Dulcolax Laxative and Cramps: What Users Say

• Bow...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 28, 2019

For Constipation "I took the pills at around 2 am, and I was awoken at around 7:45 am with the sound of demon noises echoing around my bedroom. In fact, the noise was my stomach roaring and bubbling like a volcano about to erupt. I had mild cramping and thought I’d better get to the bathroom. Sitting on the toilet, I began to involuntarily heave. This went on for around 20 minutes. I clenched my cheeks together, and out came a watery splash of sheer stink. I thought to myself, 'This can’t be it?'... and I was right. I was back and forth to the toilet all morning, and my butt felt like a fire-breathing dragon. Every time I got back into bed for a rest, I lay in wait for Lucifer himself to take over my sphincter. I lay in bed just reevaluating my life. I had visions of the emergency services coming to my rescue as I lay in a pile of my own excrement, begging the Lord for mercy. Only take these if you fancy a trip to hell and back."

• Aan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 19, 2021

For Constipation "DO NOT TAKE THIS..... I had been constipated for a week and needed something to help with that. I took Dulcolax at 9:30, it woke me up in pain at 3:30. It felt like period cramps at first, and I tried to sleep it off, but it finally was so unbearable I went to the bathroom and couldn’t go for 2 hours. I was in so much pain that I was sweating and threw up. This is not ideal for just needing a little laxative. I truly do NOT recommend, and I will never be taking it again."

• Chr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 16, 2021

For Constipation "WOULD NOT RECOMMEND. I took 3, like the box said (10 pm). I took it because I haven't been able to potty for a week. Around 2 am, I woke to my stomach cramping so bad. I got up and went to the bathroom, and nothing happened. 30 minutes later, I felt even worse, so I went back to the bathroom. At this point, I'm nauseated and very lightheaded, and once I got to my destination, sweat was literally pouring off me like I've been digging holes in the desert with a temperature of 115 outside. With all of this going on, I went into an anxiety attack, which now it's hard to breathe. Thankfully, it FINALLY released itself. The next morning, I felt like I've been run over by an 18-wheeler and exhausted beyond belief and shaky. Definitely not ever taking this again."

• Bri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 13, 2019

For Constipation "Ok, so I have a funny story about this. I was constipated for like 2 weeks, and so I got this medication, Dulcolax, and I took one in the morning and one in the day. Nothing happened for a while. So then my boyfriend and I went to a party at the lake. (I know I was an idiot.) Anyway, I started to get cramps, unfortunately, there are no bathrooms anywhere around there. So I told my BF to take me home, but while driving, I couldn't keep it in-it started seeping out, haha, so I told him to pull over. Then I got out and pulled my pants down and just let this waterfall of poop pour out of my butt. Haha, my man just covered his face in disgust, but I couldn't care!!! Oh, and no toilet paper, so I had to use old paper food bags that were in the car. We had to pull over 3 times so I could poop. Finally, we got home, I showered, and went one more time. The experience sucked, but afterwards, I felt so light and free. I felt amazing, haha. Anyway, that's my story."

• Bin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 1, 2019

For Constipation "Popped 4 of those suckers as instructed by my gastro in prep for my colonoscopy tomorrow. After reading these comments, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna die. Been sitting on the toilet now for over an hour trying to squirt anything outta my butt, however, it seems these cramps are going to keep building up until I finally explode in the bowl. My stomach is freaking massive right now from the bloating, and I honestly regret not bringing my pillow in here because it seems I'll be here for a while. Occasional poops trickling out. This is torture. Only a few more hours until I begin chugging the Miralax/Gatorade concoction. Colonoscopers, you are not alone. You will get through this. Bring a pillow to the bathroom and be sure your dogs have been fed. You will not be leaving. 5/10 because at least I'm off work for 2 days."

• Jan...
• February 15, 2021

For Constipation "Took a few of these before bed (8 pm), woke up at 3:45 am in extreme pain! Cramping, nausea, severe gas pains, etc. I do not recommend this-constipation is more tolerable than this! I feel so, so very bad right now!!!"

• Vic...
• September 23, 2017

For Constipation "Literally, as I type, I feel like I'm dying. Long story short, yesterday I was pretty constipated and in pain because I couldn't seem to have a BM. If I did, it was your typical push and drop a pebble, and that's it. So it's 11 a.m., I take 2 Dulcolax and go to work. I left at 3:30 p.m. because I knew I'd be in the bathroom a lot. 5:30 p.m. rolls around, and I am hit with a violent, and I mean VIOLENT BM. I could have sworn I pooped out a boulder. It's now 11:47 p.m., and I'm STILL having BMs, along with nausea (I can barely get water down without wanting to vomit), EXTREME stomach pain, cramps I can feel ALL OVER my abdomen, dizziness, and I'm very weak and shaky. I've had to talk myself out of the ER all night, but at this point, I'm ready to seriously cry."

• Rom...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 22, 2019

For Constipation "I am still recovering from the worst evening and night of my life. I took 3 Dulcolax pills yesterday afternoon. I had some results by evening, but the cramping got worse and worse. They would come in waves and increase in intensity like a contraction. I began to throw up, and that continued, as did the excruciating pain all night. Between 4 and 6 a.m., I had diarrhea and enough relief that I could sleep for a couple of hours. Today I still have some diarrhea, a bad headache, as I try to rehydrate. I was drenched in sweat during the night and thought I might die. This is not gentle. There should be warnings on the box. Never again!!"

• Riv...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 29, 2019

For Constipation "I took two 5 mg and then read the reviews. Was so stressed by the negative reviews, but I drank as much water as humanly possible. The pills caused bearable cramping and only had mild nausea the first time I went to the toilet. The poop was medium soft then a waterfall, but when you're constipated, you kind of want that stuff put anyway, so that part didn’t bother me too much. Overall, it took about 10 hours to kick in. I've been to the toilet 3 times, once every two hours after the first time, so only use this medicine when you have nowhere else to go and no other duties. I'm sure there’s a more high-quality way to manage constipation, but this works and it's not the best, but in no way is it worse than constipation. It's not perfect, but definitely not the worst thing ever."

• Lil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 19, 2019

For Constipation "I took one Dulcolax pill to relieve constipation, and me-oh-my! The cramps were awful, dizziness, weakness, and a headache. It did relieve my constipation, but I will never, ever take this again, I'd rather drink prune juice."

• yik...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 31, 2019

For Constipation "I get constipation a lot because of another health issue, and the first time I used this, I took 1, and yeah, it worked but gave me cramps and diarrhea for a couple of days. Next time, I cut the tablets into quarters and had a single quarter. It worked so much better. I had slight cramps for around an hour after taking, then it eased up, and I felt a lot better. A lot of the bad reviews are people that took 2/3 tablets. Don’t do that. Take a quarter around dinner, and if you still feel constipated, then take another quarter before bed. You shouldn’t get as much pain."

• Emb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 4, 2019

For Constipation "I was on vacation, two plane rides, and five hours in the car. I knew I was going to be constipated. I took two Dulcolax in the morning, at once. The next day we went to a state park. There was a porta potty and nobody else at the park. I had to go… immediately. Because it was a public bathroom and a porta potty, I squatted and didn’t sit down. My poop came out of me so fast that it went all over the entire toilet in a giant pile. I felt great after, and when I got back into the car, I could not stop laughing. I did not get cramps the entire experience. Another car pulled up with two women, and they went towards the bathroom. My friend and I hightailed it out of there. I would rate it a 10 out of 10, but don’t go anywhere for a day or two if you take it."

• Lee...
• January 3, 2014

For Constipation "I've taken one Dulcolax last night around 10. This morning I had severe cramps in my stomach, went to make a bowel motion. Now I feel better. I'm still a little crampy, but I think everything came out. I recommend it to anyone constipated."

• Lee...
• January 3, 2014

For Constipation "I've taken one Dulcolax last night around 10. This morning I had severe cramps in my stomach, went to make a bowel motion. Now I feel better. I'm still a little crampy, but I think everything came out. I recommend it to anyone constipated."

• Rab...
• September 15, 2019

For Constipation "I had been feeling constipated for a few days, got fed up, and decided to take 1 Dulcolax that happened to be in the medicine cabinet. I’ve never taken a laxative in my entire life, so didn’t know what to expect. Very unpleasant cramping (about two hours after taking 1 pill), followed by somewhat ‘normal’ (at least not rock hard) stool shortly after the cramping/bloating began, and then a few minutes later, crazy diarrhea. Sounds like I got away with minimal discomfort, though, compared to what others have written. I made sure I kept drinking water—sipping a bit every few minutes after taking the pill. I believe this might have helped, but I can’t imagine taking 2 or even 3 at once; that sounds insane! This stuff does its job, but can result in some very painful bloating and projectile diarrhea—but I’ve never taken other laxatives, so not sure if this is the ‘norm’. But personally, I’d rather go through the pain than be constipated."

• owa...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 26, 2019

For Constipation "I've got gastroparesis-like symptoms. Basically, I'm always constipated. However, I'd prefer my current condition of a distended stomach for weeks rather than the agonizing 24-48 hours this hellish medication provides. I took 1/2 a tablet (where the dosage is 1-3), and 6 hours later, cramps. Then, an hour after that, I'm vomiting, passing out, and awakening with a killer headache and the most pathetic result. 10 hours after, if you're lucky, you might pass something resembling stool, but good God, I wouldn't recommend it. The nausea isn't worth it, you'll be seeing spots for days, and the cramps are absolutely ridiculous. I am yet to find a laxative that doesn't make me throw up, but this is by far the worst. The bad news is that I got a pack of 100."

• Ind...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 27, 2013

For Constipation "It's going to cause cramps and discomfort because it stimulates the bowel to move. I put up with the discomfort because other laxatives aren't as effective for me. I'd suggest using Dulcolax with a separate stool softener, right before bed. Maybe even take stool softener in the afternoon, then Dulcolax at bedtime. I slept through cramps and had a movement in the morning. When I took it in the late afternoon, the cramps were pretty bad. Drink water/liquids lots."

• HEW...
• September 4, 2018

For Constipation "After reading all the reviews, I was terrified to try this. But I had already taken two tablets before I read the reviews. I had drunk about six bottles of water throughout the whole day because I read water is key to avoid side effects. I took two tablets at 10 a.m., and after six hours, nothing. Woke up in the night maybe around 2 a.m. to some mild cramping, but still couldn't go to the toilet. This morning at 7 a.m., I got up to more cramping, was on and off the toilet with cramps, pooping out nothing more than a few rabbit pellets. After about two hours of up and down to the toilet with cramps and nothing coming out, everything broke loose. Finally, after a huge spasm, it all came out, except now I have diarrhea. But I'm not complaining. But I will say I've had smoother experiences with pessaries and stool softeners, and I don't have to suffer for 12 hours beforehand. Also, the smell they produce is like off urine! I'll give this one a pass next time, but at least it FINALLY did the job."

• Joa...
• December 7, 2018

For Constipation "Well, I can honestly say that this is the first time in my life I'm pooping straight liquid. Took this after getting sinus surgery and was stopped up thanks to the pain meds. I took two pills the first day and had a bowel movement the next morning, followed by two more that almost resembled diarrhea. But whatever, it did its job. Then a few more days went by, got stopped up again. I was off the pain meds by this point but started taking Dulcolax, just one a day. Drank water. Nothing. Next day, one more. Water. Nada. Third day, I'm getting concerned, so I take two, then follow it up with a liter of coconut water and a cup of coffee. Hooooly crap. Literally. It started normal enough, a couple decent movements to get the flow going. And then it was like I turned on a faucet. It's been 24 hours since I took those pills, and I'm still squirting. And the pain, the cramps, oh my lord. I was writhing in bed all day. This is the WORST medication ever. Save yourself the agony."

• By...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 2, 2016

For Constipation "I suffer from multiple sclerosis, and I took Dulcolax in the green container. I took 2. I was so impacted I would have done anything I had to get myself cleaned out. I was getting sick. It worked wonderfully. Yes, it does get watery and kind of crampy, but it is cleaning you out completely, and that's what I needed. I do not like the pink Dulcolax for women. I took that, and that made me deathly sick. It was too slow, it did not work. If I take Dulcolax at night, I can be assured the next day that I will go to the bathroom. It is a lifesaver for someone who is so constipated that they are in bed for days. It is the only thing that works on me, so heads up for Dulcolax."

• Bec...
• March 21, 2017

For Constipation "I'm on a lot of various meds. I normally take my Greens from 'It Works' to get 12 servings of fruits and veggies, 32 herbs, vitamins, and superfoods. However, I have the worst case of fibro. So, if I'm having a bad flare-up for a few days, I only eat once, and it's pasta. This combined with all of my meds totally backs me up! I've tried suppositories once and did NOT like it! I've used Dulcolax in the past and loved the results that I received. So, since I needed some relief so I can get back to normal, I took the 3-pill maximum with a full glass of water. It worked beautifully! I was holding onto 3 lbs of fecal matter! NO cramps with plenty of water!"

• Hit...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 2, 2016

For Constipation "I have never experienced any hope of medication to assist in health before and after researching. I thought the product looked okay to try, but I was so wrong. It did work after 14 hours, but throughout the night, I was woken up by cramps and hot sweats. The cramps are worse than a menstrual cycle, and this may be too much information, but I almost passed out right before my BM and during, felt I was going to vomit all over the place, and my body feels extremely weak. For getting the medication for sensitive stomachs, it sure doesn't feel like it was meant for me, very disappointed and threw the entire package away."

• Bam...
• November 19, 2015

For Constipation "One pill is plenty for me, and I'm a big guy. Don't expect a miracle in five minutes. I take it late in the evening before bedtime, and before noon the next day, it's working. I drink plenty of liquids (not milk) when taking it. If I take more than one pill, it gives me cramps and diarrhea. I find that eating foods with plenty of fiber (25-30g/day) and drinking plenty of fluids (fewer dairy products) eliminates most of my constipation problems. When I get off that diet, I tend to have the problem again. I also take some Metamucil daily, 'after' a good BM, mixed with juice or water, which gives me lots of additional fiber. This works for me, hope this helps! For serious problems, I would recommend seeing a doctor."

• Mel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 7, 2018

For Constipation "Well, I’ve had really bad, painful constipation for days now. I was able to go a little, but I hate to admit I mostly pushed (which I know you're not supposed to do, but I was desperate!). Anyway, I got my fiancé to go get the Dulcolax pink. Took it in the afternoon, and nothing happened. Figured it wouldn’t work. I read all the reviews and was horrified, thought I was going to die with these terrible cramps that people said would come my way. Woke up a couple of times through the night with light cramps, but nothing. Got up at 8:30 a.m. because holy moly, I gotta poop. Cramps were there and wow! Helped me out so much like you wouldn’t believe. Yes, my stomach is sore and I’m nauseous, but the cramps really aren’t bad at all. This drug is different for everyone, but I do recommend it. Drink lots and lots of water after taking it! I saw a review saying you won’t get the bad cramps if you drink like 10 glasses of water, so I did, and I’m fine!"

• Sti...
• May 7, 2015

For Constipation "I have been having a little tummy trouble the past few days and hadn't had a BM, and it was starting to become unbearably uncomfortable. I took these last night about 10 pm and woke up this morning around 3-4 in excruciating pain. I was sick as a dog. I did finally have a BM after sitting for about 20 minutes, almost in tears from the cramps. Once I went, the cramps subsided, but only temporarily. I have been getting on-and-off cramps that feel like I am being repeatedly stabbed in my lower abdomen, and to the point I feel like I may vomit. Will not use this product again."