Dulcolax

My IBS has been really bad recently and no medications were really doing the job (except Movicol but the extreme heart palpitations meant that's a no-go again at the moment) :(
Normally for short term relief I use senakot (or senna tablets) but over the years these have become less and less effective - to the point where I have to take it for several days before they have any effect at all, and even then the effect is minimal.

But when I was in Sainsburys the other day doing my grocery shop, I just (in a moment of desperation) picked up a pack of dulcolax. I (wrongly) assumed this was just another brand of senna tablets, but wanted to try them just in case there was something different about them that would be able to prompt a bowel movement.

So I took 2 tablets last night, not really expecting much of an effect, yet today I was able to CLEAR MY BOWELS (not completely, but mostly). They worked very well, it was all very natural, no urgent rush or anything (thank goodness), but I was so impressed that they worked over one night!

So I went back to check what they contain - these tablets aren't senna tablets, but have bisacodyl as their active ingredient. Wikipedia tells me it is an organic compound used as a laxative and sold under the names: Dulcolax/Durolax, Fleet, Nourilax, Alophen, Correctol, and Carter's Little Pills.

It is worth noting that the recommendation is to take one tablet if it is your first time, and for other people to take two, but I took two because my IBS was in such a bad way, and I can't be sure that one would have done the job.

But I'm intrigued that no doctor or specialist has ever recommended this to me, when I have tried pretty much every other laxative going (see previous post for a mahusive list of all the drugs I've taken, and all the new trial drugs I've tried that haven't worked), Whilst they were putting me on all these weird new drugs, there was an over-the-counter-remedy capable of providing me with short term relief needed to keep me comfortable! Next time I go to the doctors I'm going to take them with me and ask about it.

But it shows that sometimes your body likes trying something new, keep it guessing if the old routine things aren't working (but probably best to check what you are taking first rather than just assuming it's a similar medication to something you have taken before!)