Dulcolax and Nausea: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Sha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 19, 2020

For Constipation "Drink plenty of water!! You have to be very well hydrated with this laxative, otherwise, you will experience severe cramping, nausea, and vomiting. My very first time taking it, maybe 4 years ago, I thought I would finish my life in my bathroom. This time, I read reviews, and I hydrated with fruit and water all day before taking it at 6:30 pm. Because I hadn’t gone in almost 7 days, it didn’t kick in until 4:30 pm the next day. I still had some cramping, but not nearly as painful as my first experience."

• Bma...
• September 14, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "This drug was horrible. I was instructed to use it as part of a 'light' bowel prep for surgery. Took the dose (three tablets) and expecting a 'light' and 'gentle' laxative effect over time, headed to the mall with my husband and son to do a bit of shopping. An hour later, I started feeling a little weak, tired, and generally off. I blamed this on poor sleep last night. Within another 30 minutes of that onset, those feelings intensified, and the feverish sweating and intense stomach cramping began. I ended up in the toilet at the mall evacuating pure liquid from my bowels. I texted my husband to get the car and meet me at the closest entrance. I barely made it the ten-minute drive home without having an accident. The pain, constant bathroom trips, liquid poops, sweating, nausea lasted a couple of hours. I will never, ever take this drug again!!!"

• ale...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 20, 2021

For Constipation "Absolutely awful! I have spent the last 5 hours of my life in the bathroom. I am currently on vacation, and this is just not it. I am not even pooping with color anymore, it’s literally water. And non-stop and excruciating pain. I can barely walk six feet without having to run back to the bathroom to poop. I took the correct dosage, I really shouldn’t be afraid to leave the toilet to lay down in my bed. I feel nauseous, and I honestly preferred being constipated."

• Sio...
• August 2, 2016

For Constipation "Took 5 mg of Dulcolax going to bed at 10 pm. 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 tiled floor, soiled myself 'cause I hadn't the energy to lift myself to the toilet seat... profuse diarrhea 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 traumatized."

• Anonymous
• June 14, 2019

For Constipation "Had taken Dulcolax in the 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."

• Lol...
• September 8, 2014

For Constipation "Have issues with chronic constipation, and when I get really constipated, I start to feel very fatigued and nauseous. Was looking for a quick fix this time around and took 2 tabs Dulcolax at 9 am. I slept most of the day, I don't know if this was from the constipation or the remedy, but started having horrendous bowel cramping at about 7:30 pm. The first few times I went to the bathroom, I was only able to pass a few small hard lumps with a lot of pain, straining, burning/cramping bowel pain so bad I thought I was either going to vomit or pass out. Finally, about the 4th time the cramps struck, I had a large bowel motion followed by diarrhea. That's where I am right now, and I'm hoping this 'experience' will be wrapping up soon!"

• Add...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 26, 2019

For Constipation "Why, oh Lord. Why did I not read the reviews first? What a nightmare. In 1 hour, I had 8 bowel movements, and the last 5 were explosive diarrhea. Painful cramps made me regularly grimace in pain on the bathroom floor. Nausea. Sweating. Never. Never again."

• Sad...
• February 23, 2017

For Constipation "Lord, have mercy. I don't wish this feeling on nobody! I took two tablets at bedtime around 2:30am, woke up to stomach cramps, cold sweat, shaking, nauseated, and feeling faint! I've been on the toilet for an hour, rocking back and forth, praying. Oh my God, I feel like I'm about to die! I will NEVER in my life take another one. I'm so weak and in pain! I feel terrible and am thinking about going to the hospital! I got a trash can in front of me, throwing up and using the bathroom. Never again!"

• Car...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 19, 2020

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."

• Ale...
• January 15, 2017

For Constipation "Great results! Which was unexpected after I read all the reviews on here. If you only take one with plenty of water, you most likely won't feel a lot of pain. I took one pill at 4 pm, it's 7:30 now, and I've already had 2 BMs. I'm really impressed and so glad I didn't listen to the negative comments! It's such a relief, and I had hardly even felt anything was happening! The secret is water, and don't be afraid to eat! Nausea and sickness usually occur when you're dehydrated because this product sucks all the water out of you, so yeah, stay hydrated and you should be good! Definitely will use this again."

• Poo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 25, 2020

For Constipation "Omg y’all. This stuff is seriously awful!! I took two pills at 8:30 p.m. Thank God I didn’t take 3. At 3:30 a.m., 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 downstairs so I didn’t wake up my family but heard horror sounds of poop shooting in the toilet. I was sweating, my 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 7:50 a.m., 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!!"

• the...
• April 13, 2015

"Do NOT take unless with at least TWO liters of water with and after taking, or you'll be in agony with cramps and nausea. I take two around 9 pm and drink as much water as I can afterwards until I go to bed. They usually kick in around 2 am, where I will wake up and know I need to go. No messing on the toilet, once there, I'm done within 10-15 minutes of nonstop 'runs.' No pain or cramps, which is because of the water I've had with them. Made the mistake of taking two with just a little bit of water once and was in the worst pain I've ever felt before. Pain was worse than labor and even made me cry for it to stop (no joke). That's why it's imperative that a LOT of water is drunk with and after taking these laxatives."

• Mia...
• June 2, 2023

For Constipation "Took one tablet before bed last night and woke up early feeling very nauseous. Eventually passed a stool but now feel sick again, light-headed, and unable to carry on with my normal day. A frightening experience and the Dulcolax has been binned. Never again."

• MTa...
• December 28, 2019

For Constipation "I was in a lot of pain and couldn’t remember the last time I had pooped, so I went to the pharmacist and the lady suggested this. So, following the instructions, I took 2 tablets about 8:30pm. I was experiencing a lot of cramping and gas, but it wasn’t too bad. Then at 2am, I woke up in severe pain and ended up sitting on the toilet for a while, and I felt like it was never going to stop. Then I went back to bed with a hot water bottle to help the cramps and woke up again at 4am and had another BM, and then again at 4:30am. I then slept through till morning but woke feeling sore and with a massive headache. Then I experienced severe cramping in the middle of my stomach, nausea, and loose BM for the rest of the day. I would not suggest using it unless you are desperate. It’s 9:30pm the next day and I’m still cramping and feeling sick. Sorry, but although it is effective for clearing you out completely, it’s a no from me because of the side effects."

• Cas...
• December 4, 2020

For Constipation "My doctor told me to take 2 Dulcolax in the evening because she believed that my urgency to pass urine was due to constipation pressing on my bladder. I took 1 pill at 8 pm. It is supposed to work in 6 to 12 hours, but in my case, it worked in 4 hours. Shortly after falling asleep, I woke up with horrific sweating, cramping, and abdominal pain. I felt shaky and sick, but most of all in agony. The agony lasted for 2 and a half hours without pause until at 2:30 am in the morning, I passed a normal bowel movement. I then endured 30 minutes more of excruciating stomach spasms resulting in explosive and watery diarrhea. The pain eased away after another hour, leaving me feeling nauseated for another 2 hours. I felt ill, exhausted, and unable to sleep. I will never be taking them again."

• Bea...
• August 18, 2020

For Constipation "Dulcolax is absolutely horrendous. It doesn’t take long to kick in at all. Pain literally feels like labor cramps but worse (I've had three children), made me feel very sick, hot and cold sweats. I’m so glad I only took one and not three, I think it would have been the end of me if I had taken three tablets! Yes, it did work, but I don’t think the pain was worth it. It went on for hours, the worst diarrhea, so if you did take this, I’d cancel any plans you have booked in."

• CJa...
• February 29, 2020

For Constipation "I haven’t had a bowel movement maybe 4 days, which is usual for me. I go at least once a day. I took this product at night. I took 3 pills and woke up the next morning in so much pain. I read the side effects before taking this, but this is very excruciating. I feel sick with cramps and nausea. Hey, it did work... it’s not worth it."

• Tas...
• February 23, 2017

For Constipation "Took two pills around 11:30 pm, had cramps and nausea all night. Woke up at 7:30 and decided to try to go to the bathroom. In the 10 steps it took to get to the bathroom, I already felt faint, nauseous, and had cold sweats. Passed out on the toilet, so I crawled back to bed for a few minutes before feeling the worst cramps of my life. Crawled back to the bathroom and did produce a BM, but while I was washing my hands, went completely unconscious, fell, and split my chin on my bathtub, not bad enough to get stitches, but still. I was so weak I couldn't even type my phone password in to call for help. Finally, my roommate found me, but come on... this pill should not be on the market. Unbelievable the FDA approves this for OTC."

• Dj3...
• January 31, 2017

For Constipation "This product should be taken off the market. After having surgery a week ago, the anesthesia left me with constipation. I took one pill in the AM, and around 5 pm the severe cramping and nausea began. I am still going through it as I type this from the bathroom with cold sweats and wishing I could just die. If I had known this was the result of taking this 'over-the-counter' medication, I'd have never willingly done so. Shame on me for not checking reviews ahead of time, as it looks as if more people than not have suffered the same results. Why on earth would the FDA continue to allow this drug on the market? I have no idea. I'm not even over my surgery yet, now add this to the mix? I was looking for relief. This is the exact opposite."

• Ang...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 7, 2019

For Constipation "TRULY AWFUL - BEWARE. Dulcolax should be prescription only. I took a tablet at 11:00 pm, woke up around 5:00 am with excruciating stomach cramp pains and sickly nausea. All day it was explosive diarrhea, and I mean explosive, feces everywhere, it shot out so quickly. I have had to have several showers, a carpet is ruined, my clothes soiled, and the bathroom stinks. I will never take this product again."

• Lis...
• August 23, 2016

For Bowel Preparation "Had to use this for the final step of the bowel prep for colonoscopy. I tolerated a MiraLAX and Gatorade combination for three hours. I started that at 5 o'clock. Was finished by 7:30. At 9 o'clock, I was instructed to take two tiny Dulcolax pills. I awoke at 11 to severe nausea. I dry heaved for about a half hour and then started vomiting violently. I broke out in a cold sweat and my hands went numb. I thought my husband was going to have to take me to the emergency room. The vomiting lasted for an hour. I finally fell asleep at 1:30 in the morning. I informed my G.I. prior to the colonoscopy about my horrible experience with this drug. I will never take it again."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 8, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "I was having a colonoscopy, and Dulcolax was a part of the prep. I ended up at urgent care for severe stomach cramps, pain, nausea, and vomiting, and passing blood. Had to get an anti-nausea med to settle my system down. Will not take a colon prep again if it involves this laxative."

• Omg...
• January 12, 2020

For Constipation "Oh. My. Do. Not. Do. It. I have never in my life experienced such awful pain! Took a Dulcolax at 9:30 pm last night, and woke up at 4:00 am with honestly the worst stomach cramps ever. I felt like I was giving birth. I was actually debating waking up my mom, which I never do. I went to the toilet, but just passed gas. My belly was so bloated. I woke up again at 5:00 am in just as much pain. I ran to the toilet, and omg... I think I was passing pure water for about fifteen minutes, none. Stop. My head was in the sink as I felt so sick I thought I was going to pass out. The cramping... oh my god. And the noise! You've never heard a stomach gurgle so hard in your life. It was so loud, my dad heard it. So when I woke up again at 7:00 am for work, I had to go again. I’m still suffering so badly now that I've had to take the day off work because any water I drink, I pass back down the toilet. I never ever have days off. I think I'm going to burn the packet. Don't do it!"

• Fem...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 26, 2015

For Constipation "I am 5 feet and 135 pounds. I took one tablet and had multiple normal BMs over a 24-hour period with no cramping, nausea, or sweats. Tips: 1) Take with a lot of water and some food; 2) Take one at the beginning; 3) Don't immediately sleep; 4) Wait 24 hours before taking more."

• Sam...
• August 11, 2014

"A friend recommended, so I thought I would give it a try. She never mentioned severe pain. Just that your stomach hurts a bit because that means it's working. I took 3 pills around 9:30 pm, and at 11:30 pm, the severe cramping began. I also became extremely nauseous. I was doubled over in pain, it was so painful I had no idea what to do with myself. On a scale from 1 to 10, the cramping was a 12! It did do its job, but the severe pain is not worth it at all."