Macrogol, also known as polyethylene glycol (PEG), is used as a medication to treat constipation in children and adults.[1] It is taken by mouth.[1] Benefits usually occur within three days.[2] Generally it is only recommended for up to two weeks.[3] It is also used as an excipient.[4] It is also used to clear the bowels (known as "bowel prep") before a colonoscopy,[1] when the onset of the laxative effect is more rapid, typically within an hour.[5]
Side effects may include increased bowel gas, abdominal pain, and nausea.[1] Rare but serious side effects may include an abnormal heartbeat, seizures, and kidney problems.[6] Use appears to be safe during pregnancy.[7][1] It is classified as an osmotic laxative.[2] It works by increasing the amount of water in the stool.[3]
Macrogol came into use as a bowel prep in 1980 and was approved for medical use in the United States in 1999.[8][9][10] It is available as a generic medication and over the counter.[1][11] In 2021, it was the 226th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 2million prescriptions.[12][13] It is also formulated together with electrolytes.[14] In 2021, the combination with electrolytes was the 295th most commonly prescribed medication in the US, with more than 500,000 prescriptions.[12][15]
^ abcdefBritish national formulary : BNF 76 (76 ed.). Pharmaceutical Press. 2018. pp. 57–58. ISBN 9780857113382.
^ ab"DailyMed - polyethylene glycol 3350 powder, for solution". dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
^ ab"Polyethylene Glycol 3350: MedlinePlus Drug Information". MedlinePlus. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
^"Macrogol as Excipient". Biesterfeld AG. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
^"Package leaflet: Information for the User - Moviprep, powder for oral solution" (PDF). Medicines.org.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
^"PEG-3350 and Electrolytes for Oral Solution" (PDF). FDA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
^"Polyethylene glycol 3350 Use During Pregnancy". Drugs.com. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
^Mahmoud NN, Bleier JI, Aarons CB, Paulson EC, Shangmugan S, Fry RD (2016). "Colon and Rectum". In Townsend CM, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL (eds.). Sabiston Textbook of Surgery E-Book: The Biological Basis of Modern Surgical Practice. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 1325. ISBN 9780323401630.
^"Prescription Polyethylene Glycol 3350; Denial of a Hearing and Order Withdrawing Approval of Abbreviated New Drug Applications". Federal Register. 2 April 2018. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
^Schoeman M, Nguyen NQ (2011). "Patient Preparation and Pharmacotherapeutic Considerations". In Ginsberg GG, Kochman ML, Norton ID, Gostout CJ (eds.). Clinical Gastrointestinal Endoscopy E-Book: Expert Consult - Online and Print. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 87. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-41509-5.00008-6. ISBN 9781437735703. S2CID 78762418.
^"Polyethylene glycol 3350 Uses, Side Effects & Warnings". Drugs.com. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
^ ab"The Top 300 of 2021". ClinCalc. Archived from the original on 15 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
^"Polyethylene Glycol 3350 - Drug Usage Statistics". ClinCalc. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
^Aronson JK (2015). "Glycols". Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs: The International Encyclopedia of Adverse Drug Reactions and Interactions. Elsevier. p. 567. ISBN 9780444537164.
^"Polyethylene Glycol 3350 With Electrolytes - Drug Usage Statistics". ClinCalc. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
Macrogol, also known as polyethylene glycol (PEG), is used as a medication to treat constipation in children and adults. It is taken by mouth. Benefits...
number which represents the average molecular weight (e.g. macrogol 3350, macrogol 4000 or macrogol 6000). The possibility that PEG could be used to fuse axons...
involving the rapid administration of large volumes of an osmotically balanced macrogol solution (GoLYTELY, CoLyte), either orally or via a nasogastric tube, to...
Constipation occurs in almost all patients on opioids, and laxatives (lactulose, macrogol-containing or co-danthramer) are typically co-prescribed. When used appropriately...
laxative drug that increases bowel movement Dulcolax Balance, a trade name of macrogol, an osmotic laxative Dulcolax Stool Softener, a trade name of dioctyl sodium...
controlled study, the scale is used to study the response to two laxatives: Macrogol (polyethylene glycol) and psyllium (Plantago psyllium and other species...
A container of PEG (polyethylene glycol or macrogol) with electrolyte used to clean out the intestines before certain bowel exam procedures such as a colonoscopy...
before or right before the procedure, the patient receives a laxative (e.g. macrogol, lactulose etc.) and/or an enema, which is a liquid solution that washes...
attachment or amalgamation of polyethylene glycol (PEG, in pharmacy called macrogol) polymer chains to molecules and macrostructures, such as a drug, therapeutic...
have been replaced with hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) and Macrogol 3350 to shorten the preparation time and improve the ease of use. It was...
Desirable Objects" GoLite, an American clothing manufacturer GoLYTELY, a macrogol solution for bowel irrigation Mr Golightly's Holiday, a novel by Salley...
oil, olive oil, peanut oil, and sesame oil Water-soluble bases, e.g., macrogols 200, 300, 400 The medicaments are dispersed in the base and are divided...
child who is constipated?". BestBETs. Candy D, Belsey J (February 2009). "Macrogol (polyethylene glycol) laxatives in children with functional constipation...