Consumer Medicine Information
Please read this leaflet carefully before taking your medicine.
If you have any questions or are not sure about anything, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
What is this medicine?
This medicine is Movicol Chocolate Flavour. Each sachet contains:
- Macrogol 3350 – 13.125 g
- Sodium chloride – 350.7 mg
- Sodium bicarbonate – 178.5 mg
- Potassium chloride – 31.7 mg
When it is made into a drink with 125 mL of water, each sachet gives the equivalent of:
- Sodium – 65 mmol/L
- Chloride – 51 mmol/L
- Bicarbonate – 17 mmol/L
- Potassium – 5.4 mmol/L
It also contains chocolate flavour, and acesulfame potassium as a sweetener. The chocolate flavour includes maltodextrin, acacia gum, vegetable oils and fats, propylene glycol, benzyl alcohol, and sulfites.
Each sachet contains 13.9 grams of Movicol Chocolate powder. You add water to the powder to make a drink.
What is Movicol Chocolate used for?
Movicol Chocolate helps you to have a comfortable bowel movement even if you have been constipated for a long time. It also works in faecal impaction (as determined by your doctor).
Before you take Movicol Chocolate
Do not take Movicol Chocolate if your doctor has told you that you have:
- an obstruction in your intestine (gut)
- a perforated gut wall
- severe inflammatory bowel disease, like ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, or toxic megacolon
- paralysis of the bowel
- an allergy to macrogol or any of the other ingredients.
Use in Children
Movicol Chocolate is for use in adults and children 12 years of age or over. The Movicol Junior range is available for use in children aged 2 to 11 years of age.
Pregnancy and breast feeding
If you are pregnant, talk to your doctor before you take Movicol Chocolate.
Movicol Chocolate can be taken while breast feeding.
Other Medications
Laxative products such as Movicol Chocolate have the potential to interact with other medications, by altering their absorption. Close monitoring of the effects of your medications may be necessary when you start or stop taking Movicol Chocolate regularly. It is important that you should discuss this with your doctor.
How to take Movicol Chocolate
Constipation: The recommended dose of Movicol Chocolate is 1 sachet a day.
This can be increased to 2 or 3 sachets daily if necessary.
Faecal impaction: The dose is 8 sachets a day taken within 6 hours. You may need to take this dose for up to 3 days. If you have a heart condition, do not take more than two sachets in any one hour.
Open the sachet and pour the contents into a glass. Add about 125 mL of water into the glass. Stir well until all the powder has dissolved and the Movicol Chocolate solution is clear, or slightly hazy, then drink it.
If you are taking Movicol Chocolate for faecal impaction, it may be easier to dissolve 8 sachets in 1 litre of water.
General Recommendations While Taking Laxatives
Drink plenty of water. Increase fibre in diet except in cases of medication-induced constipation. Prolonged use of laxatives is undesirable and may lead to dependence. If symptoms persist seek medical advice. In some circumstances, prolonged use may be necessary but should only be under medical supervision.
If you take too much Movicol Chocolate and get bad diarrhoea, stop taking Movicol Chocolate until it clears. If constipation returns, you should check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking a new course of Movicol Chocolate. If you are worried, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
What about side effects?
Like all medicines, Movicol Chocolate can have side effects. Sometimes people have indigestion, stomach ache or rumbles. You may also feel bloated, suffer from wind, feel sick or vomit, may also experience soreness of the anus (bottom) and may have mild diarrhoea when starting to take Movicol Chocolate. Diarrhoea generally gets better if you reduce the amount of Movicol Chocolate you take. If necessary, discuss reducing the dose with your doctor or pharmacist. Other side effects include allergic reactions which may cause a skin rash, itching, reddening of the skin or a nettle rash. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you think Movicol Chocolate is causing you any problem.
Tell your doctor immediately and stop taking Movicol Chocolate if you:
- Get a serious allergic reaction which causes difficulty in breathing, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat.
- If you feel weak, breathless, very thirsty with a headache, or get puffy ankles.
How to store Movicol Chocolate
Storing Movicol Chocolate sachets
Store the sachets below 25°C. Do not use Movicol Chocolate after the expiry date on the pack.
Storing prepared solution of Movicol Chocolate
If you do not drink it straightaway, the prepared Movicol Chocolate solution can be kept covered in the fridge (2 – 8°C) for up to 24 hours. After that time, throw away any remaining solution.
Keep out of reach of children.
AUST R 181835
Date: January 2017
Norgine Pty Limited,
3/14 Rodborough Road,
Frenchs Forest NSW 2086
1800 766 936
MOVICOL, NORGINE and the sail logo are registered trademarks of the Norgine group of companies.
Published by MIMS January 2018