Lactulose and Gas: What Users Say (Page 2)

• lro...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 26, 2022

For Constipation, Chronic "This works better for me than Miralax — which worked well but less consistently after taking it for a few years. I am underweight due to the GI issues making it hard to eat (110 lbs, 5 ft 6 in man), so I take a small dose, 10 mL RIGHT before bed to avoid any gas pain (which isn’t bad, I sleep on my left side to help it pass, gone by AM) and drink 4-8 oz of water with it. If I’m not well hydrated, I learned I will cramp, but that’s an easy fix. By the AM after coffee, I’m good to go. No diarrhea usually, just normal stool w/o pain. No bloating or nausea either. It leaves a coating in the throat, so I chase it with juice and then drink water. I’d recommend using a syringe and aiming it past the tongue if the taste bothers you. Initially, I was backed up, so I took 15 mL 2x/day and now maintain with up to 10 mL nightly, occasionally 15 mL nightly if I’ve had a lot of carbs or fibrous veggies. I’m now able to eat well and gain weight."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 28, 2020

For Constipation, Chronic "Haha, I am so laughing. You guys are funny. So mine is chronic for almost a year, after it started in the third trimester of pregnancy. It's never been an issue my whole life, I'm almost 40. I have tried everything you can think of. It works and then just suddenly stops working. Which most of the stuff gives such bad cramps. So I thought to try lactulose. Well, it's been day 3 with 15 ml morning and 15 ml night. I went twice, which is so little, and feeling it's not enough. Earlier, I took 40 ml and the gas, it's just gas."

• 3...
• August 27, 2017

For Constipation, Acute "Lactulose does not work at all. I got it in the ER and was told to go home and continue taking it. I finished the whole big bottle days ago and still nothing. Before the lactulose, I tried all the over-the-counter pills, psyllium husk, Fleet enemas, suppositories, magnesium citrate, etc., for 2 weeks. It's now approaching 3 weeks and still nothing. At least the mag citrate made me gassy, and I felt belly rumblings like there was something trying to happen, but with lactulose, no gas, bloating, nothing happening at all."

• Thu...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 16, 2021

"Like 'weeing' out of your bottom? Take Lactulose... about 60 ml, then retire to a safe distance. Oh... you can't! This is lethal stuff. Works great if you are 'blocked up.' Tremendous flatulence, in both directions. Turns your 'poo' to liquid, which is an advantage if, like me, you have an anal fissure and any straining causes painful bleeding. USE WITH CAUTION."

• Lol...
• November 3, 2020

For Constipation, Acute "My constipation I can manage with my diet when I’m at home and have a regular routine, but when my routine is out of sync on holiday, then it becomes a real issue. When I come back from holiday, I will take 50 mL in one go. It tastes vile, goosebumps as it’s going down. Maybe the thought of what’s ahead makes it taste worse than it actually is. After that, in about maybe 2 hours, I’ll have a movement. After that, I usually have chronic and very smelly gas. As a result, I never do this when there’s anyone in the house. Literally, I do this at 9 a.m. when my husband is gone to work. When he gets back by 6, the gas has usually subsided and I can close all the windows again! Between gas, there are trips to the bathroom, which become less and less solid until finally, it’s just all brown water. My advice is, this is excellent for a one-off where you have a day where you don’t need to be at work or anywhere else to be."

• Joh...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 27, 2022

For Constipation, Chronic "Suddenly, over Christmas, I just couldn’t go, so I drank loads of water and waited a few days, but still nothing. My GF went to the pharmacy and brought back a huge bottle of lactulose. I took 15 ml cautiously and then another 15 ml 20 minutes later. Nothing much happened apart from gas until 6 pm, when I got cramps, but that was from more gas. After 6 pm, I took a further 20 ml and still had painful wind. I managed to pass a few tiny nuggets and then had to sleep on my side so I could pass wind all night. The next day, I still had similar pains. I drank a glass or two of water and had a banana for breakfast and decided to have another 30 ml in one go this time. I lay in bed sipping water and all of a sudden felt cold and feverish. Cold sweat ran down my face as I felt sick and had to run to the bathroom and vomit my guts up. My body didn’t seem to like the 30 ml I’d had. 30 minutes later, the biggest, stinkiest log was ejected from my soul, finally saved at last."

• Hel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 16, 2022

For Constipation, Acute "I suffer from constipation a lot. I generally need help once a week from a laxative. I take this when I have no other choice because it tastes so bad. It’s so thick and just disgusting. On the plus side, the stuff works. I get very, very bloated afterward, look about 6 months pregnant for 12 hours after. The gas is pretty chronic. The smell is also not great. I take huge doses in one go (50 mL plus) because it just doesn’t work other than that, sadly. I fully recommend it; however, have no callers that day to your home as toilet trips will be frequent and audible."

• Nik...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 22, 2021

For Constipation, Acute "FLATULENCE! So chronic you’d almost be proud of it. Don’t have visitors over or even use this on a day when you have an empty house. I use it when I maybe drift away from my usual diet and need help, so maybe once or twice a month I take 60 ml in one go. Your poo basically ends up as liquid by the end of the experience. I used to use it every day for a while, but found I was both bloated and flatulent."

• Lin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 20, 2022

For Constipation, Chronic "I've had issues with constipation on and off my entire life, may be the cause of my decades of migraines, actually. Once went an entire MONTH without going, can you even imagine that?! Got a high colonic (colon cleanse), and that flushed it all out! This time a doctor prescribed this lactulose stuff for me, thought I'd give it a try. Suggested 30 ml a day, three days later, NOTHING but gas! Today, the fourth day, I decided to up the dose! So I took TWO 30 ml doses, five hours apart, and BOOM! Had one BM, and I KNOW there's lots more still in there, very bad gas too. I am feeling a little crampy, so probably tomorrow I will continue a higher dose and will go again. Eventually, I will lower the dose back down and even see if I can quit altogether as laxatives become a crutch that you can't function without eventually. I don't take any other drugs, no pain meds, and I eat healthy and am healthy in every other aspect but the migraines and constipation, would LOVE to get rid of those!"

• Hon...
• November 27, 2021

For Constipation, Chronic "Brand: XactDose. Manufacturer: VistaPharm. Dose: 20g/30mL. Great results with this medication. I was using Miralax for a few days (4 or so) but didn't get any results. I then took XactDose after going to a doctor. First day taking it, I felt really gassy and bloated within 3-4 hours. My second day I experienced the same things, only this time I actually expelled a good amount of stool. It felt like a decent burden was done away with, and I felt lighter. It's my go-to whenever I get really constipated, it works very well. Didn't get the same results with generic lactulose (10g/15mL) that I got after I ran out of XactDose. I even tried a double dose of it. Maybe I should've tried one more day with the doubled dose? Oh, and it seems like Sam's Club pharmacy is the only place that is able to get this for you now. Many pharmacies don't have it. Call around and ask for lactulose made by the manufacturer VistaPharm and save yourself some gas."

• Rus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 6, 2025

For Constipation, Acute "After three days of working on my small boat, I had extreme difficulty passing a motion. Very solid stool not going to come without a lot of effort. I never have problems, and I’m in my 70s. But I’d not eaten well, worked in awkward spaces, done heavy lifting, etc., and was probably dehydrated. Weekend and away from usual medical help. Wife overseas, away from family. I had read the book GUT by J. Enders some time back out of interest. Did the exercises she recommended to no avail and very uncomfortable. To cut the story short: Bought a bottle of Laevolac lactose solution over the counter. 30 ml down the hatch. Tastes great. Ate lots of fruity fiber. Two to three hours later, rear end all joy and back in business, albeit a little gas, but who cares? Men enjoy that. 12 hours on, all is bliss. Two sloppier poos and just now normal production. Bit of borborygmus but understandable."

• Kim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 10, 2023

For Constipation, Acute "After 30 ml (2 doses), I had horrible bloating, gas, pain, nausea, and an unwell feeling. Had to discontinue use."

• Hod...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 5, 2021

For Constipation, Chronic "Lactulose helped me in less than 24 hours! This stuff really works. TMI, but I noticed when I did finally get relief, my poo was extremely smelly! And lots of flatulence!"

• eil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 24, 2021

For Constipation, Chronic "Terrible cramps all day after taking this stuff, it does work to relieve constipation but at the cost of severe wind and cramps for hours after!"

• Ish...
• March 4, 2014

Lactulose "Headache, flatulence."