11-06-2025
Popular laxatives found to contain WRONG dose instruction – and children could be at risk
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PARENTS are being alerted after popular laxatives were found to have a potentially dangerous labelling error.
Boxes of Dulcolax, which should only be taken by adults, wrongly suggest they're suitable for kids aged 12 and over.
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Dulcolax Adult 5mg gastro-resistant tablets have been hit by a labeling error.
Credit: Dulcolax
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which issued the alert, said the printing blunder is not "expected" to cause harm.
'Based on the safety assessment, it was concluded that there is no harm expected to children who may have taken this medication,' the watchdog said.
The tablets themselves are safe. But the instructions could lead to kids taking them without proper advice.
Dulcolax Adult 5mg gastro-resistant tablets contain 5mg of bisacodyl - a common over-the-counter constipation treatment.
There's a separate version called Dulcolax Twelve Plus for kids aged 12 and over.
It has the same 5mg dose as the adult tablets. But it's only available from a pharmacist, who can give advice on the right way to use it for children.
That's because their bodies handle medicine differently, and experts make sure it's safe and used right.
It stops kids taking too much or using laxatives when they shouldn't.
Dulcolax Adult 5mg gastro-resistant tablets are available over-the-counter, meaning any adult can buy them without a prescription or pharmacist advice.
The batch codes to look out for are 240908, 240909, 241873, 241875, 250222, 250307, and 250308. You can find these numbers on the packaging.
The 3-minute tummy massage to ease bloating, constipation and trapped wind
The affected batches have an expiry date of the 30 and 31 of May 2027 and were distributed this year.
"Adult patients should continue to take medicines from the impacted batches," the MHRA wrote, in the alert published yesterday (June 10).
The quality of the product is not affected which is why the products are not being recalled and will remain to be available for sale.
"There is an error on the back of the carton, this product is only intended for use by adults (18 years and over) and should not be used in children (under the age of 18)."
Some boxes have already been distributed to pharmacies and shops, but future stock will only be sent to pharmacies and healthcare stores until the packaging is corrected.
Adults are advised to keep taking the tablets as normal, following the leaflet inside the pack - which contains the correct instructions.
People who experience adverse reactions or have any questions about their medication should seek medical attention.
"Any suspected adverse reactions should also be reported via the MHRA Yellow Card scheme," the alert said.
