Duphalac contains a laxative called lactulose.

It makes the stool softer and easier to pass, by drawing water into the bowel.

It is used to treat constipation (infrequent bowel movements, hard and dry stools).

It is used to treat hepatic encephalopathy (a liver disease causing confusion, tremor, decreased level of consciousness). Hepatic encephalopathy can lead to a hepatic coma.

Actice Ingredient: Each 5ml of Duphalac contains 3.335g of lactulose.

Duphalac does not contain any other ingredients. However it may contain sugars from the manufacture process such as lactose, galactose and fructose.

Constipation

Adults and adolescents:

The starting dose is 15-45ml per day. After this the dose can be adjusted to 15-30ml per day.

Children 7 to 14 years:

The starting dose is 15ml per day. After this the dose can be adjusted to 10-15ml per day.

Children 1-6 years:

The usual dose is 5-10ml per day.

Infants under 1 year: The usual dose is up to 5ml daily.

Use in Children

Use of laxatives in children, infants, and babies should be exceptional and under medical supervision because it can influence the normal reflexes for passing stools. Please do not give Duphalac to children (under 14 years) before consulting your doctor for prescription and careful supervision.

Hepatic encephalopathy (adults only)

The usual starting dose is 3 to 4 times a day of 30-45ml. No information is available for treatment of children (newborn to 18 years of age) with hepatic encephalopathy.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Duphalac if you suffer from any medical conditions

• if you suffer from unexplained tummy ache
• if you are unable to digest milk sugar (lactose intolerant)
• if you have diabetes

You should not take Duphalac if you suffer from:

• galactose or fructose intolerance
• Lapp lactase deficiency
• glucose-galactose malabsorption

If you have diabetes and are treated for hepatic encephalopathy, your dose of Duphalac will be higher. This high dose contains a large amount of sugar. Therefore, your doctor may recommend that you need to adjust the dose of your anti-diabetic medicine.

Chronic use of unadjusted dosages (exceeding 2-3 soft stools per day) or misuse can lead to diarrhoea and disturbance of the electrolytes balance.

During the treatment with laxatives you should drink sufficient amounts of fluids (approx. 2 litres/day, equal to 6-8 glasses). If you take Duphalac for several days and there is no improvement in your condition or if your symptoms worsen, please contact your doctor.

Common

• flatulence (wind)
• nausea (feeling sick)
• vomiting
• abdominal pain
• electrolyte imbalance due to diarrhoea