Dulcolax Laxative and Pain: What Users Say

• 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."

• Len...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 16, 2020

For Constipation "Omg, the stories of the others that experienced this dreadful laxative are hilarious, but at the same time, I feel their pain. They changed something with the Dulcolax pink. It never used to cause the nausea and stomach pains that it does now. I have to look into a new laxative as I can’t deal with this when I have to take it often due to constipation. I wish they hadn’t changed the makeup of this because it never used to cause the pain and nausea, dry heaving like it does now. Seriously, I wish someone at Dulcolax would read these reviews."

• OAK...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 22, 2020

For Constipation "Took two Dulcolax before bed because I had been constipated for a few days. All good until about 7 am the next morning when I woke up with the WORST pain I have ever had. I would like to mention I birthed two babies over 9 lbs :) this pain was way worse. I threw 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 :)"

• ken...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 12, 2019

For Constipation "Dear God, this stuff worked like magic, BUT IN THE MOST TERRIBLE WAY. My body feels like it’s trying to evacuate itself, with fluids coming out of both ends. Toe-curling pain-I kid you not! I’m usually one who can take pain and bite my tongue, but this was a whole other level. I literally groaned from the pain and had to squeeze my legs with utter terror. There is nothing left inside of me."

• Lea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 10, 2023

For Constipation "Good news is that it works. I sh*t myself, the bed, my pants, and two XXL adult diapers. Bad news is I screamed and moaned in pain for nine hours while my guts bubbled and twisted as if I were giving birth to Satan himself. I prayed for the end, and I didn’t even care if that end came while my pants were down around my ankles. Summary: yes, you will sh*t, so it does what it says. The gentle part is an absolute lie. It felt like I was birthing a rhinoceros out of my anus. Read the reviews and proceed with caution. You have been warned."

• Suu...
• April 12, 2020

For Constipation "I have a stomach that digests very slowly, and the bowels are the same. It takes me three times longer to eliminate food than the average person. I take fiber, drink lots of water, and have a selective diet as a vegetarian who is supposed to eat twelve small meals a day for digestion. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always work! I take Senokot-S at bedtime but am still prone to blockage. I took one Dulcolax suppository. Easy to insert and very quick to act. It was about five minutes, and I had to run to the washroom. I still had to push a bit from the pain, and there was a burning sensation! It went away as soon as I started passing more stool. I still have pain in my left side, so I know I’m still full of poop, lol. If I don’t have a bowel movement tomorrow, I will do a suppository again! Yes, it worked and fast, but for me, once I get impacted, I was told I may need to do things twice! On a side note, I was told to drink Gatorade while unplugging myself due to water and electrolytes being lost."

• Ash...
• July 20, 2014

For Constipation "Noticing that I hadn't had a bowel movement in almost 6 days, I purchased this product and took 2 around 3 a.m. I woke up around 8:30 a.m. with the most pain I've ever felt in my life. I gave childbirth naturally with no medicines, but this, by far, felt almost the same. I felt nauseous and had a frequent flow of bowel movements. I got sweaty hot, then so cold I would shiver in a matter of seconds apart. I even felt faint, and my vision got blurry. After drinking 2 bottles of water, I felt somewhat of a relief in pain, but not 100%. If you need a bowel movement, this is your product, but it HURTS! Try a stool softener instead."

• 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."

• Don...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 18, 2015

For Constipation "The medication was very effective, however, the excruciating pain I experienced while taking the medication was not a fun experience. I took two tablets at 9:00 a.m. Two hours passed, and I didn't feel anything. Then it hit just about noon, and I started getting terrible stomach cramps. If you are a first-time user, take one."

• Pha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 31, 2019

For Constipation "I've taken it three times. The first time did the job. The second and third times, I had extreme pain and dry heaves. It was horrible! The second time, I had two rounds of this but thought it was just an exception. When I tried it the third time, it sealed the deal for me. Pain, dry heaves, dizziness, and I desperately wanted out of my misery. Looking for a better way."

• Dul...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 12, 2022

For Constipation "Took just one tablet for bed. Woke up with the sweats, feeling faint and sick about 7. Went to the toilet about an hour after, feeling like I was going to give birth to a hippopotamus, lost a lot of blood with the poo. It does work, but it’s nearly 8 at night, and I’m still in pain. Never will I use this medication again, not recommended."

• 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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 24, 2023

For Constipation "I couldn't pass a bowel movement, so I took 3 Dulcolax Laxative. Now my stomach is burning like I have ulcers. It hurts so bad and not just cramping and pain, like everyone is saying. It's BURNING, and my poop smells so awful. I don't know what's happening, but I'm on the verge of going to the ER. It hurts so bad, I'm dying."

• Gig...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 11, 2018

For Constipation "If I could, I would rate this product -100. Took this product for the relief of mild constipation. I am otherwise very healthy (although maybe not now). Took 1 tablet before bed, 3 hours later, I was in horrible, gut-wrenching pain, with fever, sweat, hard time breathing, and literally thought I might die, and I am not prone to drama. I thought I would end up in the hospital, but after an hour in extreme pain, I received a little relief from throwing up (dry heaves) for 20 minutes. It was another hour of lesser but more pain before falling exhausted to sleep. The next day, I still had residual nausea for 12 hours. The FDA should ban this laxative from the market, as after the fact, I have read many similar, if not exact, experiences from other victims."

• Sic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 12, 2022

For Constipation "I hadn't had a bowel movement in five days; very unusual for me! Before I went to bed, I took the recommended dosage (1 to 3; I took 3). Went to sleep at 9 PM to wake up at my usual hour, 3 AM; that's six hours. When I awoke, I felt no bowel movement, yet I sat on the toilet anyway. The cramping sensation was slow and agonizing with nothing being expelled! The pain was so bad, I felt incapacitated; could hardly get up from the toilet! Feeling I needed to drink water to get something moving, I made it to the kitchen and was able to drink about 12 ounces of water. Sitting back on the toilet, the cramps resumed. My head was throbbing and 'whooshing.' I was feeling my blood pressure rise with every excruciating cramp. Finally, the water kicked in. I was able to pass a large stool that felt about 5' long. I passed water with pellets of stool; a substantial amount. Dizzy from the ordeal, all I could do was go back to bed. An hour later, I was feeling better. 'What an ORDEAL!'"

• Oh ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 11, 2022

For Constipation "Why must the makers of Dulcolax be so brutal? My intestines feel like the scene from “Aliens” when the alien bursts through his chest. The pain! All I wanted was to clear my system out a bit after starting iron supplements. Why the torture, Dulcolax?"

• CRC...
• December 20, 2021

For Constipation "I was able to poop a little, but did not empty my bowels. On top of that, I had the worst pain I’ve ever experienced. I would recommend going with a bulk-forming laxative like MiraLax instead because they won’t cause pain. This isn’t worth it."

• str...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 10, 2021

For Constipation "Holy wow. I’ve taken this product a few times and have woken with the most severe cramps. Every time I’m out for the whole next day. Forget work. I’m not leaving my bathroom. The worst part? No BM for the majority of the suffering. I go from the bed to the toilet to the bathtub, rinse, repeat. Eventually, a rock-hard piece of poop leaves my body, making way for another semi-hard, long BM. I’ve never achieved any liquid BMs from this. Just the most agonizing pain I've ever been in, lots of dry heaving and nausea, bloat, and ER trip contemplation. I need a new product because this is awful. 2/10 because it pushed something out eventually and I got to miss work."

• Nev...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 26, 2021

For Constipation "Do not take. EVER. I took ONE at 7-8 pm because I hadn't had a bowel motion in 4 days. Around 6 am, I woke up feeling like I needed to go, and within 5 minutes my stomach was cramping with a pain so intense I literally was praying for relief. I swore to myself I'd never take another laxative again if I got through this. I was dripping sweat, nauseous, faint, and in severe pain for at least an hour. Currently resting in bed hoping it doesn't come back. Avoid this medicine."

• 101...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 2, 2015

For Constipation "It worked, but with horrible pains. I am a 17-year-old male and took 2 at 8 pm and went to bed at 10 pm. I ended up waking up at approximately 2 am in agony, it caused me to have severe stomach pains."

• Ibs...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 11, 2019

For Constipation "While the Dulcolax works, it’s such a dreadful and painful experience, OMG!"

• Anonymous
• July 7, 2015

For Constipation "I found using this product the most painful experience, I would compare it to labor pains."

• Anonymous
• August 23, 2021

For Constipation "This laxative says mild. My stomach had pain, burning sensation. Then, when it did work, I was vomiting at the same time. Definitely not a gentle laxative."