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Home » Stomach Disorder » Agiolax Granules
Agiolax Granules
Brand names: Agiolax Granules
Generic name: Senna and Psyllium (Plantago ovata).
Manufacturer: Madaus
A stimulant laxative of plant origin containing vegetable fibre.
Active ingredients
Senna and Psyllium (Plantago ovata).
Composition
5 g granules (= 1 teaspoonful/sachet) contain:
Pharmacologically active ingredients: Plantago ovata seeds 2.60 g, Ispaghula husks 0.11 g, Tinnevelly senna pods 0.5 - 0.66 g equivalent to 15 mg sennosides.
Other ingredients: talc, gum arabic, ferric oxide, paraffin, aromatics, sucrose (approx. 0.96 g equivalent to 0.08 BU).
Original packs 6 x 5 g, 150 g, 250 g.
Uses
For short-term use in constipation.
Contraindications
When must you not use Agiolax?
Agiolax must not be used by patients with abnormal narrowing in any part of the gastrointestinal tract; in threatened or established intestinal obstruction; in acute inflammatory conditions of the intestine, e.g., Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, appendicitis; in abdominal pain of unknown origin; in cases of serious fluid deficit with water and electrolyte losses; in patients whose diabetes is difficult to control; in children under 10 years of age.
What must you remember in the event of pregnancy or lactation?
During the first three months of pregnancy, Agiolax should be used only if constipation cannot be overcome by altering the diet or giving vegetable fibre. Certain breakdown products of senna pods such as rhein have a laxative action and pass into the breast milk in small amounts. A laxative action in breast-fed infants has not been observed.
Precautions and Warnings
What precautionary measures must be remembered?
Any intake of stimulant laxatives continued beyond a short period can lead to worsening of bowel sluggishness. The product should be employed only if alteration of diet or pure vegetable fibre preparations have no therapeutic effect, i.e. the desired action is not achieved.
Interactions with other drugs
What other medicines may modify the action of Agiolax and how does Agiolax affect the action of other medicines?
During long-term use or misuse potassium deficiency may potentiate the action of cardiac glycosides and may affect the action of antiarrhythmic agents. Potassium loss may be aggravated by combination with certain drugs acting on the kidney (thiazide diuretics), adrenocortical steroids and liquorice root. Intestinal absorption of other medicines taken at the same time may be retarded. In insulin-dependent diabetics it may be necessary to reduce the insulin dose.
Please remember that these warnings may apply also to recently administered medicines.
Dosage guidance, mode and duration of administration
The following instructions apply unless your doctor has directed otherwise. Please keep to the directions for use, otherwise Agiolax cannot act properly!
How much Agiolax should you take and how often?
Unless otherwise directed, adults and children over 10 years of age should take 1 teaspoonful or 1 sachet of Agiolax after the evening meal and, if necessary, before breakfast as well. The maximum daily intake must not exceed 30 mg hydroxyanthracene derivatives; this is equivalent to 10 g (= 2 teaspoonfuls or sachets) of Agiolax. The correct dosage for the individual patient is the smallest amount which is necessary to produce a soft but formed stool.
How and when should you take Agiolax?
The granules should be swallowed unchewed with plenty of liquid (about 1/4 litre). After taking any other medicines an interval of half an hour to one hour should be allowed to elapse.
How long should you go on taking Agiolax?
Stimulant laxatives must not be taken for long periods (more than 1 - 2 weeks) without medical advice.
Incorrect use and overdoses
What should be done if Agiolax has been taken in unduly large amounts?
In the event of inadvertent or deliberate overdose there may be painful intestinal cramps and severe diarrhoea with consequent losses of water and minerals. If you take an overdose please consult a doctor immediately. The doctor will decide what countermeasures (e.g., administration of fluid and salts) may be necessary.
Side effects
What side effects may occur during the use of Agiolax?
In occasional cases there may be colicky abdominal pain. In such cases the dose will need to be reduced. In cases of long-term use or misuse there may be electrolyte losses, in particular of potassium, appearance of protein or blood in the urine (albuminuria and haematuria); deposition of pigment in the intestinal mucosa (pseudomelanosis coli), though this is harmless and will regress when the medicine is discontinued. Potassium loss can lead to disorders of cardiac function and to muscle weakness, in particular if cardiac glycosides, diuretics or adrenocortical steroids are being taken concurrently. In occasional instances there may be hypersensitivity reactions to Plantago ovata.
Frequently asked questions
How rapidly does Agiolax act?
A bowel motion will usually follow 12 - 24 hours after taking Agiolax, but in refractory cases or when changing over from another laxative the onset may be later - especially in patients with chronic constipation.
For how long can Agiolax be taken?
Stimulant laxatives must not be taken for long periods (more than 1 - 2 weeks) without medical advice.
Can Agiolax be used during pregnancy?
No adverse effects are known to occur during pregnancy. As an ordinary precaution, however, Agiolax should not be used in the first trimester of pregnancy unless change of diet or the use of a non-stimulant bulk laxative has failed to produce any therapeutic effect.
Certain breakdown products of senna pods such as rhein have a laxative action and pass into the breast milk in small amounts. A laxative effect in breast-fed infants has not been observed.
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