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MOVICOL-Half

Active Ingredient:
potassium chloride, sodium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, macrogol 3350
Company:  
Norgine Limited See contact details
ATC code: 
A06AD
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About Medicine
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Pharmacy
Healthcare Professionals (SmPC) Patient Leaflet (PIL) HCP Med Info
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The Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) is the leaflet included in the pack with a medicine.
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Last updated on emc: 10 Nov 2023
{pdf} View or print the patient leaflet as PDF

Below is a text only representation of the Patient Information Leaflet (ePIL).

The text only version may be available in large print, Braille or audio CD. For further information call emc accessibility on {phone} 0800 198 5000. The product code(s) for this leaflet is: PL 00322/0080.

{printer} Print patient leaflet as text only

MOVICOL-Half

Package leaflet: Information for the patient

MOVICOL-Half® 6.9g sachet, powder for oral solution

Macrogol 3350, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Bicarbonate, Potassium Chloride

Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.

Always take this medicine exactly as described in this leaflet or as your doctor, pharmacist or nurse has told you.

  • Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
  • Ask your pharmacist if you need more information or advice.
  • If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.
  • You must talk to a doctor if you do not feel better or if you feel worse.

What is in this leaflet:

1. What Movicol-Half is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you take Movicol-Half
3. How to take Movicol-Half
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Movicol-Half
6. Contents of the pack and other Information

1. What Movicol-Half is and what it is used for

The name of this medicine is Movicol-Half 6.9g sachet, powder for oral solution. It is a laxative for the treatment of constipation in adults, adolescents and the elderly. It is not recommended for children below 12 years of age.

Movicol-Half helps you to have a comfortable bowel movement even if you have been constipated for a long time. Movicol-Half also works in very bad constipation called faecal impaction.

2. What you need to know before you take Movicol-Half
Do not take Movicol-Half if your doctor has told you that you have:
  • a blockage in your intestine (gut obstruction, ileus)
  • a perforated gut wall
  • severe inflammatory bowel disease like ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease or toxic megacolon
  • an allergy to any of the ingredients of Movicol-Half (listed in section 6).

Warnings and precautions

When taking Movicol-Half you should continue to take plenty of fluids. The fluid content of Movicol-Half should not replace your regular liquid intake.

Heart conditions

Follow the special instructions in section 3 if you are taking Movicol-Half for faecal impaction

Other medicines and Movicol-Half

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.

Some medicines, e.g. anti-epileptics, may not work as effectively during use with Movicol-Half. You should not take other medicines orally one hour before, during and one hour after taking Movicol-Half.

If you need to thicken fluids in order to swallow them safely, Movicol-Half may counteract the effect of the thickener.

Pregnancy and breast feeding

Movicol-Half can be taken during pregnancy and whilst breast feeding. If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your pharmacist or doctor for advice before taking this medicine.

Driving and using machines

Movicol-Half does not usually affect your ability to drive or use machines.

Movicol-Half contains sodium

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you need 6 or more sachets daily for a prolonged period, especially if you have been advised to follow a low salt (sodium) diet.

Movicol-Half contains 93.4 mg (4.062 mmol) sodium (main component of cooking/table salt) per sachet. This is equivalent to 4.6% of the recommended maximum daily dietary intake of sodium for an adult.

3. How to take Movicol-Half

This medicine can be taken at any time of day with or without food.

Dissolve the content of each sachet in 62.5ml (¼ glass) of water and drink.

Chronic Constipation:

A dose of Movicol-Half is 2 sachets. Each sachet is dissolved in 62.5ml (1/4 glass) of water.

Take 1–3 times a day depending on the severity.

Faecal impaction:

Before you take Movicol-Half for faecal impaction, it should be confirmed that you have this condition.

A dose of 16 sachets a day of Movicol-Half is needed for the treatment of faecal impaction.

Each sachet dissolved in 62.5ml (1/4 glass) of water. The 16 sachets should be taken within 6 hours for up to 3 days if required.

If you have a heart condition do not take more than 4 sachets in any one hour.

Movicol 13.8g sachet is a more convenient product to use for treating faecal impaction.

How to mix

Open the sachet and pour the contents into a glass. Add ¼ glass (about 62.5ml) of water to the glass. Stir well until all the powder has dissolved and the Movicol-Half solution is clear or slightly hazy, then drink it. If you like you can add a flavour such as orange squash to the drink.

For use in faecal impaction the correct number of sachets can be reconstituted in advance and kept covered and refrigerated for up to 6 hours. For example 16 sachets can be made up into one litre of water.

Duration of treatment:

Chronic Constipation:

Treatment with Movicol-Half usually lasts for about 2 weeks. If your constipation is caused by an illness such as Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis (MS), or if you take medicines that cause constipation your doctor may recommend that you take Movicol-Half for longer than 2 weeks. If you need to take Movicol-Half for longer, please see your doctor.

Usually for long term treatment the dose can be lowered to either 2 or 4 sachets a day.

Faecal impaction:

Treatment with Movicol-Half can be for up to 3 days.

If you take more Movicol-Half than you should:

You may develop diarrhoea. Stop taking Movicol-Half until it clears, and then start again at a lower dose. If you are worried contact your doctor or pharmacist.

If you forget to take Movicol-Half:

Take the dose as soon as you remember to take it.

4. Possible side effects

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

Tell your doctor immediately and stop taking Movicol-Half if you:

Get a serious allergic reaction which causes difficulty in breathing, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat.

Other side effects include:

Allergic reactions which may cause a skin rash, itching, reddening of the skin or a nettle rash, swollen hands, feet or ankles, headaches and high and low levels of potassium in the blood.

Sometimes you may 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-Half. These side effects generally get better if you reduce the amount of Movicol-Half you take.

If any of the above are troublesome or last more than a few days or if you notice any side effects not mentioned in this leaflet, please inform your doctor or pharmacist.

Reporting of side effects

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via Yellow Card Scheme Website: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5. How to store Movicol-Half

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.

Do not use Movicol-Half after the expiry date which is stated on the sachet and carton.

The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.

This medicinal product does not require any special storage conditions.

Once you have made up Movicol-Half in water, if you cannot drink it straight away keep it covered and in the fridge (2°C – 8°C). Throw away any solution not used within a 6 hour period.

Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.

6. Contents of pack and other Information

What Movicol-Half contains

Each 6.9g sachet of Movicol-Half contains the following:

Macrogol 3350 6.563 g

Sodium Chloride 0.1754 g

Sodium Bicarbonate 0.0893 g

Potassium Chloride 0.0233 g

When it is made into a drink with 62.5 millilitres of water, each sachet gives the equivalent of:

Sodium 65 millimoles/litre

Chloride 53 millimoles/litre

Potassium 5.4 millimoles/litre

Bicarbonate 17 millimoles/litre

Movicol-Half also contains lime and lemon flavour, and acesulfame potassium as a sweetener.

What Movicol-Half looks like and contents of the pack

Movicol-Half is available in rectangular sachets and tubular (stick-pack) sachets.

Movicol-Half is a white powder.

Movicol-Half is available in boxes of 8, 20, 30 or 100 sachets.

Not all sachets and pack sizes may be marketed.

Marketing authorisation holder:
Norgine Limited
Norgine House
Widewater Place
Moorhall Road
Harefield
Uxbridge
UB9 6NS
UK

Manufacturer:
Norgine Limited
New Road
Hengoed
Mid Glamorgan
CF82 8SJ
U.K.

The leaflet was last revised in 10/2023

Other sources of information

If you need the information on this leaflet in an alternative format, such as large print, or Braille please ring 0800 198 5000.

Norgine Limited
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Address
Norgine House, Widewater Place, Moorhall Road, Harefield, Middlesex, UB9 6NS
Telephone
+44 (0) 1895 826 600
Medical Information e-mail
[email protected]
Stock Availability
[email protected]
Medical Information Direct Line
+44 (0) 1895 826 606