Dulcolax and Upset Stomach: What Users Say (Page 4)

• Joe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 25, 2017

For Constipation "The first time using this product was after having not gone for about 5 days. Needless to say, I was a little desperate to get something that worked. I took 3 pills, which were effective within 3 hours, accompanied by pretty bad stomach cramps, but nothing I couldn't handle. After having the same problem, I decided to try Dulcolax again, having it been successful the last time. WORST DECISION EVER. Not only did it take almost 16 hours to start working, it came with severe nausea and cramps before any success. It's been a day, and I still can barely eat without experiencing serious diarrhea! I'm definitely not constipated anymore, but it wasn't worth constant bathroom trips at school. Only use if you're okay with the side effect, and ONLY TAKE ONE."

• GxG...
• February 19, 2016

For Constipation "I suffer with IBS. I usually use Senna laxatives but was recommended Dulcolax as a stronger option. I took one just after 12 and was woken up at 4 am with strong stomach cramps. I remained constipated for at least another hour but was unable to sleep as the pain in my stomach and back was too much. I turned grey in the face, began sweating, and feeling so weak I thought I was going to pass out. I received some relief eventually, but it was really not worth any of the symptoms I went through. I will stay with Senna, they give better relief with less pain."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 10, 2017

For Constipation "Took two Dulcolax tablets at around 8 or 9 pm. It has helped with constipation, but I am in some serious pain from the stomach cramping. It's 3 am now, and I have not slept due to the cramps! Yes, it somewhat helped with the constipation, but the stomach cramps I'm experiencing are ten times worse than my discomfort beforehand!"

• Nev...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 23, 2016

For Constipation "I took this because I was having an ultrasound the next day, and my doctor wanted me reasonably cleaned out. I took 2 tabs at 8 pm. I woke at 4 am with bad stomach cramps. I moved into the bathroom for the next hour, where I experienced crippling stomach cramps, nausea, and vomiting (mostly dry heaves as my stomach was fairly empty). I actually thought about calling 911. That bad! I was burning up and sweating profusely - and I typically never sweat. It was the worst I've ever felt in my 56 years. The product worked. Several hours later, I'm still with some diarrhea, and the other symptoms are somewhat better, but I'm never, ever taking this poison again!"

• Ear...
• December 28, 2019

For Constipation "I took three last night at 9:30 pm and went to bed. I woke up at 2:00 am with the most intense, painful cramping I have ever experienced. I was also super gassy, and my tummy was bloated and felt hard. The pain lasted for two hours! I was expecting some cramping, but not to this extreme level. I tried to go #2, but nothing happened, so I went back to bed and was able to get back to sleep at around 4 am. I woke up at 6 am feeling the need to use the toilet, but also feeling nauseous. I threw up and felt so ill, again, no easy BM, just lots of discomfort and cold sweats. I woke up at 9 am and tried to use the toilet, again, not an easy BM, but I could feel I had to go! Finally, at about 11 am, I had diarrhea. I tried again at about 12 pm feeling the need to go, but nothing was coming out... again!! I feel so sluggish and tired, I still am somewhat plugged up, and my stomach is so sore. I will probably stick with Senokot or eat lots of prunes or high-fiber cereal from now on."

• Hel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 7, 2019

For Constipation "I'm on a diet that has restricted my fiber intake, so I was getting a sore stomach from constipation. I figured a laxative would be a good idea and went to the pharmacy. Honestly, this stuff looked pretty unassuming until 7 hours later. I'm having severe stomach cramps, explosive diarrhea, and nausea. Once I stopped pooping the first time, I quickly went and got my phone and a water bottle because I knew I was in for it. For anyone going through this, I found during the 'breaks' it helps to stand up and drink some water, just to get it over with."

• You...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 23, 2016

For Constipation "I have been overseas for nearly a month now and started experiencing stomach cramps every morning for about a week and then continued with no BM. I'm 19 and have never had issues like this before. Possibly from the food I've been eating, not sure. Went to a pharmacy here in Thailand and Dulcolax is what they gave me. Took 2 pills at 7:30 pm and went to sleep and woke up at 2 am with stomach cramps, painful but bearable. A BM followed where it started off normal before ending in diarrhea. Went again about 10 minutes later and am now back in bed at 4 am feeling as though I'll get back to sleep with little pain, although my stomach is still rumbling. Not sure what all the fuss is about, it's done the job and I feel good that my bowels are clear."

• Kea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 18, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "I read all these reviews before I took the tablet. I have to be honest, from all these reviews, I was in tears, not wanting to do the bowel prep. I took 1 tablet, drank 2L of water, and went to bed around 9:30 pm. Woke up at 7:30, went to the toilet 2 to 3 times, slight stomach ache, but nothing really. Hardly any pain, just needed to poop pain. Do not have this with a meal, do not crush the tablet, do not drink it with milk, and make sure you drink a lot of water. But honestly, it is not too bad in my experience. You can get this drug from the shelf at the chemist, they wouldn't have it accessible if it was truly that bad."

• Liv...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 26, 2019

For Constipation "Hadn't had a bowel movement for several days, so took two of these tablets going to bed one evening. I woke up with stomach cramps that lasted for hours, they became worse and worse and can only be described as rather unbearable. Yes, they made me go to the loo, but the pain was not worth it!"

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 26, 2017

For Constipation "I took 2 yesterday at 11:30 pm, then 5 minutes later I read the reviews, and to my dismay, the reviews were terrible. I started to panic and wish I didn't buy it! So I was up all night thinking I'll have the worst stomach cramps and vomiting. I woke up at 4:00 am and went to the toilet. No cramping. Then at 6:00 am, no cramping, but did let everything out! I was worried for nothing, but because of the reviews, I will be sticking to natural tea."

• sup...
• June 25, 2015

For Constipation "I took 1 pill at 4:00 and had drunk an entire water bottle prior to taking it. I then came on here and read all the reviews and got absolutely terrified because of how many bad experiences there were. I, however, didn't have a bad experience. With this medicine, you MUST drink a lot of water after taking it. I drank another 3 water bottles after taking it. Around 9:00 p.m., I had a regular BM. The next day, around noon, I experienced on-and-off stomach cramps. They were extremely mild and did not cause a lot of pain. An hour later, at 1, I had another BM. If you drink water, you don't have bad side effects. The one issue I had was that the timeline was not predictable, as I didn't get the full effects until 20 hours after taking it."

• Scr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 3, 2022

For Constipation "I took 2 pills for constipation at 4 pm on Tuesday. By 1 am, the stomach cramps and nausea started. Fast forward 27 hours from first taking the pills, I've vomited 3 times, went to the toilet at least 15 times (12 were only liquid), and the stomach pains and nausea are still intense. I delivered 3 children without any form of painkillers, and this feels as if I were 6 cm dilated in active labor. Do not take this product. Please don't give it to your child or elderly person."

• FLG...
• April 23, 2017

For Constipation "Dulcolax has helped, but I agree it comes with stomach cramps. For fast relief of constipation, yet I feel much easier on the stomach is magnesium citrate. Find it anywhere. I have also found it very helpful if you feel you have a hard stool to pass. It may take hours, but eventually, it will break down stool, which I find to the point it's not terribly painful to pass. For regular constipation, the results are usually very quick. For hard stool, it may take a good portion of your day, but if you can take the time to plan on being near the bathroom, because you will pass other stools before you pass the hard stool, and eventually the hard stool will break down."

• Blu...
• June 5, 2016

For Constipation "Avoid like the plague. Took two yesterday midday and woke up with the most unbelievable stomach ache I have ever had. Screaming in pain, hubby wanted to take me to the hospital. Never felt anything like it, it was so bad I can't even put it into words. Then came the nausea and then the vomiting. Two hours later, I am a crying mess and then finally got off to sleep. To add further insult, there was no 'movement', and I have felt bloated and like I have been gut-punched all day. Save yourself the agony and get some prune juice."

• Gwe...
• December 30, 2015

For Constipation "This drug is awful! Gives me bloating and not a very good laxative. I took 1 pill unlike the other reviews, I didn't get terrible diarrhea. But it woke me in the night every time I took it (maybe I took it 4 times) with terrible pain, like my stomach was burning and on fire. So sick, sick, sick and not sure whether I would throw up or what was going to happen. Sweating, shaking... the stabbing pain in my belly was so bad. Anyways, I am going to throw the rest of the package out to avoid taking it again. One time I was so super constipated I took 3 pills, and less than an hour later I got gas and diarrhea, but no abdominal pain. Then I kept waking up in the night and rushing to the bathroom, I almost pooped the bed!"

• not...
• July 30, 2016

For Constipation "I take this every other month when I get constipated, took one last night because I didn't have a BM for 5 days, figured it would be like all my other Dulcolax experiences, just bearable cramps and stuff, but I WAS WRONG. I woke up at around 11 with the worst stomach cramps ever, I barely made it to the toilet, no BM, just the cramps. I started to sweat buckets, I'm not even kidding, like the sweat just dripped like I just finished an hour of interval training. Sat for around 20 mins with nothing but the PAIN, thought I was gonna die. The weird part though was that I fell asleep (or maybe passed out, I don't know), I just woke up and felt like I slept for 30 mins. Thought it was over but got another wave of cramps and then finally had a BM."

• Lau...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 13, 2024

For Constipation "I have regular constipation, so I use Dulcolax about two times a week. I always take 2 tablets and always about 2 hours before I go to bed. Any discomfort is whilst I'm asleep. I wake up in the morning knowing I need to empty my bowels, but no severe stomach ache. If I take it earlier in the day, I do notice stomach cramps, so ALWAYS TAKE AN HOUR OR SO BEFORE BED."

• Jil...
• June 24, 2016

For Constipation "I beg of everyone to think twice before taking this pill. I am 20 years old and took one of these a couple of years ago after being constipated for a week, and remember laying on my stomach holding onto my bed for dear life with all four limbs-swearing I would never take one again. I proceeded to go to the bathroom for hours-in pain unlike anything else I experienced. This month, I was on vacation and had barely gone to the bathroom for 24 days!! So I decided I'd try this before going to the doctor! I woke up last night with such bad stomach cramps, almost not making it to the toilet before throwing up and pooping myself at once!!! Puking black stuff up-which I am still very confused about!! I have not moved from bed all day, sick as a dog!"

• Kit...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 20, 2019

For Constipation "In the past, I used this medication bisacodyl (Dulcolax) once or twice because it somewhat worked. Today, I decided to use it because I had constipation. I experienced the worst stomach cramps and projectile vomited a lot! I woke up at 3 am thinking I needed to go to the ER, but then I read the reviews and realized I was not the first person to experience these effects. Don’t buy this medication! Trust me, you’ll regret it!"

• Exh...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 8, 2019

For Constipation "It certainly does the job, but don't take it if you plan on being productive the next day. I took one pill at 2 pm and had a pretty regular bowel movement around 6 am the next morning. I thought it was over, but like clockwork at the 24-hour mark, I was doubled over on the toilet with stomach cramps and diarrhea. It took care of my constipation, but those cramps do not play around."

• Tra...
• April 18, 2017

For Constipation "Due to a bacteria that caused traveler diarrhea for like two weeks, I had to take very strong antibiotics to get rid of it. Unfortunately, I then couldn't go to the toilet anymore for four days. On the fifth day, I took one pill at 4 pm, woke up at 4 am in the morning with really painful stomach cramps, but couldn't go to the toilet. At around 8 am, the pain was almost unbearable, and I felt sick and didn't know if I had to vomit while I was sitting on the toilet. Worked eventually, but only 16 hours later with a lot of pain in the hours beforehand. It does its job, but you have to accept the pain that comes with it."

• Rac...
• April 4, 2015

For Constipation "So I have struggled with constipation since I was 14. I'm 17 now. When I was 14, I was given laxatives from my doctor, but they were disgusting, so I couldn't drink. Over the years, I suffered in silence. I was too embarrassed to tell anyone. This week, I tried Dulcolax. I bought it from Asda, and in the first night, I took 1. Nothing all night, but during the day, I had stomach cramps (mild). Finally, I had a small stool. It was painful like usual, but not as much. Last night, I took another, and I passed a larger stool. I'm a bit worried from reading bad reviews, so I don't want to push to two pills, so I'm going to stick to one tonight, and hopefully, I get back to a good rhythm. It's worked so far, though, so I recommend!"

• Tat...
• April 18, 2017

For Constipation "My husband got this for me since I haven't been pooping that well lately. He told me it was better than any others because you don't get stomach cramps. WRONG. I took 2 a couple of hours ago, and now my stomach is in the worst pain ever. Thankfully, I have had a BM, but I don't think I will ever take Dulcolax again because of the severe pain."

• Rac...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 18, 2024

For Constipation "I have IBS (more on the constipation side) and I recently had a very painful external hemorrhoid. My doctor told me to keep my stool soft to avoid making the hemorrhoid worse from straining, but even after drinking prune juice and taking Senokot, I couldn’t have a bowel movement (it had been 2 days since my last one). I decided to bite the bullet and take 1 tablet of Dulcolax. It took about 2-3 hours to kick in, but WOW, the stomach cramps were HORRIBLE. It did the job but it made me feel like I had food poisoning. I thought I was finished but NOPE, it went on for about 6 hours. It’s definitely an intense laxative, I’d only use it as a last resort. My advice: Do not take this if you have somewhere to be, stay at home with a bathroom nearby. Only take 1 tablet and wait, you’ll be glad you didn’t take more than 1. Please drink lots of water before and after, dehydration is so common with laxative use."

• Doo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 30, 2015

For Constipation "I suffer with IBS/lazy bowel, having not had a BM in 7 days, so I resorted to buying Dulcolax as a last resort after trying countless different laxatives, dietary changes, and suppositories, basically at my wit's end, desperate for some relief. I can honestly say I would've rather stayed constipated! I have never been so ill in all my life, even food poisoning and stomach flu would be a welcome experience in comparison to the effects of this medication. I only took 1 tablet at 1:30 pm (glad I didn't take the 'recommended dose'), come after 3 pm, I experienced terrible nausea, vomiting, dizziness, weakness, muscle cramping, excruciating stomach cramps and pains, generally feeling like I was about to die. I kid you not, after many hours of failed attempts..."