Preparation H Suppositories Review: The Phenylephrine Suppository, Box by Box

What it is. The Preparation H Hemorrhoid Suppositories, 12 count, pack of 2 is two boxes of twelve foil-wrapped rectal suppositories. The Drug Facts panel lists two active ingredients: cocoa butter, labeled as a protectant, and phenylephrine HCl, labeled as a vasoconstrictor. The uses on the panel are temporary relief of the itching, burning and discomfort of hemorrhoids, temporary shrinking of hemorrhoidal tissue, and temporary protection of the irritated anorectal surface. The cocoa butter is the body of the suppository; it melts at body temperature and coats. The phenylephrine is what distinguishes this from the protectant-only suppositories on the shelf.

What the label directs. Adults: when practical, cleanse the affected area with mild soap and warm water and rinse thoroughly; gently dry by patting or blotting with toilet tissue or a soft cloth; detach one suppository from the strip, remove the foil wrapper, and insert one suppository into the rectum up to 4 times daily, especially at night, in the morning, and after each bowel movement. Children under 12: ask a doctor. The label says do not exceed the recommended daily dosage unless directed by a doctor. For the practical part, positioning and what to do if it slips back out, see how to use a rectal suppository.

What the label says to watch. Because of the phenylephrine, ask a doctor before use if you have heart disease, high blood pressure, thyroid disease, diabetes, or difficulty in urination due to enlargement of the prostate gland. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before use if you are presently taking a prescription drug for high blood pressure or depression. Stop use and ask a doctor if bleeding occurs, or if the condition worsens or does not improve within 7 days. If pregnant or breast-feeding, ask a health professional before use. Keep out of reach of children; if swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away. Owners consistently report one practical thing the label does not: the cocoa butter base softens in a warm bathroom, and the foil strip is easier to open when the suppository is firm. Our guide on how to store suppositories covers it. For the field around this product, see the best hemorrhoid suppositories.

Same suppository, bigger box. The Preparation H Suppositories, 48 count carries the same Drug Facts panel as the pack of 2: cocoa butter and phenylephrine HCl, the same uses, the same up-to-4-times-daily direction for adults, the same under-12 ask-a-doctor line, and the same 7 day stop line. At $35.92 (verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026) the cost per suppository is about 75 cents ($35.92 divided by 48), which is the same figure as the pack of 2 to the cent.

Everything else is identical to the pick, including the phenylephrine ask-a-doctor list and the cocoa butter base that softens in heat. The 48 count carton takes more cabinet space and, because it is one box rather than two sealed boxes, the second half sits open longer.

What it is for. The Preparation H Hemorrhoid Ointment, 1 oz is the external product in the same line. The listing title states its purpose as itching, burning and discomfort relief; the actives and their percentages are printed on the tube's Drug Facts panel, not on the listing, so we do not state them here. At $6.98 (verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026) it is the least expensive way to add an external product to the suppository above. Cost per use is not computable for an ointment.

The ointment carries the same shelf-wide stop line: stop use and ask a doctor if bleeding occurs, if the condition worsens, or if it does not improve within 7 days. The brand also sells a cream with lidocaine at $26.58 for people whose main complaint is pain rather than itch; lidocaine products carry their own external-use-only warnings, covered at the best lidocaine hemorrhoid creams.

Why a wipe is on a suppository review. The Drug Facts directions for the suppository begin with cleansing the affected area with mild soap and warm water when practical and drying by patting. The Preparation H Hemorrhoid Wipes with Witch Hazel, 48 count are the pre-moistened version of that step. Witch hazel is the astringent this class of wipe is labeled with; the wipe is for external use and is labeled up to 6 times daily or after each bowel movement, with children under 12 sent to a doctor. At $6.34 (verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026) they are about 13 cents each ($6.34 divided by 48).

Owners consistently report the tub seal dries out if left open, and that the wipes are labeled flushable in the 96 count but the 48 count listing does not say so; check the package before flushing.

Why it is here. Anusol Suppositories, 12 per pack is the other pharmacy-name hemorrhoidal suppository, and the benchmark most readers want compared. At $12.90 (verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026) it is about $1.08 per suppository ($12.90 divided by 12), against about 75 cents for the Preparation H pack of 2. The listing title states the count and nothing about actives. Anusol has sold protectant-only suppository formulas, and the formula on a given box depends on the market it was packaged for, so we do not name the actives here; the Drug Facts panel on the box you receive is the source, and every hemorrhoidal panel carries the same stop line: bleeding, worsening, or no improvement within 7 days means stop and ask a doctor.

Why it is here. Calmol 4 Hemorrhoidal Suppositories, 24 count is the clearest alternative to Preparation H for one reason: the Drug Facts panel lists cocoa butter and zinc oxide, both protectants, and no vasoconstrictor. That removes the heart disease, high blood pressure, thyroid, diabetes, and prostate ask-a-doctor list from the decision. The label directs adults to insert one suppository up to 6 times daily or after each bowel movement, with children under 12 sent to a doctor, and carries the same 7 day stop line. At $24.12 (verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026) it is about $1.01 each ($24.12 divided by 24), a quarter more than Preparation H's 75 cents.