Movicol 13.7g, powder for oral solution

Always take this medicine exactly as described in this leaflet or as your doctor, pharmacist or nurse has told you.

• Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
• Ask your pharmacist if you need more information or advice.
• If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.
• You must talk to a doctor if you do not feel better or if you feel worse.

1. What Movicol is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you take Movicol
3. How to take Movicol
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Movicol
6. Contents of the pack and other information

• a blockage in your intestine (gut obstruction, ileus)
• a perforated gut wall
• severe inflammatory bowel disease like ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease or toxic megacolon
• an allergy to the active substances or any of the other ingredients of Movicol (listed in section 6).

When taking Movicol you should continue to take plenty of fluids. The fluid content of Movicol should not replace your regular liquid intake.

Follow the special instructions in section 3 if you are taking Movicol for faecal impaction.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.

Some medicines, e.g. anti-epileptics, may not work as effectively during use with Movicol.

You should not take any other medicines by mouth together with Movicol and for one hour before and for one hour after taking Movicol.

If you need to thicken fluids in order to swallow them safely, Movicol may counteract the effect of the thickener.

Movicol can be taken during pregnancy and whilst breastfeeding. If you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breastfeeding, ask your pharmacist or doctor for advice before taking Movicol.

Movicol does not affect your ability to drive or use machines.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you need 3 or more sachets daily for a prolonged period, especially if you have been advised to follow a low salt (sodium) diet.

Movicol contains 186.87 mg sodium (main component of cooking/table salt) per sachet. This is equivalent to 9.3% of the recommended maximum daily dietary intake of sodium for an adult.

A dose of Movicol is 1 sachet dissolved in 125 ml (1/4 pint) of water.

Take this 1 – 3 times a day according to the severity of your constipation.

Before you take Movicol for faecal impaction, it should be confirmed that you have this condition.

A dose of 8 sachets a day of Movicol is needed for the treatment of faecal impaction. Each sachet dissolved in 125ml (1/4 pint) of water. The 8 sachets should be taken within 6 hours for up to 3 days if required. If you have a heart condition, do not take more than 2 sachets in any one hour.

Open the sachet and pour the contents into a glass. Add about 125ml or ¼ pint of water to the glass. Stir well until all the powder has dissolved and the Movicol solution is clear or slightly hazy, then drink it. If you are taking Movicol for faecal impaction it may be easier to dissolve 8 sachets in 1 litre of water.

Constipation:

Treatment with Movicol usually lasts for about 2 weeks. If you need to take Movicol for longer, please see your doctor. If your constipation is caused by an illness such as Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis (MS), or if you take medicines that cause constipation your doctor may recommend that you take Movicol for longer than 2 weeks. If you need to take Movicol for longer, please see your doctor.

Usually for long term treatment the dose can be lowered to either 1 or 2 sachets a day.

Faecal impaction:

Treatment with Movicol can be for up to 3 days.

You may develop excessive diarrhoea, which can lead to dehydration. If this occurs, stop taking Movicol and drink plenty of fluids. If you are worried contact your doctor or pharmacist.

Take the dose as soon as you remember to take it.

• Get a serious allergic reaction which causes difficulty in breathing, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat.

Other side effects include:

Allergic reactions which may cause a skin rash, itching, reddening of the skin or a nettle rash, swollen hands, feet or ankles, headaches and high and low levels of potassium in the blood.

Sometimes you may have indigestion, stomach ache or rumbles. You may also feel bloated, suffer from wind, feel sick or vomit, may also experience soreness of the anus (bottom) and may have mild diarrhoea when starting to take Movicol. These side effects generally get better if you reduce the amount of Movicol you take.

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via Yellow Card Scheme Website: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

Each sachet of Movicol contains the following:

Macrogol 3350 13.125 g

Sodium Chloride 0.3507 g

Sodium Bicarbonate 0.1785 g

Potassium Chloride 0.0466 g

Movicol also contains lime and lemon flavour, and acesulfame potassium as a sweetener. Lemon and lime flavour contains the following ingredients: acacia solids, maltodextrin, lime oil, lemon oil, citral, citric acid and water.

When it is made into a drink with 125 millilitres of water, each sachet gives the equivalent of:

Sodium 65 millimoles/litre

Chloride 53 millimoles/litre

Potassium 5.4 millimoles/litre

Bicarbonate 17 millimoles/litre

Movicol is available in rectangular sachets and tubular (stick-pack) sachets.

Movicol is a white powder.

Movicol is available in boxes of 2, 6, 8, 10, 20, 28, 30, 50, 60 or 100 sachets.

Not all sachets and pack sizes may be marketed.

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