shoe fits all situation and the GP's don't seem to have the answers to what will work for you either, you just become a guinea pig at times.

Hope you get some relief soon and take care