*Welcome to the OutUK series looking at gay men and their health brought to you in association with the NHS* website.**
	Each week we'll tackle a different topic in our A to Z of Gay Health. We'll have features and advice on everything from relationships, sexual health, mental and physical conditions and how to stay fit. You can follow any of links provided below for more information direct from the NHS website, or see this week's feature L: Laxatives.

Side Effects Of Lactulose

NHS medicines information on side effects of lactulose and what you can do to cope.

Like all medicines, lactulose may cause side effects in some people, but many people have no side effects or only minor ones.

Common side effects

A very common side effect of lactulose, particularly at high doses, is diarrhoea. This happens in more than 1 in 10 people.

These other common side effects happen in more than 1 in 100 people. There are things you can do to help cope with them:

These side effects are mild and usually go away after a couple of days. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if the advice on how to cope does not help and side effects bother you or do not go away.

Serious side effects

It happens rarely (less than 1 in 100 people), but some people have serious side effects when taking lactulose.

Call a doctor or call 111 straight away if you have severe diarrhoea or vomiting for more than a couple of days and you get:

muscle cramps or weakness
an irregular heartbeat

This could be a sign of an electrolyte imbalance, where levels of substances like sodium, potassium and magnesium in your body get too high or too low.

Serious allergic reaction

In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to lactulose.

Other side effects

These are not all the side effects of lactulose. For a full list see the leaflet inside your medicines packet.

OutUK's A to Z of Gay Health continues and you can read this week's feature L: Laxatives. We have covered many subjects in this series and you can catch up with all of our Previous A to Z Features. If you want to find out more about this particular topic you can visit the Original article on the NHS website. If you are worried by any aspect of your health make sure you go and see your doctor or book an appointment at your local clinic.
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