Prucalopride
About Prucalopride
Prucalopride is a prescription medication used to treat chronic idiopathic constipation in adults who have not found sufficient relief from other laxatives. It helps restore the natural movement of your bowels, making it easier to pass stool regularly. This medication acts on the gut to help you establish a more consistent and comfortable bathroom routine.
This medication is typically taken once daily, and it is important to take it consistently at the same time each day to maintain its beneficial effects. You can take Prucalopride with or without food, as your daily meals do not change how the medicine is absorbed in your body. Along with taking this medicine, drinking plenty of water and eating a fibre-rich diet can help improve your overall results.
Some people may experience mild, temporary side effects when starting this medication, such as headaches, nausea, or mild stomach pain. These symptoms usually improve after a few days as your body adjusts to the treatment. However, if you develop severe diarrhoea, intense abdominal cramping, or sudden mood changes, you should consult your doctor immediately.
Before taking Prucalopride, talk to your doctor if you have a history of kidney disease, liver damage, or heart problems. Do not take this if you have a blockage in your bowel, a tear in your intestinal wall, or severe inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Your doctor will help determine if this treatment is safe and appropriate for your medical history.
Some medicines can interfere with how this drug works, and drinking alcohol may worsen stomach upset or dizziness during treatment. If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, breastfeeding, or are over the age of 65, talk to your doctor or pharmacist to ensure this treatment is safe for your specific situation.
Uses of Prucalopride
Medicinal Benefits
Taking Prucalopride can significantly improve your daily comfort and quality of life by addressing the root cause of chronic constipation. Here are the key benefits of this treatment:
- Restores natural bowel rhythm: Instead of simply softening stool, it helps your intestines move naturally, encouraging a more predictable and regular bowel schedule.
- Reduces abdominal discomfort: By promoting regular bowel movements, it helps relieve the painful bloating, straining, and fullness associated with chronic constipation.
- Provides long-term relief: Unlike some temporary over-the-counter laxatives, this medication is designed to support ongoing bowel function for individuals dealing with long-term, unexplained constipation.
Directions for Use
- Prucalopride can be taken with or without food.
- It is recommended to take Prucalopride once daily or as advised by your doctor.
- Swallow Prucalopride as a whole with a glass of water.
- Do not break, chew, or crush it.
Storage
Side Effects of Prucalopride
Common Side Effects (Usually mild):
- Headache
- Nausea or stomach upset
- Mild diarrhoea
- Bloating or gas
Serious Side Effects (Consult your doctor right away):
- Severe or persistent diarrhoea that leads to dehydration (feeling very thirsty, dry mouth, or dark urine)
- Severe, sudden stomach pain
- New or worsening feelings of sadness, anxiety, or unusual changes in mood
- Allergic reactions, such as swelling of the face, lips, or throat, or difficulty breathing
Medicines Containing this Salt
View AllDrug Warnings
- Monitor for dehydration: If you develop severe diarrhoea, you may lose essential fluids and salts. Drink electrolyte solutions and contact your doctor if the diarrhoea does not stop within a few days.
- Watch your mood: Pay close attention to any sudden changes in your mood, thoughts, or behaviour. Report any signs of depression or unusual thoughts to your doctor immediately.
- Check the packaging: Always inspect the tablet blister pack before use. Do not take the medication if the foil is broken or if the tablets appear damaged.
- Inform all healthcare providers: Make sure your doctors, dentists, and pharmacists know you are taking Prucalopride before you start any new medications or undergo medical procedures.
Drug Interactions
Prucalopride may interact with certain medicines, affecting its effectiveness or increasing the risk of side effects.
- Anticholinergic medications: Taking these medicines alongside Prucalopride may reduce its effectiveness, as they have opposing effects on gut movement.
- Other laxatives: Using strong laxatives at the same time may increase the risk of severe diarrhoea and dehydration. Talk to your doctor before combining treatments.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
consult your doctorIt is not known if alcohol interacts with Prucalopride. Please consult your doctor if you have any concerns regarding this.
Pregnancy
unsafePrucalopride is not recommended during pregnancy. Use a reliable method of contraception while taking Prucalopride. Inform your doctor if you are pregnant, think you are pregnant or planning for pregnancy.
Breast Feeding
unsafePrucalopride might pass into breastmilk. Avoid breastfeeding while taking Prucalopride.
Driving
cautionPrucalopride is unlikely to affect your ability to drive. However, sometimes Prucalopride might cause dizziness and tiredness, so drive only if you are alert.
Liver
consult your doctorPlease consult your doctor if you have liver impairment/liver disease.
Kidney
consult your doctorPlease consult your doctor if you have kidney impairment/kidney disease.
Children
unsafePrucalopride is not recommended for children below 18 years as safety and effectiveness have not been established.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Increase your fibre intake gradually: Incorporate more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans into your meals to help bulk up your stool and make it easier to pass.
- Stay well-hydrated: Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Hydration is essential for keeping stool soft and helping Prucalopride work effectively.
- Engage in regular physical activity: Light exercise, such as walking for 20 to 30 minutes a day, stimulates the natural muscles in your digestive tract and promotes movement.
- Establish a regular toilet routine: Try to visit the bathroom at the same times each day, especially after meals when your bowel is naturally more active, and do not ignore the urge to go.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Chronic idiopathic constipation: Chronic idiopathic constipation is a functional bowel disorder characterised by difficult or incomplete and/or infrequent passage of stools that lasts for 3months or longer and is not caused by any disease or medication. Symptoms include bloating, abdominal pain, and feeling as if the bowel movement is incomplete. Constipation occurs when the normal muscle contractions in the large intestine slow down, which causes the incomplete elimination of the bowel from the body. Constipation could be associated with a sudden change of diet, a diet with less fibre, not drinking enough liquids, lack of exercise, loss of tone of the bowel muscles in older people, or having to stay in bed for a longer duration.
FAQs
Prucalopride is used to treat chronic idiopathic constipation.
Prucalopride acts on the muscle walls of the gut and increases bowel motility. Thereby, helps restore the normal functioning of the bowel and treats constipation.
Diarrhoea might occur if Prucalopride is taken in larger doses. Drink lots of fluids and eat non-spicy food if you experience diarrhoea. Contraceptive pills might become ineffective in case of severe diarrhoea. In such conditions, use an extra method of contraception.
Do not take Prucalopride for longer durations unless advised by the doctor, as it might lead to dependency on Prucalopride for a bowel movement. Consult your doctor if your bowel movement is irregular even after taking Prucalopride for four weeks.
Drink plenty of fluids and consume fibre-rich food, whole-grain bread, unprocessed bran, fruits and vegetables. Try to exercise regularly.
If you miss a dose, try to take it as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for the scheduled dose, skip the missed dose and take the scheduled dose instead. Avoid taking the double dose as it might cause unpleasant side effects or overdose.
Prucalopride may cause side effects such as vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea, headache, tiredness and stomach cramps/pain. If these side effects persist or worsen, please consult your doctor.
Prucalopride has been shown to act quickly but the effect varies from person to person. This is because each patient reacts differently to particular medication. Generally, Prucalopride causes a bowel movement within 2-3 hours. However, it may take about 4-5 days to show full effect and rapid bowel movements.
Prucalopride is not recommended during pregnancy. Use a reliable method of contraception while taking Prucalopride. Inform your doctor if you are pregnant, think you are pregnant or are planning a pregnancy.
Take Prucalopride as advised by your doctor. It can be taken at any time of the day. It is typically administered once daily orally, with or without food.
Prucalopride has been proven to be beneficial in cases of gastroparesis and constipation. Gastroparesis is a disorder that stops or slows the food movement from stomach to small intestine, even though there is no blockage in the intestines or stomach.
You should avoid taking Prucalopride if you are allergic to it, if you have a tear in your intestinal or stomach wall, a bowel blockage or inflammatory conditions of the intestinal wall like ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease. Always consult your doctor before starting Prucalopride.
While it treats constipation, Prucalopride is not a traditional laxative. It is a prokinetic medication, meaning it works by stimulating the natural muscle movements of your intestines to help move waste through. Talk to your doctor.
Alcohol does not directly stop this medication from working, but it can worsen common side effects like headaches, dizziness, or stomach upset. To minimise these risks, limit your alcohol consumption and talk to your doctor.
If you experience severe or persistent diarrhoea, stop taking the medication and drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. You should contact your healthcare provider right away to discuss your symptoms. Talk to your doctor.
Some medications can affect how this medicine works or increase the risk of side effects. Always provide your doctor or pharmacist with a complete list of all prescription and over-the-counter medicines you are taking. Talk to your doctor.
Weight changes are not a common side effect of this medication. However, relieving chronic constipation and bloating may make you feel lighter or less full. If you experience unexpected weight changes, talk to your doctor.
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