Movicol

What is Movicol?

Movicol is a laxative that you can take in a drink. It comes in sachets with powder and you can choose from three different flavours: chocolate, lemon and lime, or plain. This can help adults, adolescents and older people dealing with constipation, but it’s not suitable for children under 12.

Movicol makes it easier for you to have a comfortable bowel movement, even if you’ve been constipated for a while. It’s also effective for severe cases of constipation known as faecal impaction^[1] This happens when hardened stools get stuck in your rectum or lower colon, causing belly pain, bloating, feeling sick and loss of appetite.^[2]

How does Movicol work?

Macrogol 3350 (also called PEG 3350) is the active ingredient in Movicol. It belongs to a group of laxatives known as osmotic laxatives, which work by attracting water to hardened stools, making them softer and slightly larger. As a result, your bowels are encouraged to move naturally, and the combination of Movicol’s lubricating effect and the softened stool makes your bathroom trips more comfortable.^[3][4]
Movicol also includes salts (electrolytes) like sodium chloride, potassium chloride and sodium hydrogen carbonate. These electrolytes help bring water into your intestines, regulating fluid balance as they move along your gut lining. When you’re constipated and your stool is dry and hard, this extra water softens and adds bulk to your stool, which makes it easier to pass. So by maintaining a healthier fluid balance in your gut, electrolytes contribute to making Movicol more effective in easing constipation.^[5]

What doses of Movicol are there?

Movicol comes in a range of different flavours: lemon and lime, chocolate or plain (flavour free), with each sachet containing between 13.7-13.9g powder. For a lighter option, there’s Movicol-Half powder, with 6.9g macrogol per sachet. All these products contain the artificial sweetener acesulfame potassium (E950).

There are also liquid options: Movicol Liquid Orange flavour concentrate for oral use (not recommended for severe constipation called faecal impaction) and Movicol Ready to take oral solution, which you can drink straight from the sachet without needing to mix it with water.

If your child is under 12, there’s also Movicol Paediatric Plain, without any added colours, flavours or sweeteners. Each sachet has 6.9g of macrogol. And there’s also Movicol Paediatric Chocolate flavour, with the same macrogol amount plus the artificial sweetener acesulfame potassium. These products aren’t available through Treated as we don’t offer services to anyone under 18 but you can ask someone at your GP surgery about them if your child is constipated.

All these options contain Macrogol 3350, and salts (electrolytes): sodium chloride, potassium chloride and sodium hydrogen carbonate. One Movicol sachet has about 186.87mg of sodium, also found in table salt. To put it in perspective, it’s around 9.3% of the daily sodium intake recommendation for adults. So if you’re on a low-sodium diet, it’s best to tell our clinical team about it before using Movicol.

How to take Movicol

You can take Movicol whenever it’s best for you, with or without food. Open the sachet, pour it into a glass, and add about 125ml (one quarter of a pint) of water. Stir well until the solution is clear or a bit hazy, then drink it.

• For constipation: use 1 sachet of Movicol in 125 ml (a quarter of a pint) of water. Take this one to three times a day based on how severe your constipation is.
• For faecal impaction: take 8 sachets of Movicol daily (you might find it easier to mix 8 sachets in 1 litre of water) within 6 hours for up to three days if needed. If you have a heart condition, don’t take more than 2 sachets within an hour.

How long does it take for Movicol to work?

When you begin using Movicol, it usually prompts your first stool within one or two days. The treatment with Movicol sachets usually goes on for about 2 weeks. If you need to continue with Movicol for a longer period, make sure to ask your clinician first.

If your constipation is due to conditions like Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis (MS), or if you’re taking medications that cause constipation, your clinician might suggest using Movicol for more than two weeks. For long-term treatment, the dose can often be reduced to one or two sachets a day.

What is the best time to take Movicol?

You can take Movicol any time, whether it’s in the morning or before bedtime. The time of day when you take it won’t have any impact on how well it works for you. So you have the freedom to choose the time that fits your routine best.

How long does Movicol stay in your system?

Macrogol 3350, the active ingredient in Movicol, stays in your body for about four to six hours. It doesn’t get absorbed much into your body and most of it (around 93%) is eliminated in your stool within 4-6 hours after you take a dose of Movicol