Inserting a Dulcolax suppository is straightforward once you know the correct position and technique. The entire process takes just a few minutes, and you can expect a bowel movement within 15 minutes to one hour afterward. Here’s exactly how to do it, step by step.
Before You Start
Gather what you need: the suppository in its foil wrapper, cold tap water, and optionally a disposable glove or finger cot. If the suppository feels soft when you pick it up, hold it (still in the foil wrapper) under cold running water for one to two minutes until it firms up. A soft suppository is harder to insert and may not reach the right depth. You can also place it in the refrigerator for a few minutes. Store suppositories in a cool place between uses to prevent this from happening.
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Then remove the foil wrapping and wet the pointed tip of the suppository with cold tap water. This thin layer of moisture acts as a lubricant and makes insertion much more comfortable. Don’t use warm water, which can start to melt the suppository in your hand.
Getting Into Position
Lie on your left side on a bed or other comfortable surface. Straighten your lower leg and bend your upper leg forward toward your stomach. This position, sometimes called the Sims’ position, naturally relaxes the muscles around the rectum and gives you the best angle for insertion. Use your free hand to lift your upper buttock and expose the rectal area.
If lying on your side isn’t possible due to mobility issues, you can also squat or stand with one foot elevated on a chair or toilet seat. The side-lying position is preferred because gravity helps keep the suppository in place once it’s inserted.
How to Insert the Suppository
Using your index finger, gently push the suppository into the rectum, pointed end first. Push it in about one inch past the opening, far enough that it clears the muscular ring of the anal sphincter. You’ll feel a slight change in resistance when the suppository has passed that point. If it feels like it’s going to slide right back out, it isn’t deep enough and needs to be pushed a little higher.
Take a slow breath and try to relax your muscles as you insert it. Tensing up makes the process more difficult and uncomfortable. Once the suppository is in place, squeeze your buttocks together gently and hold for a few seconds to help keep it from slipping out. Then wash your hands again with soap and water.
How Long to Hold It In
Try to keep the suppository in for 15 to 20 minutes. This gives it time to dissolve and stimulate the colon wall. You’ll likely feel a strong urge to have a bowel movement during this time, which is normal and means the suppository is working. Stay lying down if you can, as this makes retention easier.
If you feel the suppository coming out immediately after insertion, it wasn’t placed high enough. You can reinsert it with a gentle push, aiming a bit deeper. Once it’s past the internal sphincter, the urge to expel it will be less immediate. A bowel movement typically happens within 15 minutes to one hour, though for most people it’s closer to the shorter end of that range.
Dosage and How Often You Can Use It
The standard adult dose is one 10 mg suppository, used once a day in the morning. Children aged 10 and over use the same 10 mg dose. Children aged 4 to 9 should only use bisacodyl suppositories (at a lower 5 mg strength) under a doctor’s guidance, and children under 4 should not use them at all.
Don’t use Dulcolax suppositories every day for more than five days in a row. Bisacodyl works by triggering contractions across the entire colon and drawing fluid into the intestine. Using it longer than five days can lead to your body depending on it for normal bowel movements, and it may cause electrolyte imbalances over time.
Tips for a More Comfortable Experience
- Use the morning. The colon is naturally more active after waking, so a morning dose tends to work faster and more predictably.
- Stay near a bathroom. The urge can come on quickly and strongly. Don’t insert a suppository right before leaving the house.
- Try a glove or finger cot. If you’re uncomfortable with direct contact, a latex or nitrile glove makes the process feel cleaner. Just make sure to still wet the suppository tip.
- Don’t cut suppositories in half unless your doctor has specifically told you to. The medication isn’t evenly distributed throughout the wax base, so halving one may give you an unreliable dose.
- Expect some mild cramping. The suppository works by stimulating the muscles in your colon to contract. Brief cramping or a sense of urgency is a sign it’s doing its job, not a sign something is wrong.