Lactulose Solution

Side effects

After using Lactulose Solution, you are likely to experience a number of side effects. These side effects are often mild and disappear over time. Common side effects and how to overcome them include:

• Diarrhoea: drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration
• Bloating: take Lactulose Solution between meals
• Feeling sick: mix your dose of Lactulose Solution with water or a fresh fruit juice
• Vomiting: drink plenty of liquids to ensure you are not dehydrated
• Stomach pains: eat smaller meals and avoid rich spicy meals

If any of these side effects worsen, you should stop using Lactulose Solution and seek medical advice from a GP or pharmacist as soon as possible.

Warnings and precautions:

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Lactulose. Please tell your doctor before taking Lactulose if you suffer from a gastro-cardiac syndrome (Roemheld syndrome).
If you have symptoms like excess gas in your bowels or bloating after using it, stop the treatment and consult your doctor. In these cases, your doctor will supervise the treatment carefully.
Long-term use of unadjusted dosages (exceeding 2-3 soft stools per day) or misuse can lead to diarrhoea and disturbance of the electrolyte balance. If you are an elderly patient or a patient in bad general condition and take Lactulose for a more than 6 months period, your doctor will regularly check your blood electrolytes. During the treatment with laxatives, you should drink sufficient amounts of fluids (approx. 2 litres per day, equal to 6-8 glasses).

Children and adolescents:

Lactulose should not usually be given to infants and smaller children as it can disturb the normal reflexes for passing stools. In special circumstances, your doctor may prescribe Lactulose for a child, infant or baby. In these cases, your doctor will supervise the treatment carefully.

Other medicines and Lactulose:

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicine.
Lactulose may increase the loss of potassium caused by other drugs (e.g. thiazides, steroids and amphothericin B). Use of cardiac glycosides (e.g. digoxin) along with Lactulose can increase the effect of the glycosides by decreasing potassium in the blood. With increasing dosage, a decrease of pH value in the colon is found. Therefore, drugs which are released in the colon pH-dependently (e.g. 5-ASA) can be inactivated.

Lactulose with food and drink:

Lactulose can be taken with or without food. There are no restrictions on what you can eat or drink.

Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility:

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.

Driving and using machines:

Lactulose will not affect your ability to drive safely or use machines.

Important information about some of the ingredients of Lactulose:

Lactulose may contain small amounts of sugars (lactose, galactose or epilactose). If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicinal product.
Lactulose may contain more than 5 g lactose/galactose/epilactose, depending upon the dose taken. This should be taken into account in patients with diabetes mellitus. 15 ml of Lactulose contains 42.7 KJ (10.2 kcals) = 0.21 BU. 

When shouldn’t I use Lactulose?

Do not take Lactulose under the following circumstances: 

- if you are allergic to Lactulose or any of the other ingredients contained in this medicine. 
- if you suffer from galactosaemia (a severe genetic disorder where you cannot digest galactose),  acute inflammatory bowel disease (like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis), blockage in your bowel (apart from normal constipation), digestive perforation or risk of digestive perforation or unexplained abdominal pain.