← All medications

Macrogol

Medication osmotic laxative digestive
Aka: polyethylene glycol 3350, Forlax, MiraLAX
Brands seen in Singapore: Forlax, Macrogol 4000 Strides, Fortrans
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
SG label: constipation in adults and children over 8
When to take
SG label: usually a morning dose · 24–48 h to work
Take with
HealthHub: each sachet in a full glass of water
Pros & cons
Pros
  • SG label: not absorbed into the bloodstream
  • NHS: can be taken in pregnancy and when breastfeeding
  • HSA: forlax is general sale list in Singapore
Cons
  • SG label: not for self-treatment beyond 2 weeks
  • NHS: stomach ache, bloating, wind, nausea, diarrhoea
  • HealthHub: a 2-hour gap from other medicines is needed
Sources
  1. HSA — Listing of Registered Therapeutic Products (data.gov.sg dataset d_767279312753558cbf19d48344577084), Forensicclassification column; all 5,511 rows cached at /tmp/hsa_all.json and filtered locally (never re-fetched), 4 macrogol rows, 27 Aug 2026 · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “FORLAX POWDER FOR ORAL SOLUTION 10 g/sachet SIN12419P, FORLAX 4G/SACHET SIN17210P and Macrogol 4000 Strides SIN17331P read "General Sale List"; FORTRANS SIN09234P (macrogol 4000 64 g bowel prep) reads "Pharmacy Only". Every SG row is macrogol 4000.”
  2. MOH National Drug Formulary — FORLAX POWDER FOR ORAL SOLUTION 10 G/SACHET [SIN12419P], Indication (SG patient information leaflet) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Macrogol 4000 … belongs to a group of medicines called osmotic laxatives … not absorbed into the bloodstream … used for the treatment of constipation in adults and children aged 8 years and above.”
  3. MOH National Drug Formulary — FORLAX 10 G/SACHET [SIN12419P], How to take · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The recommended dose is one to two sachets per day … may range from one sachet up to a maximum of two sachets per day … FORLAX 10 g should not be used as self-medication for more than 2 weeks.”
  4. MOH National Drug Formulary — FORLAX 10 G/SACHET [SIN12419P], Product information block · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Active Ingredient and Strength: MACROGOL 4000 (INN) - 10 G/SACHET · Forensic Classification: GENERAL SALE LIST · Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) code A06AD15”
  5. MOH National Drug Formulary — FORLAX 10 G/SACHET [SIN12419P], Do not take · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “you should not take Forlax if you are suffering from fructose intolerance … severe intestinal disease: inflammatory bowel disease … perforation of the bowel or risk of perforation … ileus or suspicion of intestinal obstruction”
  6. HealthHub (National Medication Information workgroup / Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore) — Macrogol: how should I take or use this medication · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Macrogols are used to treat constipation. This medication may take one to two days to work … You may take this medication with or without food. Each sachet should be dissolved in a full glass of water.”
  7. HealthHub — Macrogol: what precautions should I take · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “You have kidney problems … If you have any persistent abdominal pain and/or cramps, vomiting, complete inability to pass stool/gas or fever … You have fructose intolerance. This medicine contains sorbitol.”
  8. HealthHub — Macrogol: what food or medication should I avoid · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Leave a two hour gap when taking this medicine with other medicines.”
  9. NHS medicines A–Z — Macrogol (reviewed 13 May 2026) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Macrogol - Common brands: Movicol, Laxido, CosmoCol. Macrogol is a laxative used to treat constipation. You can buy it from pharmacies, but some types are only available with a prescription.”
  10. NHS medicines A–Z — Macrogol: side effects · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Common side effects of macrogol include: stomach ache; bloating; farting; feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting); diarrhoea. These side effects may get better if you reduce the dose of macrogol.”
  11. NHS medicines A–Z — Macrogol: pregnancy, breastfeeding and who can take it · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “You can take macrogol while breastfeeding … You can take macrogol if you're pregnant … Children aged 2 to 11 years old can only have macrogol if it's prescribed.”
  12. NHS medicines A–Z — Macrogol: taking macrogol with other medicines, food and drink · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “macrogol can affect how some medicines for epilepsy work … do not take them at the same time as macrogol. Take any other medicines at least 1 hour before or 1 hour after taking macrogol.”
Report a correction View as JSON

Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.