Lacasil 10/10g Syrup

Lactitol is an osmotic laxative. It increases the amount of water in the bowel, which makes stools softer and bulkier and easier to pass.

It is used for short-term treatment of occasional constipation in adults and children. In some countries it is also approved, under medical supervision, for hepatic encephalopathy (confusion caused by severe liver disease).

See a doctor if you or your child do not feel better, or feel worse, after 7 days.

Take it exactly as the leaflet says or as your doctor or pharmacist tells you. Start with the lowest dose that gives a soft, easy bowel movement.

• Dissolve the powder in water or another drink (milk, tea, coffee, fruit juice), or mix it into food such as yoghurt or stewed fruit.
• Take it with a large glass of water. Drinking plenty of fluids helps it work.
• Adults usually take it once a day, ideally in the evening. Children usually take it once a day with breakfast. If it makes you feel sick, take it with a meal.
• Leave at least 2 hours between other medicines and the laxative.
• Do not use it for more than 7 days unless a doctor tells you to. If you miss a dose, do not take a double dose.

At the start, it may cause tummy discomfort, especially wind, and sometimes bloating or tummy pain. This usually settles after a few days of regular use.

Rare side effects include being sick, diarrhoea, tummy pain and swelling. Very rarely it can cause nausea, gurgling noises in the gut or an itchy bottom.

Stop taking it and see a doctor if you have:

• diarrhoea that does not stop
• signs of losing too much fluid, such as weakness, muscle problems or an uneven heartbeat

Do not take it, and do not give it to a child, if there is:

• a blocked or very slow bowel, or a possible bowel injury
• tummy pain with no known cause, or bleeding from the back passage
• a fluid or salt imbalance, or galactose intolerance

Do not give it to breastfed babies or children with fructose intolerance. In children, use only after talking to a doctor.

Check with your doctor or pharmacist first if you:

• have long-lasting constipation, or a sudden change in bowel habit lasting more than 2 weeks
• have a stoma, or are older or frail
• take heart medicines (such as digoxin), water tablets, steroids, antibiotics or antacids
• are pregnant (especially in the first 3 months) or breastfeeding

No special storage conditions are needed. Keep out of the sight and reach of children.

Overuse: using laxatives too often or for too long can cause lasting diarrhoea, loss of water and salts (especially potassium), dependence and a lazy bowel. This is more risky with heart medicines, water tablets or steroids.

Diet first: a balanced diet with plenty of fibre and water often solves constipation. Not going every day can be normal.