Over-the-counter medicine
Methylcellulose
Methylcellulose is an over-the-counter medicine. No generic is listed; pharmacies paid $0.0135 per gram (Fiber therapy powder) in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- No generic listed
- Over the counter
Check it at the source: the methylcellulose FDA label on DailyMed (effective March 18, 2026); every methylcellulose label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of March 18, 2026; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usagerelieves occasional constipation (irregularity) generally produces a bowel movement in 12-72 hours
Forms and strengths
- 500 mg
- 2 g/19g
- 2 g/10.2g
Tablet; powder for solution.
On the market
- Generic approvals
- No generic approved
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 16 of which 0 under generic applications, 0 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $0.0135 per gram Fiber therapy powder
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- No recall recorded
- FAERS reports
- 2,145 through July 30, 2026
What is methylcellulose used for?
From the label: indications and usagerelieves occasional constipation (irregularity) generally produces a bowel movement in 12-72 hours
Conditions named in the indications of methylcellulose's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
From other methylcellulose labelsConstipation: Uses relieves occasional constipation (irregularity) generally produces a bowel movement in 12-72 hours
Source: FDA drug label (CITRUCEL), Haleon US Holdings LLC, effective March 18, 2026 (SPL set 9d5f2244-a610-4d45-b6e8-e79bb17a558f), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for methylcellulose?
No generic methylcellulose is approved (Drugs@FDA, October 8, 2026).
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for methylcellulose?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.0135 per gram (Fiber therapy powder), about the same as a year earlier. The chart's scale runs from the lowest to the highest price shown, not from zero. NADAC is what retail pharmacies paid their wholesalers, per unit, in CMS's monthly survey; what a patient pays depends on insurance and the pharmacy.
- Fiber therapy powder (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiber therapy powder | Generic | $0.0135 per gram | n/a | -0.4% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
What do FAERS reports show for methylcellulose?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 2,145 reports that list methylcellulose among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 122 are coded as a death and 559 as a hospital stay. Counts follow how widely a medicine is used and watched, and they are not a measure of how risky it is.
Reports received each year
The most reported reactions
Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA, reports through July 30, 2026
What else is labeled for the same conditions as methylcellulose?
15 other medicines are given the same way (oral) and in the same FDA class as methylcellulose or labeled mainly for the same use (constipation), the same class first. Constipation lists all 20 medicines labeled for it, by any route. The first 8 are below. They are listed as records, not as substitutes: whether one can replace another is a prescriber's decision.
| Medicine | Shared indication | Generic labelers (oral) | Pharmacy cost | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Docusate | Constipation | none listed | $0.0276 per unit 100 mg softgel | No current entry |
| Sennosides | Constipation | none listed | $0.0258 per tablet 8.6 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Polyethylene glycol 3350 | Constipation | 73 labelers | $0.0286 per gram 3350 powd | No current entry |
| Bisacodyl | Constipation | none listed | $0.0441 per tablet 5 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Magnesium hydroxide | Constipation | none listed | $0.0095 per mL Milk of magnesia suspension | No current entry |
| Magnesium citrate | Constipation | none listed | $0.0066 per mL Magnesium citrate solution | No current entry |
| Lubiprostone | Constipation | 10 labelers | $0.651 per capsule 24 mcg capsule | No current entry |
| Prucalopride | Constipation | 18 labelers | $0.639 per tablet 1 mg tablet | No current entry |
Every medicine labeled for the same conditions as methylcellulose
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
How does methylcellulose compare with medicines for the same use?
2 side-by-side pages set methylcellulose beside a medicine whose label shares a use: approvals, generics, pharmacy cost, warnings and supply.
What next?
- Alternatives to methylcellulose
- 15 medicines for the same use
- Methylcellulose side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other