Lactulose is a laxative used to treat and prevent constipation. Find out how to take it safely and possible side effects. Lactulose is also called Laevolac. Lactulose is a laxative used to treat and prevent constipation.
What is lactulose?
Lactulose is a type of laxative that helps to produce a soft bowel motion (poo). It is used to treat constipation in adults and children. Read more about constipation in adults and constipation in children.
There are many different types of laxatives.
Lactulose is an osmotic laxative, which means it works by drawing water into your bowel. The bowel becomes filled with extra fluid, which makes the muscles of the bowel contract and squeeze the poo along, causing a bowel motion. Read more about types of laxatives.
The dose of lactulose will be different for different people.
Constipation: The usual dose in adults is 15 mL 2 times a day. The dose for children will depend on their age. It is usually given 2 times a day. How to take lactulose
Try to space your doses evenly throughout the day, eg, if taken 2 times a day, take it in the morning and evening.
Take lactulose as directed with a glass of water.
Lactulose is sweet and can be mixed with other liquids, such as water, milk or fruit juice. If you forget to take a dose, just take the next dose when it is due. Do not take two doses together to make up for a forgotten dose. Lactulose does not work straight away. When used for constipation, it can take a day or 2 before lactulose softens the poos enough to pass them comfortably. However, if after several days you do not feel your symptoms are improving, or if they get worse, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.
Side Effects?
Like all medicines, laxatives can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. The common side effects of laxatives are stomach pain or cramps, bloating, gas in the tummy, flatulence or 'farting'. Other side effects include:
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Constipation: ongoing use of laxatives can cause constipation because the bowel loses muscle and nerve response and can no longer move poos out. This results in dependency on the laxative, so that higher doses are needed to poo.
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Diarrhoea and dehydration: taking too much of some laxatives can lead to diarrhoea and losing too much salt from the body.
| Laxatives do NOT help with weight loss |
| Many people believe that using laxatives can help with weight loss. This is not true – by the time laxatives act on the large intestine, most foods and calories have already been absorbed by the small intestine. Any weight that is lost is from the water you excrete through runny poos and the results are only temporary. Instead, this can lead to dangerous side effects like dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and possibly even dependence. |
