RELAX Tablet

Symptomatic treatment of constipation

Dosage and Administration

Adults: 1 tablet (if necessary, 2 tablets).

Children 12-15 years: 1/4-1 tablet. Tablets should be chewed or crunched and taken at bedtime or, if necessary, in the morning.

Inflammatory organic idiopathies (ulcerative rectocolitis, Crohn’s disease), occlusive or sub occlusive syndromes, painful abdominal syndromes with undetermined cause.

Possible diarrhoea and abdominal pain, especially in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Possible hypokalaemia,

Inadvisable Combinations: Drugs that causes Torsades de Pointes.

Antiarrhythmics: Bepridil, class Ⅰa antiarrhythmics (quinidine-type), sotalol, amiodarone.

Non-Antiarrhythmics: Vincamine

(Torsades de points: Hypokalaemia, bradycardia and a preexisting long QT interval are predisposing factors. Use a non-irritant laxative).

Combinations requiring precaution: Digitalis Glycosides: Hypokalaemia enhances the toxic effects of digitalis glycosides. The serum potassium concentration must be monitored and, if needed, the serum potassium level should be corrected. Use a non-irritant laxative.

Other Potassium-Depleting substances: Amphotericin B (IV route), tetracosactide, potassium-depleting diuretics) alone or in combination). Increase risk of hypokalemia (addictive effect). The serum potassium concentration must be monitored and corrected if necessary. Use a non-irritant laxative.

Relax should only be used as an adjuvant in the treatment of constipation, i.e. in addition to a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle: Higher fluid (water) and increased plant fiber intake in food, recommendation for greater physical activity and re-education of defecation reflex.

It is inadvisable to use a laxative over a prolonged period (do not exceed 8-10 days of treatment). The extended administration of irritant laxatives may give rise to 2 series of disorders: (a) Laxative abuse with severe mucous colitis, melanosis coli, and water and electrolyte abnormalities including hypokalaemia; this occurs very rarely. (b) A situation of “dependence” with a regular requirement for laxatives, the need to increase the dosage, and severe constipation if Relax is withdrawn. The occurrence of such dependence varies with each individual patient and may rise without the physician’s knowledge.

Sodium picosulfate is a locally acting laxative from the triarylmethane group, which after bacterial cleavage in the colon stimulates the mucosa of the large intestine causing colonic peristalsis.