A recommendation for liquid Sucrate G can lead to a confusing shelf: standard Sucrate, Sucrate S, tablets and powders. Choose the formula first, then the form. All five are Japanese Class 2 OTC medicines for ages 15 and over. G is not simply the standard formula in liquid form.
I'm Irene, a Taiwan-born pharmacist licensed in Japan and working in a Japanese drugstore. This guide separates the similar names so you can match the right package without assuming one set of directions fits the whole brand.
- First, check whether self-treatment is appropriate
- Start with three options: G, standard and S
- Five-product comparison: standard tablets and granules differ too
- Standard Sucrate: additional checks for scopolia extract
- Directions: “between meals” does not mean during a meal
- When to stop: the adverse-effect lists differ
- Sources
First, check whether self-treatment is appropriate
Do not use any of the five if you receive dialysis. None is for long-term continuous use. Consult a doctor, pharmacist or registered medicine seller first if you have kidney disease or are receiving medical treatment. Do not use under age 15.
Sudden or severe abdominal pain, vomiting blood or coffee-ground-like material, bloody stools, or black sticky stools need immediate medical care. Do not assume unexplained pain is simply excess stomach acid or delay assessment while choosing a medicine.
Start with three options: G, standard and S
- Want a liquid you can squeeze out and take without water? Consider G. Its labelled uses include stomach pain and heartburn. Convenience does not establish greater strength.
- Looking for standard Sucrate? Check that the name has no S. Lion highlights stomach pain especially when the stomach is empty as a shopping scenario, but meal timing cannot diagnose the cause. Standard products contain scopolia extract and have additional precautions.
- Mainly concerned about post-meal heaviness or indigestion? Compare S. It contains seven stomach-support herbal ingredients and digestive enzymes. S does not mean a stronger version or a children’s formula.
The uses overlap. These pointers narrow the comparison; they are not a diagnostic test. Check the exact product’s precautions, your other medicines and its directions. Do not stack different Sucrate products.
Five-product comparison: standard tablets and granules differ too
| Japanese shelf name | Form | Formula distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Sucrate G／スクラートG | Liquid sachet | Sucralfate, antacids, magnolia bark and atractylodes extracts; no scopolia extract |
| Standard tablets／スクラート胃腸薬（錠剤） | Tablets | Scopolia extract, sodium azulene sulfonate and L-glutamine, plus digestive enzymes |
| Standard granules／スクラート胃腸薬（顆粒） | Granule sachets | Also contains scopolia extract, sodium azulene sulfonate and L-glutamine; lacks the tablets’ digestive enzymes and uses a different antacid formula |
| S tablets／スクラート胃腸薬S（錠剤） | Tablets | Seven stomach-support herbal ingredients and digestive enzymes; no scopolia extract |
| S powder／スクラート胃腸薬S（散剤） | Powder sachets | Same active ingredients and total daily amounts as S tablets; no scopolia extract |
All five provide 1,500 mg of sucralfate hydrate at the labelled adult daily dose, but their other ingredients differ. That shared amount does not establish equal effectiveness. For standard Sucrate, choosing tablets or granules involves more than swallowing preference.
Standard Sucrate: additional checks for scopolia extract
While taking standard tablets or granules, do not take gastrointestinal pain-relieving antispasmodics. If breastfeeding, either do not use these two products or avoid breastfeeding while using them. Ingredients can pass into breast milk and increase an infant’s heart rate; milk production may also be reduced. If you wish to continue breastfeeding, ask for a suitable medicine rather than stopping feeds on your own to use this product.
For standard products, also seek advice first if pregnant or possibly pregnant, older, previously allergic to medicines or other substances, having difficulty urinating, or diagnosed with heart disease or glaucoma. The shared kidney-disease and current-treatment precautions still apply. Both S products also require consultation for older people and those with a history of such allergies. G and S do not share the same scopolia-related restrictions, but that is not blanket permission to self-select them during pregnancy, breastfeeding or alongside other medicines.
Directions: “between meals” does not mean during a meal
The directions below are for ages 15 and over, three times daily. “Between meals” means about two to three hours after a meal, when the stomach is largely empty. The timing options are not extra doses to add at every listed time.
| Product | Per dose | Labelled timing |
|---|---|---|
| G | 1 sachet | Before meals, or between meals / at bedtime |
| Standard tablets | 3 tablets | Between meals / at bedtime, or after meals |
| Standard granules | 1 sachet | Between meals and at bedtime; after-meal use is not listed |
| S tablets | 3 tablets | Between meals / at bedtime, or after meals |
| S powder | 1 sachet | Between meals / at bedtime, or after meals |
Squeeze out G’s contents and take without water. Take the other four with water or lukewarm water. Follow the exact dose for the product rather than carrying over directions from a different box.
When to stop: the adverse-effect lists differ
For all five, stop and consult a doctor, pharmacist or registered medicine seller with the leaflet if there is no improvement after about two weeks. Do not wait if symptoms worsen or warning signs appear. With standard or S products, stop immediately and seek advice for a rash, redness or itching after use.
| Product | Stop and seek advice if these persist or worsen |
|---|---|
| G | Constipation, dry mouth, nausea |
| Standard tablets | Dry mouth, constipation |
| Standard granules | Dry mouth, nausea, constipation, diarrhoea |
| S tablets and S powder | Constipation |
Store away from direct sunlight and heat, out of children’s reach. Do not transfer to another container or use expired products. Keep tablet bottles tightly closed and tablets, powder and granules away from moisture. Retain the box and leaflet to make future product matching easier.
My order is: check suitability first, choose G, standard or S, then choose the form. Missing the S or treating standard granules as identical to the tablets can mean following the wrong directions and precautions.
Sources
- Lion: current Sucrate range
- Lion: choosing standard Sucrate or S
- Lion: G Japanese leaflet
- Lion: standard granules Japanese leaflet
- Lion: standard tablets Japanese leaflet
- Lion: S powder Japanese leaflet
- Lion: S tablets Japanese leaflet
- NHS: abdominal pain and urgent warning signs
Checked 13 October 2026. Follow the package and latest leaflet supplied with your purchase.
