While most consumers find the taste of macrogol itself to be very mild and unobjectionable, the electrolytes contained in formulations for purging and cleansing give the solution an extremely salty and bitter taste.Polyethylene glycol-electrolyte solution is a prescription product sold under various brand names including Colyte, Gavilyte, Golytely, Nulytely, Moviprep, and Trilyte. Research
PEGylation
When attached to various biopharmaceutical medications (which are proteins), macrogol results in a slowed clearance of the carried protein from the blood. This makes for a longer-acting medicinal effect and reduces toxicity, and it allows for longer dosing intervals. It also reduces the proteins immunogenicity. Examples for PEGylated proteins include peginterferon alfa-2a and -2b, which are used to treat hepatitis C, pegfilgrastim, which is used to treat neutropenia, and pegloticase for the treatment of gout. Nerves and spinal cords
There is evidence demonstrating PEG-induced repair of specific nerve cells in animal models:

It has been shown that macrogol can improve healing of spinal injuries in dogs. One of the earlier findings is that macrogol can aid in nerve repair in earthworms. The subcutaneous injection of macrogol 2000 in guinea pigs after spinal cord injury leads to rapid recovery through molecular repair of nerve membranes. The effectiveness of this treatment to prevent paraplegia in humans after an accident is not known yet. Macrogol is being used in the repair of motor neurons damaged in crush or laceration incidents in vivo and in vitro. When coupled with melatonin, 75% of damaged sciatic nerves were rendered viable.
Limited data also support its use for the treatment of fecal impaction.In those with chronic constipation it works better than lactulose.A 2007 comparison showed that people with constipation had a better response to macrogol than to tegaserod. Popular types include: macrogol 3350, macrogol 4000, and macrogol 6000. The number represents the average molecular mass. Combining different molecular masses provides some control over the consistency. Excipient
Macrogol is used as an excipient in pharmaceutical products. Lower-molecular-weight variants are used as solvents in oral liquids and soft capsules, whereas solid variants are used as ointment bases, tablet binders, film coatings, and lubricants.For example, PEG-2000 is one of the excipients in the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. PEGylation
Macrogols are also attached to biopharmaceutical drugs to slow down their degradation in the human body and increase their duration of action, as well as to reduce immunogenicity. This process is called PEGylation. Contraindications
Contraindications for macrogol taken orally as a laxative are intestinal perforation, bowel obstruction, ileus, inflammatory bowel diseases, and toxic megacolon.The doses of macrogol as an excipient are too low to have relevant contraindications.Allergy to macrogol is rare, and usually appears as an allergy to an increasing number of seemingly unrelated products, including cosmetics, drugs that use it as an excipient, and peri-procedural substances such as ultrasound gel. Adverse effects
Oral macrogol is generally well tolerated. Possible side effects include headache, bloating, nausea, allergies, and electrolyte imbalance, mainly hypokalaemia (low blood potassium levels) and hyperkalaemia (high blood potassium levels).