Dulcolax or Glycerin Suppositories

Was very excited to purchase some Dulcolax suppositories yesterday and I've had the chance to pop 2 up there this morning (right now). So far it's been 50min and I do have the start of that 'feeling' to go, but certainly nothing urgent, yet.

However, I know for certain had I popped 2 glycerine suppositories up there I would have had to visit the toilet some 20min after inserting them.

What's your experience with both types? Prefer one to the other? Find one more effective than the other?

Having said that, just short of the hour mark, I think I'll take a visit to the toilet....

Standard Dulcolax suppository are 10 MG, 2 is considered a cathartic dose . The Bisacodyl is in a vegetable oil base. Once in the rectum the suppository needs to dissolve in order to disperse the bisacodyl as the bisacodly needs to be in contact with your rectum mucosa. The label states works in most cases in 15 minutes to 1 hour. It can be more or less time depending on many variables.

If you want a more rapid effect puchase “magic bullets” ( yes that’s their real name), the difference is magic bullets base is water soluble so it dissolves faster and brings the bisacodyl into contact with your rectum quicker. Magic bullets can produce a bowel movement in as little as 5 minutes. The longer you resist the urge the more the urge will build and the more poo you will pass because the medication can create more irritation.

Glycerin suppositories come in 2 forms solid & liquid, solid requires delay time as some of the glycerine dissolves and disperses. The average glycerine suppository remains largely solid and intact when passed to toilet. Liquid on the other hand will be immediately available and will create a rapid near immediate urge as liquid glycerine is very challenging to retain.

Finally bisacodly is an irritant laxative

Glycerine is an osmotic laxative.

Bisacodyl is short cut, given enough time using the correct technique you can create the same need to use the toilet with your finger.

Glycerine works by drawing water into your bowel, the combination of additional water and the now more lubricated stool is what causes the need to use the toilet.

Osmotic laxatives and cathartics are the fastest acting of all the laxative (don’t ever take an osmotic laxative in the evening or at bedtime , because you will be up using the toilet instead of sleeping. On an empty stomach osmotic’s can work in as little as 30 minutes to 2 hours)

In spinal rehab we would be fed, given suppositories clean gowns and diapered and would rest until we all filled our diaper then changed and activities resumed, later into rehab we were taught to use our fingers where possible in case of emergency. Keeping the bowels moving in spinal patients can be a matter of life or death, not moving the bowels sufficiently predisposes us to something called autonomic dysreflexia and can be fatal.

Thanks @SAP that's really insightful. I'll look into autonomic dysreflexia though, not something I've heard of.

@soapyfun happy to help. I used to get 2 Bisacodyl and 1 glycerine every other morning along with a ton Senna S and docusate nightly.

I will say long term Bisacodyl suppository use has one down side in that we all complained about, matter of fact we talked about it so much that you could mention “Butt snot“ and everyone was instantly on the same page. With long term use comes butt snot, about an hour after a bowel movement you would have a butt snot movement which is unique to bisacodyl, so rule of thumb each BM requires 2 diaper changes. Butt snot is clear to semi translucent white mucous discharge and is very slippery like any other mucous out of nose or throat

Also many people if insurance did not cover “magic bullets“ so made our own ammo. Buy an economy size bottle of tablets, the tablets are generaly 5 MG so for the same results as one suppository you need two tablets, anyway use a pill crusher and put the crushed tablets on a table spoon, add a little water and pinch of baking soda, this will both dissolve the Bisacodyl and neutralize the stomach safe coating making it usable. You can then add more water into a reused disposable enema bottle to create a fleet bisacodyl enema or just load into a piston syringe without additional liquid. Works just as a suppository does.

Without insurance coverage 100 magic bullets is around $70 ....100 generic bisacodyl suppository’s on Amazon is about $24, an economy size bisacodyl tablet bottle has 250 tablets for about $16 so that’s the equivalent of 125 suppositories. Also some people would use a used urinary catheter as a colon tube. Lubed an inserted high into rectum and using piston syringe will get you monstorous bowel movement because the intense stimulation starts higher than a SUPP or enema can get. Obviously getting the bisacodyl loaded that high will also be very crampy.