Lactulose and Nausea: What Users Say

• CMa...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 8, 2018

For Constipation, Chronic "Doctor prescribed 3x/day. It worked and still works wonderfully after 7 years. But, 3x/day was too much. I decided nightly before bed, and it works GREAT. Sometimes I have to take a double dose, but I'll tell you, this medicine is a dream come true for me as when I am not going (I have irritable bowel syndrome with constipation - IBS-C) I get sick as a dog: nausea, cramping, lightheaded, and more. Don't be afraid to experiment in the beginning to find the right dose and dosing schedule for you."

• Old...
• December 3, 2017

For Hepatic Encephalopathy "My wife started getting dehydrated at the beginning of this year, and I repeatedly took her to urgent care for rehydration. Her symptoms would go away but come back three weeks later. During a hospital stay in Aug 2017, my wife was given Reglan in her IV to treat nausea with disastrous results. She immediately forgot where she was, who I was, or that she was in the hospital. This lasted 24 hours, but the incident left her with profound hallucinations for about three weeks. She got dehydrated again, got over-medicated on hyperidol, and then got a blood test that pinged on ammonia. It all fits. The Reglan damaged my wife’s already overworked liver, and she’s been dying of ammonia poisoning ever since. Lactulose may be a Godsend. We hope so."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 5, 2016

For Constipation, Chronic "So I am 17 weeks pregnant and have been constipated very badly for about 8 weeks. Just took 20 ml of this stuff and literally within 10 minutes had a proper bowel movement. Caused a lot of cramping though, and now I have diarrhea. It also made me sick, but at least I have finally had a bowel movement! Fantastic stuff."

• Vol...
• November 12, 2015

For Constipation, Acute "Lactulose promotes a soft bowel movement without cramping, nausea, or Valsalva effects."

• Squ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 24, 2021

For Constipation, Chronic "Given lactulose for chronic constipation from IBS. At first, it wasn't too bad, but then I started getting severe gas pains, lots of gas, abdominal pain, and nausea. Yes, it worked for the constipation, but I felt sick all the time, and it made IBS pain much worse."

• Emm...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 12, 2018

For Constipation, Chronic "I have been using lactulose for chronic constipation for three years. It is very effective. I now find that the sweet taste is making me gag and/or vomit. There are times when just looking at the bottle invokes the nausea. I have mixed in other liquid so I can't taste it, however, I can't take it anymore. Any wise ideas?"

• Emm...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 12, 2018

For Constipation, Chronic "I have been using lactulose for chronic constipation for three years. It is very effective. I now find that the sweet taste is making me gag and/or vomit. There are times when just looking at the bottle invokes the nausea. I have mixed in other liquid so I can't taste it, however, I can't take it anymore. Any wise ideas?"

• 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."

• Joy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 17, 2021

For Constipation, Chronic "I would never take this again. My naturopath prescribed it...so I figured it would be good. I got nausea, terrible abdominal cramps for hours! And I had trouble passing stools. And rectal pain and swelling! Stay away from this drug...side effects all next day!"

• Duk...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 20, 2021

Lactulose for Constipation, Chronic "Within an hour of taking a dose, I experience severe nausea and sometimes throw up, but when it starts working, I feel somewhat better. I still feel constipated some, but not as bad as I did. The taste keeps me from taking it twice a day as prescribed, or it would probably work better."

• 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."

• 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."