Macrogol is the International Nonproprietary Name

International Nonproprietary Name

An International Nonproprietary Name is the official nonproprietary or generic name given to a pharmaceutical substance, as designated by the World Health Organization...

 (INN) for polyethylene glycol

Polyethylene glycol

Polyethylene glycol is a polyether compound with many applications from industrial manufacturing to medicine. It has also been known as polyethylene oxide or polyoxyethylene , depending on its molecular weight, and under the tradename Carbowax.-Available forms:PEG, PEO, or POE refers to an...

. Macrogols have been used as laxative

Laxative

Laxatives are foods, compounds, or drugs taken to induce bowel movements or to loosen the stool, most often taken to treat constipation. Certain stimulant, lubricant, and saline laxatives are used to evacuate the colon for rectal and/or bowel examinations, and may be supplemented by enemas under...

s, i.e. to treat constipation

Constipation

Constipation refers to bowel movements that are infrequent or hard to pass. Constipation is a common cause of painful defecation...

.

They are also used as excipients in pharmaceutical products where lower molecular weight variants are used as solvents in oral liquids and soft capsules. Solid variants are used as ointment bases, tablet bindings, film coatings and lubricants.

Types include:

• macrogol 4000
• macrogol 3350
• macrogol 6000

The number represents the average molecular weight

Molecular mass

The molecular mass of a substance is the mass of one molecule of that substance, in unified atomic mass unit u...

 of the polyethylene glycol. Combining different molecular weights provides some control over the consistency.

• Polyethylene glycol
  Polyethylene glycol
  Polyethylene glycol is a polyether compound with many applications from industrial manufacturing to medicine. It has also been known as polyethylene oxide or polyoxyethylene , depending on its molecular weight, and under the tradename Carbowax.-Available forms:PEG, PEO, or POE refers to an...
  
  

Available forms

Macrogol (polyethylene glycol) is sold as non-prescription preparation in powder form under trade names SoftLax, Miralax, Glycoprep, Movicol

Movicol

Movicol is a brand-name laxative manufactured by Norgine.Each sachet of this medicine contains macrogol 3350, an iso-osmotic laxative, along with sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride and potassium chloride. Electrolytes are included to help mitigate the possibility of electrolyte imbalance and...

, Macrogol (generic), among others. It is dissolved in a glass of water to create a clear, tasteless and odorless solution and is swallowed.