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Bisacodyl Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of bisacodyl include constipation, nausea, and off label use, based on 13,362 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 9.4% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Bisacodyl side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for bisacodyl.

1
Constipation10.0%1,331
2
Drug Ineffective9.4%1,256
3
Nausea8.9%1,194
4
Off Label Use8.0%1,069
5
Pain7.7%1,023
6
Vomiting6.3%836
7
Fall5.8%770
8
Macular Degeneration5.8%769
9
Dyspnoea5.5%741
10
Death5.3%706
11
Pneumonia5.2%694
12
Pyrexia5.2%692
13
Abdominal Pain5.0%671
14
Fatigue5.0%670
15
Anaemia4.6%608

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that bisacodyl caused these reactions.

Report severity

87.9%Serious11,744 reports
52.6%Hospitalizations7,034 reports
17.6%Fatal2,351 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Bisacodyl drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside bisacodyl. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Acetaminophen12.6%1,682
2
Fluticasone9.3%1,244
3
Morphine-sulfate8.7%1,163
4
Pantoprazole-sodium8.5%1,142
5
Hydromorphone-hydrochloride8.0%1,069
6
Betamethasone7.6%1,021
7
Metronidazole7.5%999
8
Prednisone7.4%995
9
Ergocalciferol7.4%989
10
Azithromycin7.2%960
11
Atorvastatin-calcium7.2%957
12
Pregabalin7.1%946
13
Diphenhydramine6.9%928
14
Budesonide6.7%889
15
Adalimumab6.4%849

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen39.0%5,209
2
Aspirin20.6%2,748
3
Omeprazole17.1%2,289
4
Albuterol16.9%2,258
5
Ondansetron16.8%2,248
6
Furosemide15.9%2,120
7
Ergocalciferol14.2%1,903
8
Atorvastatin-calcium13.7%1,829
9
Pantoprazole-sodium13.4%1,791
10
Levothyroxine-sodium13.2%1,765
11
Gabapentin12.5%1,674
12
Oxycodone12.4%1,652
13
Amlodipine12.0%1,606
14
Metoprolol11.4%1,525
15
Lorazepam11.1%1,486

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports bisacodyl side effects

51.9% of bisacodyl adverse event reports involve female patients and 40.5% involve male patients. The largest age group is elderly at 54%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female51.9%
Male40.5%
Unknown7.6%

Age group

< 20.1%
2–112.0%
12–171.2%
18–6443.1%
65+53.5%

What is bisacodyl used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking bisacodyl when the adverse event was reported.

Abdominal DiscomfortAbdominal DistensionAbdominal PainAbnormal FaecesAccidental ExposureAdjuvant TherapyAdverse EventAnal IncontinenceAnorexia NervosaAortic AneurysmAbdominal DiscomfortAbdominal DistensionAbdominal PainAbnormal FaecesAdverse Event

Showing 15 of 162 indications

Bisacodyl brand names and reporting trend

Bisacodyl is sold under the brand name Peg-3350, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Bicarbonate, Potassium Chloride And Bisacodyl.

Brand names

Peg-3350, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Bicarbonate, Potassium Chloride And Bisacodyl15,852

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking bisacodyl with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.