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Bisacodyl User Reviews & Ratings (Page 5)

Brand names: Dulcolax, Dulcolax Laxative, Gentle Laxative, Correctol, Alophen, Bisco-Lax, Laxative Gentle Suppositories, Doxidan Tablet, Bisa-Lax, Veracolate, Fleet Bisacodyl, Ducodyl, Bisacodyl Uniserts, Bisolax, Colax, Evac-U-Gen, Magic Bullet, Feen-A-Mint, Gentlax Tablet, Ex-lax Ultra, Fematrol, Dulcogen, Bisa-Plex, Bisac-Evac, Gen Lax Carter's Little Pills …show all brand names

Bisacodyl has an average rating of 5.3 out of 10 from a total of 1,579 reviews on Drugs.com. 40% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 41% reported a negative experience.

Reviews for Bisacodyl

  • Worko...
  • March 24, 2010

Correctol (bisacodyl) for Constipation "This medicine worked for me! The other reviews were so NEGATIVE. It SCARED ME so BADLY! I decided to take this medicine for my constipation, and then after I took the pill at 12:30pm after lunch (no milk or antacids with it though). I got online to find out how long it would take for it to work (it stated 6 to 12 hours), BUT for me was 4.5 hours. I did have some discomfort, but I had some discomfort from my constipation too. I am not saying that the other reviewers didn't have this horrible side effects, I am sure they did. I thought I would get on here though, because those negative side effects do NOT happen to everyone! I do have to say though, I am So GLAD I didn't take it before bedtime (like suggested on the box though) because that would have put me up 2:30 AM in the morning, when everything got flushed out). That wouldn't have made me a happy camper, Glad I decide to take it after lunch, and then I was home at 4:30 after work, and went to the bathroom, and it Truly does CLEAN you OUT!! My advice, be smart with the timing and place you take this medicine, if you decide to try it."

8 / 10
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  • maxlax
  • October 31, 2014

Dulcolax (bisacodyl) for Constipation "Had been constipated for the past 5 days and was tired of feeling like crap (no pun intended), so I decided to give this a try. I'll do a little more research next time, but I'm quite happy to say that it worked. Took 2 pills at 12:15pm, and had bowel movements at 4:15, 5;15, and 6:15, like clockwork. I believe what you do before and after you take the pills definitely affects how you will feel when it hits you. I had veggies, a fiber bar, and an energy drink for breakfast, two fiber bars for lunch, and drank a liter of water when I got home. If your body isn't ready, then you can expect to feel terrible because your digestive track has nothing else to pull from. I'm a 5'4", 125 lb woman, and didn't have any horrendous side effects."

10 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • July 26, 2021

Dulcolax (bisacodyl) for Constipation "OMG. Save yourself. Do the enema. Holy smokes. My diet was off and I knew it. After 3rd day I figured I better do something. My abdomen was huge. I'm not a big guy & don't take meds of any kind willingly, so when it said I could take 1 to 3 of these tiny time bombs I opted for 1. ONE. The cramps started about 6 hours later. Got me out of bed. I spent the next 2 hours doubled over in pain so high I vomited. No joke! Both figuratively and truthfully. No BM yet. I figured if it hurt that bad I must have a real problem. bowel obstruction? Cancer? I thought I was dying. I lay on the bathroom floor in a cold sweat only getting up to vomit or try to crap. Once it finally happened, it took 3 days to be over. My body kept trying to turn my anus inside out. Poor butt bled for 24 hours. My stomach still isn't right at 4 days later. Save your bootie! Don't do it! Anything but ducolax... that part on the box that says "Gentle dependable relief" there ain't nothing GENTLE about it!! POOPERS BEWARE!!"

2 / 10
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Frequently asked questions

  • Surgery...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • January 21, 2015

Dulcolax (bisacodyl) for Constipation "I haven't had a bowel movement in about 8 or 9 days. I took two pills around midnight and woke up around 5am to a bowel movement. It helped my constipation. I went back to sleep and woke up about 7am to an immediate bowel movement. It is now 7:45am and hopefully this is over. Works great though."

9 / 10
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  • Const...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • March 7, 2015

Dulcolax (bisacodyl) for Constipation "I had constipation, bloating, chest pains, and gastritis for a few days causing agonizing pain, I took one and amazing it cleaned my entire digestive system, bloating, chest pains, and gastritis cramps stopped. What a blessing."

10 / 10
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Are you taking this medicine?

  • Teela
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • January 6, 2020

Dulcolax (bisacodyl) for Constipation "Using these for a while so learned the best ways around the cramps, you've probably read on here and pooped yourself (you wish). I can't poop for about 5-7 days sometimes so I take them depending on the severity of constipation, if I haven't been for 5+ days I take one before bed and go fine in the morning. If I've not been for 3/4 days I only take half a tablet and go fine. If take a whole one with no severe constipation I've noticed that the poop is more runny and the cramps heavier. I will take one before bed and set an alarm to take a painkiller at around 5am to prevent the cramps, it works!! No cramping= pleasant pooping. I've been taking these once or twice a month for over a year and they do work, I suggest only half of tablet if the constipation is only 2/3 days old and the full 1 for anything over, but don't forget the painkillers for better experience. Happy pooping!"

8 / 10
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  • Siobhan...
  • August 2, 2016

Dulcolax (bisacodyl) for Constipation "Took 5mg of dulcolax going to bed at 10pm. Woke at 4 with excruciating abdominal cramps, then started having heart palpitations, sweats , nausea, worse pain than childbirth .....then I fainted ! Woke up on the tiled bathroom floor with 4 children looking at me thinking I was dead....have a head injury from the bang on the tilled floor, soiled myself cos I hadn't the energy to lift myself to the toilet seat...profuse diarrhoea for 30 minutes ....bed ridden for 6 hours after the faint.....NEVER again will I take this medicine...on the bottle it says "for gentle relief of constipation " .....nothing could be further from the truth. I'm actually traumatised."

3 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • June 14, 2019

Dulcolax (bisacodyl) for Constipation "Had taken dulcolax in past with moderate luck and no side effects... until now. I took it last night because I ran out of miralax which I have to take every night for my IBS-C. As with other reviewers I am in some of the worst pain of my life AND in the past I have been carted off to the ER in an ambulance twice. I am having bowel movements irregularly with increasing pain, even though I am expelling waste. I feel nauseated to the point where I think I might throw up or pass out. I have broken into a feverish sweat and cannot stop shaking. To address other reviewers: yes I drank the water and no it didn’t help; and I have taken at least 3 other laxatives before with no severe pain so the pain is NOT necessary to sit through to have a bowel movement. I say sit, but I have no strength to keep myself in any position but lying on the floor, due to the pain. I will return to my trusted miralax. This medicine is poison and should not be sold to anyone for any reason."

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  • kpt
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • February 28, 2015

Dulcolax (bisacodyl) for Constipation "I take Dulcolax when I feel like my bowel system is playing up. Or to avoid serious constipation. I usually take it with a glass of water. But it doesn't help with the cramps, ever. It wakes me up at 6 am if 1 pill is taken between 10 p.m to 11 p.m. Cramps are top bad but the relief is great. Works almost every time for me."

9 / 10
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  • Paulito
  • Taken for 5 to 10 years
  • September 4, 2017

Dulcolax (bisacodyl) for Constipation "For all you "horrible cramps, worst pain ever, bad drug" people. You had a blocked Bowel. The directions warn using it with that, yet the only way I've ever known I had a blocked bowel was when I was writhing in agony. So unless you have your own X-ray at home, I'm not sure how one would know. Anyways, it's not the laxative to blame, it's your condition. Remember why you took it? People always confuse causality. "I took X, then this happened. X is bad and at fault." It's more likely you would have gone through the same experience at a later time, and the laxative just brought it on sooner. I'm pretty sure stimulant laxatives increase the pain and severity of cramps, which is why it's warned for. Yet a blocked bowel is hell. Been there."

8 / 10
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  • s3ndh...
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • October 7, 2019

Dulcolax (bisacodyl) for Constipation "I use this awful drug because I have a paralyzed bowel from a tethered spinal cord. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS TO ANYONE WHO IS EXPERIENCING JUST OCCASIONAL CONSTIPATION. This stuff is intense and if you don't feel like cancelling all plans for the day and being on the toilet for hours, then this ain't it chief. Extreme cramping, vomiting, fainting, you name it. I'm the type of person that goes hard and takes the full dose (3 pills). Let me tell you don't do that unless you want to be writhing on the ground contemplating if you are dying. Over all the only positive thing about this medication is after hours of intense pain, all hell breaks loose, you see the sunrise on the horizon, a choir of angels starts to sing, and you feel 20 pounds lighter. You get the picture."

10 / 10
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  • Melanie
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • October 11, 2023

Dulcolax (bisacodyl) for Constipation "I'm not a doctor, but I can't help but feel the negative reviews are a little misguided. If you're severely blocked up and haven't been to the bathroom in a week or more, how can you expect to be in anything but pain when you take medication trying to push all that through? Dulcolax is the only thing that works for me. Sure, I had pain and quite loose stools when it was working, but I had a complete evacuation. The relief is amazing! Clearly, those of us with this issue need to see a doctor as laxatives are a short-term, last resort. If you're severely blocked up and you choose to take Dulcolax, be prepared for a rather intense experience. But I'd rather go through that than keep all that waste inside me."

10 / 10
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  • Poop...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 25, 2020

Dulcolax (bisacodyl) for Constipation "Omg y’all. This stuff is seriously awful!! I took two pills at 8:30pm. Thank god I didn’t take 3. At 3:30 am, I woke up with terrible nausea and a bubbly stomach. I laid there and tossed and turned for a little bit. I finally got up, went down stairs so I didn’t wake up my family but horror sounds of poop shooting in the toilet. I was sweating, stomach cramped up and I couldn’t tell if I had to poop or throw up or both at the same time. It’s now 7:50am, I still have bad diarrhea. I’ll be canceling some stuff today because I’ll need to be by a bathroom at all times. Lord have mercy. I’ll stick with miralax next time. Read reviews before taking this! I wish I did!!"

1 / 10
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  • Hotbe...
  • January 7, 2021

Dulcolax (bisacodyl) for Bowel Preparation "Prepared for a flexible sigmoidoscopy on a Friday at 1pm began Wednesday. Wednesday: light breakfast of solids, the rest of the day 1 gallon of water spaced out and clear liquid fluid foods. Had a BM as I usually daily do in the morning.. 1 dulcolax 4:30 pm that Wednesday with 2 bottles of water, regular BM at 11:30 pm.....I wondered why I wasn’t running to the washroom or in any painful symptoms described here. Set an alarm at 6am Thursday and popped 2 more with 2 bottles of water. Normal BM as I usually daily do, and then a normal but large watery BM at 3pm. No symptoms again as described in other reviews. I think the key to the prep is just drink a ton of water, and when you think you can’t drink anymore, drink some more. I wondered why I wasn’t making more BMs all Wednesday or Thursday but it’s likely because I eat clean and I also already wasn’t eating solids when I had began the prep...."

10 / 10
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  • Dulco...
  • February 12, 2020

Dulcolax (bisacodyl) for Constipation "I had been struggling with constipation for weeks, having around 1 BM each week, 2 if I was lucky. My mum was the one that suggested I try something over the counter, so I tried Dulcolax. I’d never taken it before so I started with just 1 tablet, I took this at around 10.30pm and went to bed. I woke up a few times in the night with gas but no pain or cramps. I got up for work at 7am worried that nothing had happened yet, so I started googling the reviews. Some of your reviews are terrifying! 10 minutes into reading I could feel a bowel movement coming on, so I prepared for the worst. However I’m pleasantly surprised, I have now had my first BM. It wasn’t diarrhoea but very soft. No cramps or pain. I had drunk about 750ml of water before going to bed so I’m starting to think that this helped! Hydrate while taking this tablet ladies and if you haven’t taken it before just begin with 1, I’m so glad I didn’t take 2/3."

10 / 10
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  • Josie
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • August 21, 2020

Dulcolax (bisacodyl) for Constipation "I suffer from IBS, I was recommended by a friend to use Dulcolax when I have severe constipation as it works amazing and completely unblocks. I took the medication at 10:30pm, I work up at 4:30am in excruciating pain with my stomach, could barely walk to the toilet. Once sitting on the toilet, I had extremely loose stools for around 2 hours (non-stop). These do definitely work but the side effects can be awful and cause you a rubbish nights sleep."

8 / 10
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  • Owwww
  • September 6, 2020

Dulcolax (bisacodyl) for Constipation "I had taken this before. Once after surgery and the blockage that happens. I had tried everything , stool softener, suppository, nothing worked. So I took one dulcolax and about 6 hours later - relief! Fast forward to last night. Took 2. Woke up at around 1am with the worst pain in my upper abdomen, truly horrible acid pain. Took some antacids and went back to bed. Woke up at 4am still in pain. It’s 9am now and the pain is still there but just had the first lower abdomen cramping start. Hopefully relief soon but the rest of the pills will be going straight to the trash. Nope. Never again."

2 / 10
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  • Sendh...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • January 8, 2020

Dulcolax (bisacodyl) for Constipation "The worst part about this experience for me is that I know 100% I’m completely cleared out and yet every time I go to lay back in my bed I have the urge to go and so I run back to my toilet and sit there like an idiot waiting. I’ve been up since 2 am, it is 5:30am now and I’m hoping for an end soon. Please research this medication before you take it, I wish I had."

4 / 10
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  • Daisy
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • June 11, 2019

Dulcolax (bisacodyl) for Constipation "One of the worse pains I have ever felt. I was lying on the floor crying in pain due to this medication. I lost all my colour and felt as though I was dying. I am usually okay with pain tolerance but this is unbearable. Do not take."

1 / 10
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23 Report
  • 6-1 1...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • November 15, 2014

Dulcolax (bisacodyl) for Constipation "Constipation was causing pain and I could not relieve myself. I never take anything for this. I took 2 pills about an hour ago and have already had a bearable bowel movement. Great relief. Worked quickly. Hoping no cramps, pain or irritable bowel to come over the next few hours. So far, so good. I will use again if needed. By the way I drank plenty of water, so that may have helped me avoid the cramping. "

9 / 10
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  • OAKIE
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • November 22, 2020

Dulcolax Laxative (bisacodyl) for Constipation "Took two dulcolax before bed, because I had been constipated for a few days. All good until about 7am the next morning when, I woke up with the WORST pain, I have ever had. I would like to mention I berthed two babies over 9lbs :) this pain was way worse. I throw up, had sweat pouring off my body in agony. End result, it finally worked, but was not worth the severe stomach cramps. I truly thought I was going to pass out or die. Don't take it- save yourself :)"

1 / 10
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  • Maerfes
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • September 28, 2019

Dulcolax (bisacodyl) for Constipation "Recently I had the worst constipation in my life. I was advised by a doctor to take 4 dulcolax tablets at once. I decided to take it before sleep.I took 3 powerful sleeping pills and four dulcolax at 11:00 pm so that my sleep is not disturbed by bowel pain. I woke up at 12:00 pm the next day and found that my abdominal pain decreased a lot, but I became so weak that I couldn't even move a hair. After 5 minutes loud sounds came from my belly along with mild cramps. The sound continued for 1 minute and then suddenly a large volume of poop exploded out and it continued for 2 minutes. My clothes were completely spoiled along with the bed sheet. Brown liquids went down the floor. I could do nothing as I couldn't move. The same thing happened after every 5 minutes the next 30 minutes. When it stopped I started to get strength to move. I got up from bed with complete mess. I had diarrhoea the next 24 hours. Dulcolax helped me a lot. But it is better to take it only in case of any emergency."

10 / 10
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  • Tania
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • July 30, 2020

Dulcolax (bisacodyl) for Constipation "Thank goodness I'm not alone. I took this pill twice and both times I felt I had near-death-experience. The first time I thought maybe it’s due to introducing a new drug to my body. The second time I passed out once on the bathroom floor and once when I came back to my bed. My whole body was covered in cold sweat. I thought it was going to be the end of me in the bathroom. I was dizzy and my eyes got blurry. Both times I was a few minutes away from calling 911. With so many bad reviews I’m surprised how this drug still has the license of production."

1 / 10
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  • Card...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • October 19, 2020

Dulcolax (bisacodyl) for Bowel Preparation "For a colonoscopy prep, I was to take four Dulcolax pills at once, then take Miralax two hours later. I didn't have any problems with the Dulcolax by deviating from the prescribed schedule. Two-and-a-half hours before I was to take all four Dulcolax, I took an anti-nausea pill. I waited 30 minutes, then took one Dulcolax, waited 30 minutes, then another Dulcolax, doing this gradual dosing until all four pills were taken. Two hours later, I took the Miralax. Thankfully, I was able to keep all the prep down, and had bouts of diarrhea for the next several hours. Overall, my experience, was as expected, with the slight modification in the dosage schedule."

10 / 10
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  • Hayls
  • December 4, 2019

Dulcolax (bisacodyl) for Constipation "Please for the love of GOD, do not take Dulcolax. It’s 3 am and the only thing keeping me somewhat sane is reading these comments and knowing that I’m not the only one who is going thru this nightmare. The word GENTLE is complete and utter BULL. I took 2 pills around 9pm tonight, and at MIDNIGHT I woke up to the worst full stomach cramps ever. The diarrhea has been pretty much nonstop and so, so painful. I wish I would’ve found this page before taking these pills. They are in the trash and I pray that this will end soon."

1 / 10
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21 Report

Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or to remove inappropriate language and content. Reviews that appear to be created by parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any particular medication. While these reviews may be helpful, they are not a substitute for the expertise, knowledge, and judgement of healthcare professionals.