Sodium Phosphate
Sodium Phosphate is a rectal enema used to relieve occasional constipation, usually producing a bowel movement within 1 to 5 minutes.
🧬 Where this information comes from Click to expand
The clinical label records used on this page are FDA-filed Structured Product Labeling (SPL) retrieved through openFDA. We identified 2 clinical label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, strengths, and NDC product-record counts are built separately from matching FDA National Drug Code Directory records. The linked DailyMed document is a representative official source for verification, not the page’s only clinical source. View the linked label on DailyMed →
📖 Sodium Phosphate: Patient Information Guide
A plain-language walkthrough of Sodium Phosphate — what it treats, how it works, how it’s taken, side effects, warnings and interactions. Tap any section to expand it.
🎯What it's used for▾
Sodium Phosphate enema is used to relieve occasional constipation in adults and children 2 years and older.
- Occasional constipation in adults and children 12 and older (standard enema)
- Occasional constipation in children ages 2 to under 12 (pediatric enema formula only)
💊How it's taken▾
Sodium Phosphate is given as a rectal enema — one bottle used once per day. Never use more than one enema in any 24-hour period. Children under 2 must not use this product; children ages 2–11 should only use the pediatric version.
- Remove the protective shield from the tip before inserting
- Use while lying on your left side with knees bent, or in the knee-chest position
- Gently insert the tip and squeeze the bottle until nearly empty — you don't need to empty it completely
- Stay in position until you feel a strong urge to go, usually within 1 to 5 minutes
- If no urge occurs after 5 minutes, try to empty your bowel anyway
- Call a doctor right away if no liquid comes out of the rectum within 30 minutes
🤒Side effects — in detail▾
Most people tolerate this enema well, but watch for these:
- Rectal discomfort or pressure during insertion
- Strong, sudden urge to have a bowel movement
- Thirstiness, dizziness, or nausea
- Vomiting
- Urinating less than usual
The last four on that list — especially together — can signal dehydration, which is a serious concern. Stop use and call a doctor if these develop. Rectal bleeding after use also requires immediate medical attention.
⚠️Warnings & precautions▾
- One enema per day maximum — using more in 24 hours can cause serious harm, including dangerous changes in your body's fluid and salt balance.
- Do not use for more than 3 consecutive days without doctor guidance.
- Do not force the enema tip — this can injure the rectum, especially if you have hemorrhoids.
- If no liquid returns from the rectum within 30 minutes, call a doctor promptly — dehydration is a real risk.
- If you already use another sodium phosphate product, do not add this one.
- People 55 and older, or those with kidney or heart conditions, face greater risk — always check with a doctor first.
🔀What it interacts with▾
This enema can affect how other medications work, so timing matters:
- All other medications — take them at least 2 hours before or after using this enema, since laxatives can change how drugs are absorbed
- Other sodium phosphate products — do not use together; combining them raises the risk of serious side effects
This is not a complete list of interactions. Always talk with your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
📋Before taking it▾
- Children under 2 years old — do NOT use; this product is not safe for them
- Children 2 to under 12 — use only the pediatric enema formula, not the adult version
- Adults 55 and older — higher risk of complications; ask a doctor before use
- Kidney disease — ask a doctor first; kidneys handle phosphate, so risk is elevated
- Heart problems — ask a doctor first
- Dehydration — using this product while already dehydrated is dangerous; check with a doctor
- Sodium-restricted diet — this product contains sodium; ask a doctor before use
- Abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting — these may signal a more serious problem; check with a doctor first
- Bowel habit changes lasting more than 2 weeks — see a doctor before using a laxative
- Pregnant or breastfeeding — ask a health professional before use
- Using laxatives already for more than 3 days — ask a doctor before continuing
🚑If you take too much▾
If this product is swallowed rather than used rectally, get medical help or contact Poison Control immediately at 1-800-222-1222. Using more than the directed amount rectally can also cause serious harm — including dehydration and dangerous shifts in your body's fluid and electrolyte balance.
📄 Written from Sodium Phosphate’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Every point is grounded in that labeling — nothing is invented. How we use AI →
Supplements & herbs that interact with Sodium Phosphate
18 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Sodium Phosphate in the licensed clinical database we use. Most are manageable — but your pharmacist should know about everything you take, including vitamins and herbals.
- Major · 1
- Moderate · 8
- Minor · 9
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — see our data sources & update cadence. Not medical advice: an interaction being documented does not mean it will happen to you; do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
Nutrient depletion considerations
Sodium Phosphate has been associated with lower levels of 2 nutrients in the clinical literature. This does not mean a deficiency will occur — it means these may be worth discussing with your pharmacist or healthcare provider, especially with long-term use.
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — not medical advice. Do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
🩺 Pharmacist Counseling Corner
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Sodium Phosphate — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
How quickly will this enema work? ▾
Can I use two enemas if one doesn't seem to work? ▾
I have kidney disease. Is it safe for me to use this? ▾
I take a few other medications. Should I time this enema around them? ▾
What warning signs should make me stop and call a doctor? ▾
Is this safe to use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding? ▾
Is Sodium Phosphate available over the counter? ▾
When was Sodium Phosphate first available? ▾
Who makes Sodium Phosphate? ▾
💬 Answers drafted from Sodium Phosphate’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Grounded in that labeling — nothing is made up. How we use AI →
🧰 Keep exploring
💊 How Sodium Phosphate comes
Sodium Phosphate is available in 2 forms. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.
📊 Sodium Phosphate across the U.S. market
How Sodium Phosphate appears in the FDA’s National Drug Code Directory — including its dosage forms, strengths, brand names, manufacturers, and FDA-listed product records. These are directory records, not sales or prescription volume.
FDA-listed product records by dose form (tablet variants merged) — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
Also listed with the FDA, not a patient dose form: Granule (5) · Powder (5) · Crystal (1) — bulk drug substance sold to compounders/manufacturers and multi-item kits. These aren’t counted in the dose-form total above.
Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
🔍 Compare Sodium Phosphate products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Sodium Phosphate — across manufacturers, strengths, and dosage forms, grouped by form with each product’s manufacturer and how the FDA approved it. The same medicine may be made and packaged by different companies, so a single drug can have many directory entries. (It’s also why a refill can look different — a new shape, color, or box — even though it contains the same medication.)
| Strength | Route | Manufacturer / Labeler | Category ⓘ | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💊Sublingual tablet | ||||
| 6 [hp_X] | Sublingual | Seroyal USA | UNAPPROVED HOMEOPATHIC | View NDC → |
| 💊Tablet | ||||
| 6 [hp_X] | Oral | Hyland's | UNAPPROVED HOMEOPATHIC | View NDC → |
| 6 [hp_X] | Oral | Hyland's Inc. | UNAPPROVED HOMEOPATHIC | View NDC → |
| 💊Bulk drug substance | ||||
| 1 kg/kg | — | Avantor Performance Materials, LLC × 2 listings | BULK INGREDIENT | View NDC → |
| 1 kg/kg | — | Jost Chemical Co | BULK INGREDIENT | View NDC → |
| 1 kg/kg | — | Jost Chemical Co. × 4 listings | BULK INGREDIENT | View NDC → |
| 1 kg/kg | — | Jost Chemical Poland Sp Z O O | BULK INGREDIENT | View NDC → |
| 60 kg/60 kg | — | Sionc Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd × 2 listings | BULK INGREDIENT | View NDC → |
| 1 g/g | — | Spectrum Laboratory Products, Inc. | BULK INGREDIENT | View NDC → |
Showing 14 of 14 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 14 Sodium Phosphate NDCs →
📈 What people report — real-world data (FDA FAERS)
After a medicine reaches the market, patients, doctors and drugmakers can send the FDA reports of problems they think may be linked to it. Here’s what’s been reported for Sodium Phosphate — a signal of what to watch for, not proof the drug caused it.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). These are voluntary reports — they don’t prove the drug caused the effect, and counts reflect how often something was reported, not how often it actually happens. Reports also often name the very problem the medicine is taken for — a common reason to file one is that the drug didn’t help — so for a pain reliever you may see “pain” high on the list; that points to why the report was filed, not to the drug causing the symptom. This counts every report that lists Sodium Phosphate in any role, so the total runs higher than the FDA’s official dashboard, which counts only cases where the drug is the suspect. For the authoritative figures, see the FDA FAERS Public Dashboard. Always talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
🏛️ The road to your pharmacy
How Sodium Phosphate went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
🚨 Recall history
A recall is when a specific batch of a medicine is pulled from the market — usually a manufacturing issue, not a problem with the drug itself. Class I is most serious, Class III least.
Source: openFDA drug enforcement (recall) reports.
RxNorm Concept Web — From Ingredient to Every Form and Strength
This page starts with one ingredient concept (IN). The branches below show its dose-form concepts (SCDF), then the available clinical drug and strength concepts (SCD). Combination products remain separate concepts with their own pages.
RxCUI 36709 1 dose form · 1 strength
-
Dose form (SCDF) Oral Tablet RxCUI 375635In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) 1500 MGRxCUI 603011
Look up RxCUI 36709 in the RxCUI Atlas →
RxNorm is the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s normalized drug vocabulary. Its concept hierarchy can include forms that are not currently marketed; the status on each branch compares that concept with current FDA listings. RxCUIs identify vocabulary concepts, not individual packages or manufacturers.
📦 Supply & shortage status
Whether Sodium Phosphate is in short supply in the U.S. right now, plus any shortage history the FDA has on record. A shortage usually reflects a manufacturing or demand issue — not a safety problem with the drug.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Drug Shortages database.
🏷️ Sold under these brand names
🏭 Manufacturers & labelers
RxNorm drug class
Sodium Phosphate belongs to the Osmotically acting laxatives class.
Classified by RxNorm RxClass — the U.S. National Library of Medicine's standardized drug-classification service (Established Pharmacologic Class from the FDA, the ATC drug family from the WHO, and mechanism of action). Reference only, not medical advice.
🔬 Where this comes from
Core label, product, RxNorm, safety, and utilization data on this page come from the sources identified below. AI-written, editorial, and licensed sections are labeled separately.
How we combine label and product data
HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records; we don’t author the underlying clinical facts. We identified 2 FDA-filed SPL label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. The representative label is the starting point for the displayed reference monograph; the 12 largest stored in-scope SPL records, which may include that representative, are compared section by section, and the longest available version of each section is retained. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, product-listed strengths, and product-record counts are aggregated separately from ingredient-matched FDA NDC Directory records; package records listed above are associated with the linked SPL; and the normalized concept hierarchy comes from NLM RxNorm.
For canonical ingredient pages, bounded product-attributed indication and administration excerpts may be added to the AI evidence, and the generator is instructed to preserve available product, brand, route, and form qualifiers instead of treating one label as universal. Where a section is identified as AI-written, its plain-language text is generated from bounded label evidence. New draft drug pages remain in the admin review queue before first publication. Seroyal USA is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates; it is not the sole source used for the page.
This is general education, not medical advice — always consult your doctor or pharmacist about your medications and any medical condition. For the exact wording of the linked representative label, view that label on DailyMed; some displayed composite sections may come from other in-scope SPL labels. Learn how we use AI and our data sources & update cadence.