Reported Reactions

Drugs › Osmotic laxative

Brand name · Sodium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, and potassium chloride

Sutab: adverse event reports filed with FDA

1,513 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2021–2026. Class: Osmotic laxative.

1,513
reports as suspect product
0% of all reports · about 284 a year
151
reports, 12 months to June 2026
262 in the 12 months before
12%
marked serious by the reporter
54.5% across the class
0.1%
record death among outcomes, as reported
1 reports · not verified by FDA

1,513 adverse event reports received by FDA list the brand name Sutab (sodium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, and potassium chloride) as a suspect or interacting product, from March 2021 to June 2026. A further 69 reports list it only as a concomitant medication, and those are not counted in the figures on this page.

In the 12 months to June 2026, 151 reports listed it, down 42% from 262 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Over its reporting history that is about 284 reports a year and 0% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database, and 1.2% of the reports for the osmotic laxative class. How many people take it is not in the data, so a count is not a rate of occurrence.

The MedDRA terms listed most often are vomiting (53.9%), nausea (27.8%) and drug ineffective (9.1%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 169 different terms appear across these reports. Vomiting is recorded in 53.9% of these reports, a larger share than in the median osmotic laxative drug (3.8%).

12% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter (54.5% across the class); 0.1% record death among the outcomes and 2% record hospitalisation, as reported. 94.4% of the reports came from consumers, and the largest patient age group is 45 to 64 (25.4%). FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event."

Reports by month, five years

0115230Jul 2021: 7Aug 2021: 3Sep 2021: 95Oct 2021: 4Nov 2021: 4Dec 2021: 762022Jan 2022: 4Feb 2022: 5Mar 2022: 87Apr 2022: 10May 2022: 4Jun 2022: 97Jul 2022: 3Aug 2022: 98Sep 2022: 7Oct 2022: 2Nov 2022: 6Dec 2022: 1002023Jan 2023: 1Feb 2023: 6Mar 2023: 106Apr 2023: 2May 2023: 5Jun 2023: 102Jul 2023: 3Aug 2023: 3Sep 2023: 81Oct 2023: 5Nov 2023: 5Dec 2023: 852024Jan 2024: 2Feb 2024: 1Mar 2024: 3Apr 2024: 2May 2024: 4Jun 2024: 2Jul 2024: 2Aug 2024: 2Sep 2024: 6Oct 2024: 5Nov 2024: 2Dec 2024: 22025Jan 2025: 230Feb 2025: 2Mar 2025: 2Apr 2025: 2May 2025: 4Jun 2025: 3Jul 2025: 0Aug 2025: 2Sep 2025: 4Oct 2025: 1Nov 2025: 3Dec 2025: 1352026Jan 2026: 0Feb 2026: 0Mar 2026: 3Apr 2026: 0May 2026: 2Jun 2026: 1

Reports by the month FDA received them. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases.

By year received

02124232021: 25920212022: 42320222023: 40420232024: 3320242025: 38820252026: 62026

2026 covers reports received through June 2026 only.

Reactions recorded in the reports

share of Sutab reports recording the termmedian drug in osmotic laxative

  1. Vomitingbeing sick53.9%815
  2. Nauseafeeling sick27.8%420
  3. Drug ineffectivethe medicine did not work as expected9.1%138
  4. Abdominal distensiona bloated abdomen6.2%94
  5. Headachehead pain5.9%90
  6. Abdominal pain upperupper stomach pain5.8%87
  7. Wrong technique in product usage processthe product was used in the wrong way4.2%63
  8. Abdominal painstomach or belly pain4%60
  9. Pruritusitching3.9%59
  10. Tremorshaking3.9%59
  11. Chillschills or shivering3.7%56
  12. Dizzinesslight-headedness or unsteadiness3.7%56
  13. Malaisegeneral feeling of being unwell3.6%54
  14. Hypersensitivityan allergic-type reaction3.2%49
  15. Urticariahives3%45
  16. Retching2.9%44
  17. Astheniaweakness or lack of energy2.8%43
  18. Diarrhoealoose or frequent stools2.8%42
  19. Abdominal discomfortstomach discomfort2.6%40
  20. Dehydrationdehydration2.4%37
  21. Feeling abnormalfeeling odd or not right2.4%36
  22. Vomiting projectile2.2%33
  23. Hyperhidrosisexcessive sweating1.9%29
  24. Feeling coldfeeling cold1.9%28
  25. Painpain, site not specified1.8%27
  26. Rashskin rash1.8%27
  27. Dyspnoeashortness of breath1.7%26
  28. Erythemaskin redness1.7%26
  29. Flatulencewind1.7%25
  30. Feeling hotfeeling hot1.5%22

Top 30 of 169 MedDRA preferred terms recorded across these reports, with a plain-language gloss where one is available. One report can record several terms. The hollow bar is the median share across the 17 drugs in the osmotic laxative class; it describes the reports, not the patients. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."

Outcomes recorded

Death0.1%1
Life-threatening0.7%11
Hospitalisation (initial or prolonged)2%31
Disability0.7%10
Congenital anomaly0%0
Other serious9.4%142
Not serious88%1,331

Outcome flags as the reporter set them; a report can carry several, and "other serious" is FDA's own category for serious reports outside the named outcomes. Grey bar: all 129,514 reports in the class. FDA has not verified any outcome and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."

Patients and reporters

Patient age

Under 20%0
2 to 110%0
12 to 170%0
18 to 445.4%81
45 to 6425.4%384
65 to 7421.1%319
75 and over9.1%137
Age not given39.1%592

Patient sex

Female70.5%1,066
Male26.2%397
Not given3.3%50

Who reported

Physician2.6%39
Pharmacist0.6%9
Other health professional2%31
Lawyer0%0
Consumer or non-health professional94.4%1,429
Not given0.3%5

Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 100% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.

Reason for use recorded

Indication as recorded (MedDRA)ReportsShare
Colonoscopy1,27384.1%
Bowel preparation261.7%
Endoscopy30.2%
Constipation20.1%
Diagnostic procedure20.1%
Endoscopy upper gastrointestinal tract20.1%

The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 1,513 reports.

Drugs most often listed in the same reports

Drug (any role in the report)ReportsShare of Sutab reports
Atorvastatin704.6%
Metformin654.3%
Aspirin634.2%
Vitamin d624.1%
Levothyroxine523.4%
Amlodipine493.2%
Omeprazole473.1%
Metoprolol402.6%
Lisinopril392.6%
Losartan382.5%

Other products listed in reports where Sutab is a suspect product, whatever their own role. Co-listing means the two were recorded together; it says nothing about either product's part in the event. Only the 2,500 most-reported names are counted here.

In context

MeasureSutabOsmotic laxativeAll reports
Reports as suspect product1,513129,51420,646,523
Share of that pool—1.2%0%
Reports, latest 12 months151—1,332,454
Marked serious12%54.5%57.4%
Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports115291
Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports20286213
Consumer-filed share94.4%61%45.8%
Top term, share of reportsVomiting 53.9%median 3.8%2.2%

Shares are of reports, not of patients treated. The number of people taking a product is not in the data, so none of these figures is a rate, and differences between columns reflect who takes a product, who reports and how long it has been sold. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."

Other drugs in the osmotic laxative class

DrugName typeReportsLatest 12 monthsMarked serious
MiraLAXbrand38,1881,7217.2%
Extranealbrand30,83073383.6%
Sodium chloridegeneric11,0441,38992.5%
Delflexbrand8,76567653.8%
Potassium chloridegeneric8,17251886.4%
DIANEAL PD-2 with Dextrosebrand7,17816188.6%
Polyethylene glycol 3350generic5,75072617.8%
Lactulosegeneric4,13335387.1%
SUPREP Bowel Prepbrand3,664359.1%
Sodium bicarbonategeneric3,34230892.1%
Dulcolaxbrand2,89313763.8%
Bssbrand1,0474189.6%
DIANEAL Low Calcium with Dextrosebrand9702697.4%
Polyethylene glycolgeneric7605885.5%
Sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloridegeneric67529100%

Ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic." A brand and its generic are separate rows because reporters name them separately.

Questions about Sutab reports

How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Sutab?

1,513 reports list Sutab as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 151 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 69 list it only as a concomitant medication.

What reactions are recorded in Sutab reports?

vomiting (53.9%), nausea (27.8%), drug ineffective (9.1%), abdominal distension (6.2%) and headache (5.9%). These are MedDRA preferred terms coded from what the reporter described; a report can list several, and a term's presence is not a finding that Sutab was responsible.

How serious are the reports?

12% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 0.1% of reports include death and 2% include hospitalisation. FDA has not verified these outcomes and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence" of the events.

Who files these reports?

consumer or non-health professional (94.4%), physician (2.6%) and other health professional (2%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.

Are reports for Sutab rising?

151 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, down 42% from 262 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Counts also move with how many people take a product, its time on the market and publicity.

Do these reports show that Sutab was responsible for these reactions?

No. FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event." The reaction may relate to the condition being treated, to other medicines, or to something else.

Is this a list of the side effects of Sutab?

No. It is a count of what was reported to FDA. The adverse reactions observed in clinical studies are printed on the FDA-approved label, which a pharmacist or clinician can go through with you.

How do I report an adverse event?

Consumers and health professionals can report to FDA through MedWatch (Form FDA 3500 online, or 1-800-FDA-1088), or to the manufacturer, which must pass reports on. See the guide on how to report.

Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. Drug names are as reported, resolved to the brand or generic name on the FDA label where openFDA's harmonisation matched them; classes are the pharmacologic class (EPC) from the label and the National Drug Code Directory of 17 Sep 2026. A report counts here when it lists Sutab as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (69) are excluded. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.

Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.