Sodium picosulfate is a contact 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...

 used as a treatment for constipation

Constipation

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

 or to prepare the large bowel before colonoscopy

Colonoscopy

Colonoscopy is the endoscopic examination of the large bowel and the distal part of the small bowel with a CCD camera or a fiber optic camera on a flexible tube passed through the anus. It may provide a visual diagnosis and grants the opportunity for biopsy or removal of suspected...

 or surgery

Surgery

Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...

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It is sold under the trade names " Sodipic" Picofast, Laxoberal, Purg-Odan, Picolax, Picoprep, Guttalax and several others.

Effects

Orally administered sodium picosulfate is generally used for thorough evacuation of the bowel, usually for patients who are preparing to undergo a colonoscopy. It works very quickly, so access to a toilet at all times is recommended. It starts off by making bowel movements looser and more frequent, but within an hour or so of taking it the patient should experience diarrhea.

The most common side effect

Adverse drug reaction

An adverse drug reaction is an expression that describes harm associated with the use of given medications at a normal dosage. ADRs may occur following a single dose or prolonged administration of a drug or result from the combination of two or more drugs...

s of picosulfate are abdominal cramps and diarrhea.

The use of sodium picosulfate has also been associated with certain electrolyte disturbance

Electrolyte disturbance

Electrolytes play a vital role in maintaining homeostasis within the body. They help to regulate myocardial and neurological function, fluid balance, oxygen delivery, acid-base balance and much more. Electrolyte imbalances can develop by the following mechanisms: excessive ingestion; diminished...

s, such as hyponatremia

Hyponatremia

Hyponatremia is an electrolyte disturbance in which the sodium concentration in the serum is lower than normal. In the vast majority of cases, hyponatremia occurs as a result of excess body water diluting the serum sodium and is not due to sodium deficiency. Sodium is the dominant extracellular...

 and hypokalemia

Hypokalemia

Hypokalemia or hypokalaemia , also hypopotassemia or hypopotassaemia , refers to the condition in which the concentration of potassium in the blood is low...

. Patients are often required to drink large amounts of clear fluids to restablish the electrolyte balance as well as rehydrate.