Dulcolax for Bowel Preparation User Reviews (Page 4)

• Squ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 21, 2021

"HORRIBLE DRUG - DO NOT TAKE! I took 4 Dulcolax tablets as directed by my doctor at 4 PM. At 10 PM, the gates of hell opened with severe cramps and explosive diarrhea - nothing gentle about this! The worst thing, though, was at 2 AM after another bout of pain and diarrhea. I became drenched with sweat and nauseated. I stumbled (literally) out of the bathroom and passed out on the floor. My husband helped me up, and I told him to get me to the bathroom (still had to go). On the way, I passed out again! Considered calling an ambulance, as I had never felt anything like this before. The diarrhea went on for 18 hours - into the next day. DO NOT TAKE THIS! I am really surprised there are not more warnings on the box about this or lawsuits filed from people who faint and get hurt falling down. The irony of the whole thing - my colonoscopy got rescheduled by the doctor's office but only AFTER I had taken this wretched drug."

• Nic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 19, 2023

"I normally don’t comment, but this product is getting a bad rep. I used this prep for the colonoscopy and took 20 pills over the time frame of an hour with water as my doctor prescribed. Within two hours, the magic began. Some cramps before movement started, but certainly not the worst thing to happen. I’m currently home from the hospital after surgery, and I’m using Dulcolax to regain normal bowel movements. Don’t be afraid to take this product, it works great for most people. One pill works overnight. Everyone’s body is not the same, so start with a low dose. Good luck."

• Gre...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 17, 2023

"After reading all the bad experience reviews, I figured I would share my good experience. Dulcolax is strong, and it works but can take 10-14 hours at times. The severe cramping, nausea, vomiting, etc., mostly happens when you don't drink enough water and Pedialyte or Gatorade to replace or provide electrolytes. You should drink 8-10 oz of water per pill taken, plus 32+ oz of Pedialyte, plus another 8-10 oz per pill taken, and continuously after that until bedtime or you start to eliminate waste. Drink too little water and electrolytes, and you’re gonna go through excruciating pain. It will be hell. The worst experience ever. Don't take that chance. Don't eat and drink accordingly, and your experience will be much better, ending in no more constipation and hopefully fully cleaned out. Be prepared to be on the toilet for at least 4-5 hrs. Grab your phone, laptop, iPad, book, games, whatever, and breathe. Relax, and it’ll all be over soon. No big deal."

• Loo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 19, 2022

"Works great! I prepared with plenty of Gatorade, coconut water (for potassium), and Emergen-C powder. The complaints I’ve read are due to electrolyte imbalances and dehydration. Biolyte is also a great electrolyte drink when prepping for a procedure."

• Cva...
• July 27, 2018

"After experiencing a crazy amount of lower abdomen pain, went in to the doctor. He gave me a request for an X-ray, and the X-ray showed lots of stool. I took 1 pill of Dulcolax for women at 6 PM, starting to work (by working I mean stomach cramps, nausea, sweats) about two hours after I took it. Spent the majority of the night in the bathroom just to have one BM, and now the morning after, my guts are still rolling."

• Lin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 8, 2022

"I was instructed to use 2 of the 5 mg pills as part of my colonoscopy prep. I only took one (oops) because I read all of the scary reviews. I had no side effects at all. You need to drink tons of water and electrolytes and take it on an empty stomach, and you’ll be fine. It does make you go, obviously, as that’s what it is intended for. Overall, the experience was fine. I’m all cleaned out."

• Sim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 29, 2024

"I had an overall good experience with this before my first colonoscopy. Reading all of the horror stories got me on my nerves and worried about the prep process. I am happy to report that it turned out to be a very smooth process. I took 4 tablets as prescribed as part of the prep with PLENTY of water. As soon as I heard/felt any kind of stomach rumbling/churning, I just head for the toilet. I had no nausea, no vomiting, I only had very mild cramping - very tolerable. The things that may have helped me was to prep before the prep: - Have light meals 5 to 7 days before the prep - Have a low-fiber diet 5 to 7 days before the prep - Have plenty of fluids in the days leading to the prep day and during prep day - Try to have daily BM (don't strain) 5 to 7 days before prep day - the less you got in there, the less needs to come out - my apologies for the TMI. I hope this helps calm some nerves."

• the...
• June 23, 2022

"I've been taking Dulcolax for a long time as needed and have never experienced any of the undesired side effects as stated here. That is until tonight. By far the worst, most intensely painful cramps I've ever experienced. And I'm a woman who gets pretty bad cramps once a month. I have to say I've absolutely shook at how painful this is!!! I'm currently experiencing it. And my legs won't stop shaking either."

• Man...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 6, 2022

"I was prescribed two pills 36 hours before my colonoscopy and two pills 24 hours before. I took the first pair at 9 PM, and by 4 AM, I was woken up by EXTREME abdominal pain. I couldn’t stand up or sit down, I was lying down on the bathroom floor in excruciating pain, unable to even call for help. This lasted for THREE HOURS before the pain DECREASED. It didn’t go away, it just decreased and was still EXTREMELY PAINFUL. I don’t care what the doctor said, I’m never taking two again. One would have been more than enough. For context, I weigh 64 kg. It was simply too much, and the pain was so bad I wasn’t even able to go to the bathroom. Felt like I was dying with my insides being ripped apart from the inside out, living hell. Horrible experience. Not worth it."

• Ore...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 8, 2021

"I see there is way too much variation in dosage here, from 2 pills X 2 a day before colonoscopy prep to 5 X 3 times! My instructions were 4 the day before plus 4 more on the day of the procedure, even though it was only 3-4 hours before. The morning prep did nothing but continue my diarrhea for 12 hours after the procedure, a big waste, pun intended. These high dose instructions seem to be for the most constipated denominator of patients and serve the docs and nurses only. They wouldn't let me change the dosage when I asked. I want to give this a 1, but gave a 3 because, well, it works!"

• RC2...
• January 26, 2022

"I used Dulcolax for bowel prep before colonoscopy. I was really nervous after reading the stories here. I was instructed to take 2 after a clear breakfast the morning before my colonoscopy, then 2 at 3 pm. Because I had to work that day, I instead took the first dose at 2 pm and the second dose at 4:30. The first dose I didn't drink a lot of water, but with the second dose, I did. I continued drinking water until I started the Miralax mix. I had NO cramping or anything explosive. The experience was much better than I thought it would be. If you use these for colonoscopy prep, make sure you drink a lot of water. I drank about 1.5 gallons when I started the Dulcolax before the Miralax, then about 1 gallon after. This was a breeze, and I really couldn't be happier with the results."

• Not...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 18, 2022

"Had bowel issues, so took 2 Dulcolax around 2:45 PM, then drank plenty of water. Also had some carom seeds (ajwain), a herbal remedy with some water, then laid on the bed for 2 hours. Suddenly, I heard growling stomach sounds, so I knew that the tablets were working. Then I had an urge for the toilet and went and sat on it. It was a bit painful, then diarrhea later did go once or twice, but relief not much. Do drink plenty of water, if needed in an emergency, will take it, but after (ajwain) carom seeds, they may just do the job."

• Can...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 15, 2021

"Ok, so this is my third attempt at getting a colonoscopy. Had bowel issues all my life. First 2 times were with a liquid, first in was a giant jug of chalky white stuff. Had such a bad reaction after one glass. The second one was a powder to put into juice, pop, or Gatorade. Again, a terrible reaction. Made it to the second of three packs before my husband called an ambulance. That was 10 and 5 years ago, respectively. The fear of the prep kept me from trying for a long time. But this time, I got the Dulcolax-2 every 2 hours from 8 AM the day before. I was terrified, but I didn't become sick! I had very mild nausea and frequent watery BMs. But no terrible cramps, no vomiting, no need for medical attention! Sorry to everyone who had bad experiences, but this is the prep I will recommend to anyone I know."

• jru...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 15, 2021

"I have IBS-D, so when I did my colonoscopy prep, I was very nervous about taking 4 Dulcolax and then the 64 oz of Miralax solution. I wasn't going to take the 4 pills after reading all these reviews, but I decided to listen to my doctor. I did not experience any of the symptoms everyone is putting on this forum. No cramps or pain, just that feeling of having to go to the bathroom quickly. I ate lightly 2 days before the prep and made sure I had bowel movements on those days. So when it came time for the prep day, I felt that I didn't have a 'load' in my intestines and colon. After 4 pills and 32 oz of Gatorade/Miralax, I was cleaned out. I started taking the second half of Gatorade at 2:30 AM, but could only get 1 glass down due to feeling bloated and full, plus I was still going to the bathroom after taking the first half and had to travel 20 miles to get to the hospital. Didn't want to have an accident on the way. Colon was clean."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 21, 2021

"I took 2 tablets at 9 AM, as instructed for colonoscopy prep. By 11:30 AM, I was in extreme agony with excruciatingly painful abdominal cramps. I sat on the toilet thinking that I had to have a bowel movement, only a tiny amount came out. Cramps continued with a vengeance, as well as nausea and extreme sweating. Finally, after an hour, an explosion of very liquid diarrhea, which has continued every 15 minutes since. It's now been 1 - 1/2 hours since the cramps began, and they seem to be easing slightly. I have to do this again tomorrow according to the instructions on the bowel prep sheet. Can't wait!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 26, 2024

"I take this medication faithfully. I keep my waistline down. I am even losing a few lbs. Yes, I know it's not fun when you're on the toilet, but when it's all over, I feel good. No side effects, just pure happiness."

• Ruz...
• August 12, 2009

"It's the best thing for me. It works few hours after taking the pill. I did not experience any of the side effects. It is a great way for someone who is really constipated to get relief fast."

• Tom...
• April 10, 2017

"Have been feeling backed up. I'm a big guy, so I took 4 pills about 7:45 this evening. After reading these testimonials, I now realize I have made a mistake."

• Ari...
• March 25, 2015

"I took it, and I just feel awful pain and like my back is in pain, and I just wanted to throw up, but the pain was so intense I couldn't breathe."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 23, 2023

"This medicine is great. Perfect to use before a colonoscopy. You get some cramps off and on for like maybe a few hours, but it's no big deal. It was not that bad at all."

• Kar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 25, 2016

"Severe cramping and nauseous after I took 2 pills at 7:50 PM. Woke up at 3:00 AM with a stomach burning sensation and throwing up after I used the restroom."

• tom...
• May 25, 2016

"Works good for me without side effects, I took 3 at noon. After 4 hours, I had movements."

• Kat...
• April 12, 2021

"Severe vomiting within 4 hours of starting prep. Cancelled procedure. Never again."

• Nic...
• May 4, 2019

"You want to know how it feels to detox off heroin for a night? Boom, this stuff here, but you will feel better in a day or so!"

• ETH...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 5, 2016

"Vomiting, pain, weakness. Unable to stand up. Had to cancel colonoscopy at 2 a.m. HORRIBLE."