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Relistor User Reviews & Ratings

Relistor has an average rating of 6.4 out of 10 from a total of 60 reviews on Drugs.com. 60% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 33% reported a negative experience.

Reviews for Relistor

  • Gio
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • August 17, 2018

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "I have the most hardest time going to the restroom after taking norco / I would stay in restroom for hours pushing and pushing to the point blood would come out . I was super constipated I went to my doctor she gave me 150 mg 3x in morning 30 min before meal . Within 20 min I got horrible stomach cramps 1 hour after waiting I was able to poop like a normal person and a lot came out ! The stool was solid and didn’t have to strain and after I use restroom the cramps are gone ! It’s weird after taking meds I could feel everything being broken down and everything move down to my rectum sorry of that is TMI just wanted to share honest option ."

9 / 10
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  • fathe...
  • February 5, 2019

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "My father has terminal acute myeloid leukemia and his life is very much winding down. He's ingesting high doses of opioids on a daily basis which has caused him severe constipation. We didn't keep track exactly, but at one point he must've gone 3 weeks without a bowel movement and had the god-awful experience of vomiting feces due to a blocked bowel. Enemas did not work, nor did Colase, senna, milk of magnesia, miralax, etc. After being prescribed relistor, he injected himself with the shot for the first time a few nights ago. No exaggeration, it was maybe twenty minutes, no more than a half an hour after he took the shot that everything that had backed up inside him over the past several weeks let loose and came out. And I mean, everything. My mother and I were dumbfounded and could not believe that this drug worked so quickly, softening hard stool to mush and helping it out of him. It is a miracle product for cancer patients suffering from severe constipation due to opioid use."

10 / 10
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84 Report
  • Thomas
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • July 20, 2019

For Constipation, Drug Induced "I was given Relistor in an ER environment. I had been on strong meds for a back issue for a few weeks but hadn’t taken any in 8 days. Based on the severity of my pain, I believed I had a bowel blockage. ER did not rule that out and gave me a Relistor injection. Within an hour, I was in even worse pain, and began to vomit every 5-10 minutes. In less than 24 hours I was back in the ER with a sigmoid colon perforation and very nearly died. This is not a drug that should be prescribed for acute or emergent issues and medical professionals must be educated on potential side effects. It has been two months and I am still dealing with complications from near total systems failures during the perforation. I may never fully recover from this."

1 / 10
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59 Report

Frequently asked questions

  • SMano
  • September 18, 2019

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "Relistor worked one time and one time only, but I did find something that works and could help a lot of other people. I take two full caps of Miralax into a full glass of water with one teaspoon of Metamucil and take a couple of Senna pills I do this process every other day and 90% of the time the next morning I go. It also helps eating Raisin Bran and fruit when you can. The Miralax and Metamucil I get at Walmart equate brand and CVS has a senate s CVS brand pills 180 for $23 which is the best deal. I bet that will solve the majority of people out there trying to figure this out I've been on opioids for 15 years and always had trouble even having a bowel movement when I was a kid so try this process good luck"

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  • James
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • July 7, 2018

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "I took my dose of relistor at 3pm by 11:15pm I started with the clean out. I thought it was done by about 1am but found out different and then got worried because by 9 am I was still on full clean out, the only thing no one said is that this takes 12 to 24 hrs to get out of your system."

10 / 10
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50 Report

Are you taking this medicine?

  • michael...
  • November 18, 2014

For Constipation, Drug Induced "Prior to this product I was in a constant stage of constipation. I can recall a few times that I was so dry that it felt like I had a bad case of hemorrhoids blocking the exit. I literally believed that until I tried using Prep H on it and determined that was not a hemorrhoid. A life changer, the first time I used it I had bad stomach cramps for about 20 minutes. I raced to the bathroom and literally clogged up our system I had such a huge Bowell movement. MY first few uses were free samples from my pain management doctor. My prescription insurance company refused to fill my prescriptions but luckily the manufacturer sales rep coordinated an appeal for me. It changed my life, I lost 40 pounds the first 3 months I started taking them"

10 / 10
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71 Report
  • DivaV...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • December 24, 2013

For Constipation, Drug Induced "I've been on high dose pain medicines since 2001 and knew I had constipation as a side effect, but it wasn't until I was able to lose a large amount of weight that I realized just how backed up and bloated I was. I heard of this medication online and asked my pain management Dr for it. He had no issues giving it to me. It took me a couple weeks to get the nerve to try it because of the side effects I've read, but I've not had any. This medication has been a Godsend! It was recommended to use a laxative prior to help clean things out some, which decreases cramping from your body trying so hard to defecate. I now look forward to my injection every other day! I only need to go every other day because it works so well."

10 / 10
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72 Report
  • MRSDJ...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 28, 2013

For Constipation, Drug Induced "Follow up to my previous review 4/12 I recently began taking the 8 mg. injections and have used 1 every other day for the past 10 days. The pain, nausea and distension had destroyed my quality of life. I was unable to eat more than a few bites of food at a time. I have had FANTASTIC results with this medicine. It works within 10 minutes or less following injection,causes almost NO side effects except a slight cramping sometimes so effective I can feel the movement starting right away. I am continuing to use this every other day, to me this is truly a miracle."

10 / 10
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75 Report
  • Scott
  • May 21, 2020

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "I've been on opiates for 20 years and have struggled with constipation. It seems to be getting worse all the time. I drink Milk of Magnesia throughout the day in an effort to produce a bowel movement. I've tried Movatnik and Linzess, Dulcolax, Miralax, Senna and Colace with no luck. Last night I went to the ER because I hadn't pooped in 5 days and I was in pain. They gave me Relistor and within 20 minutes I exploded, but it was just brown water and no poop. I had about 5 bowel movements, about every five minutes, but none produced any poop, just water. I also experienced cold sweats and severe cramping and back pain, which passed quickly. I was home in two hours after the injection and I didn't have any more bowel movements, so my problem wasn't solved. I'm still constipated and I'm afraid I might be obstructed or impacted. So I guess I'll be headed back to the ER when I can peel myself away from my heating pad and comfy bed. This is miserable!"

3 / 10
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32 Report
  • Silve...
  • April 9, 2015

For Constipation, Drug Induced "Current Pain Meds: Fentanyl 50mcg x 72 hrs & Percocet 10/325 x 4hrs PRN. Condition: DDD L4-L5 S1 & Muscle Damage of Lft. Shoulder. Past Overcounter Meds: Polyethylene Glycol, Lactulose, & Amitiza. Relistor Experience: Started 2 days ago and was able to have bowel motion within 30 min with mild cramping & no other side effects. Conclusion: Excellent relief from OIC...5 star!!"

10 / 10
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60 Report
  • Kimbo...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • August 24, 2020

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "I just started yesterday, and literally 30 minutes after taking Relistor, I had a complete normal BM. I was so excited, I even called my mom to share the good news. I have suffered with severe constipation for years, taking opioids 10+ years. I will write again to let you know if it continues to work. I also feel like this may help me loose a bit of weight. I never eat, but never poop, so my weight stays same, because I never had BM’s. I am excited about my first results. Reading reviews, it seems like the Tablets work much better than injections."

10 / 10
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  • Niern...
  • March 8, 2016

For Constipation, Drug Induced "I have been on opioids for 29 years now. About 10 years ago, my doses were so high and the constant pushing because of impact ion unless I was taking 10 laxatives at night to wake up with unbearable cramps to have diarrhea, then taking more laxatives throughout day cured the fecal impaction....but I ended up with a external prolapsed bowel that would come out even going tinkle. The doctors had never seen one completely outside, which I would have to manually push back in every time. Surgery was 10 nights in the hospital on one of those automatic beds that move position so you don't get bed sores. 1000+ stitches and staples and now Relistor....doesnt always work, but when it does....OMG! It feels like heaven...Yeah!!!!"

6 / 10
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47 Report
  • poppy...
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • October 4, 2018

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "I have been on sustained release morphine for several years for chronic pain from MS and Fibromyalgia. I also have a neurogenic bowel and bladder from MS. I have to do a lot to make sure my bowels stay regular. Relistor definitely makes things easier. I can usually have a bowel movement with 1 shot although not always. The down side is sometimes it works too well and I have diarrhea for a few hours. The injections themselves are easy and relatively painless."

8 / 10
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35 Report
  • verdeva
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 19, 2016

For Constipation, Drug Induced "Opioids since 2000, Chronic Pain from Post-Polio Syndrome. I've been fighting this big problem since 2001 & I've tried everything. For the last two years I used "irrigation", a slow and messy solution. Recently I tried Movantik, but found it to be significantly harsher on the GI tract. As soon as I got over the "Yikes! I'm about to stick a needle in my stomach!", everything went swimmingly. Yes, moderate gas cramping, but far gentler than what I'd suffered in the past. It was incredibly fast in my case. First "urge" in under 15 minutes and major evac in just a few minutes. I figured I was done for the day 1, so I headed back to bed. Fifteen minutes later my 2nd evac was twice as big as the first. 5 Stars"

10 / 10
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  • JB50
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • April 2, 2017

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "This medication is a lifesaver, for me. It works very well, with no side effects at all, for me. It was very expensive $1800.99 before insurance and the assistance card from the drug maker. If you have OIC like I do, try Relistor."

10 / 10
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  • tubaguy
  • April 9, 2017

For Constipation, Drug Induced "I take Dilaudid because I am living with Multiple Sclerosis and have severe muscle spasms. Unfortunately, the Dilaudid has started making me constipated - so my doctor prescribed me Relistor Injections - 12mg (the higher dose - it depends on your weight). I took this medication for the first time this morning because I had not had a bowel movement in five days. I did the injection (beware, it burns when injecting!) and went on with my day. Within ten minutes (I'm not kidding) I had to use the restroom. Success! That's the good part. After my successful bowel movement came terrible abdominal pain. I mean, it wasn't like, "I have to go to the ER" terrible, but it was significant enough that I am mentioning it. Overall, a good drug."

8 / 10
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  • Ewilldo
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • October 3, 2015

For Constipation, Drug Induced "I have been on opiates for chronic back pain and DJD for more than 15 years. I have always had bowel issues, even before being on pain meds. So adding more meds made it nearly impossible to evacuate completely. For years I have been taking 6 or so prescription and otc laxative meds per day with very poor results. A year ago, I was so backed up that I was vomiting repeatedly. Long story short, after the ER doc checked for obstructions, he gave me a shot of Relistor and sent me home. 15 minutes later, when I got home I had to rush to the bathroom. First complete 'normal' evacuation in years. Too bad my pc won't prescribe it for me to take when needed."

10 / 10
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  • Pokeyj
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • August 9, 2012

For Constipation, Drug Induced "I am 64 yrs old I've suffered from constipation my entire life and have been on opiates for many years due to colo-rectal cancer treatments/surgeries. I've been using Relistor for 2 weeks and I have a bowel movement within 5 minutes. For me, I have 3-4 more within the following couple of hours. It has been a miracle for me. Life changing."

10 / 10
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51 Report
  • happywi
  • December 26, 2010

For Constipation, Drug Induced "I help my 83 yo mother-in-law with her medical care. She has been on opiates for over 25 years due to broken hips after a fall. After several trips to the hospital a couple years ago for fecal dis-impaction, I began a desperate search for something that could help. This medicine had just come out about 8 months earlier. I only wish someone had told me about it sooner. It has been a life-saver for her. Within about 15 minutes of her first shot, she had a huge bowel movement. She's been taking it every other day for almost 2 years, and in that time, has had less than a handful of times when it didn't work. This has truly been a blessing for us."

10 / 10
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56 Report
  • Wound...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • September 19, 2012

For Constipation, Drug Induced "It WORKS! But and there is a but, the side effects can be pretty intense. Mostly the abdominal cramps and slight headache. It did not work with my 1st doss but did my 2nd approx 2 hrs after injection. For me it's definitely worth it because for 1st time in months I went #2 all by myself (meaning no enemas no suppository!). Amazing, I do stress that if you do use it make sure you have time to rest and wait. The cramps will stop, you'll have a lot of gas and then you'll go potty like a normal person. "

7 / 10
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49 Report
  • SodaM...
  • February 18, 2011

For Constipation, Drug Induced "I just used Relistor for the first time. I have chronic abdominal pain that provides the wonderful need for strong narcotics. They are terrible on my system and possibly from the constipation or maybe a result of the many many surgeries I have been through I have very painful bowel movements. Its like I can feel the stool winding through my bowels and it feels like sharp rocks! After the injection I had almost instant cramps and only a moderate amount of gas. I felt the "winding rocks" moving with a vengeance. That's why I'm not giving this a 10 because of the cramps (which could possibly be issues with my system). Like another reviewer said..I had a massive movement 30mins later. NICE!"

9 / 10
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  • mom2k...
  • September 18, 2015

For Constipation, Drug Induced "I have used relistor 3 times. Overall I think it's working. But I wanted to note here that as most of us have been using alternatives, including strong stimulant laxatives, for this issue prior to trying relistor, and have become dependent on them. So although I've had success with this medication,I thought it worth mentioning that I will need to work on becoming free of laxative use for best results. For those of you that are experiencing this, I highly recommend doing some online reading about laxative dependency and using some of those techniques along with relistor. Good luck!"

8 / 10
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38 Report
  • Anonymous
  • July 8, 2015

For Constipation, Chronic "Nothing yet, not helping, on 3rd day i took 3 shots, but still, not worked...i am on my 8th shot today...going back to docs in morning...i hurt, i feel tight, bloated...it feels it could rupture at any time...god, the constipation feels like death."i am so full, i dont feel i can eat or drink"

1 / 10
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  • Pucksau
  • February 21, 2013

For Constipation, Drug Induced "I started the Relistor injections about 3 weeks ago. I was to inject 8 mg but was given the 12 mg syringe on the doctor's order. Very difficult to discard the extra mg because the syringe is not clearly marked. I now have the 8 mg syringes which I should have gotten to start with. I take the Relistor every other day and it works in 5 minutes. I set aside 2 hours to deal with the results. 5 to 6 bowel movements, including some diarrhea. I go from bed to bathroom and back again until done. My main problem is the nausea that accompanies the process. I did experience vomiting after the first injection but now it only nausea. I take Zofran a half-hour before the injection for nausea and it helps but doesn't completely take care of it. Even with the unpleasant side effects, I am glad to have this medicine to treat the slow GI movement I have due to scleroderma, diabetes and the opiates I take for chronic back pain."

9 / 10
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  • works...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • March 20, 2018

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "After injection within 5-15 minutes it will produce a movement and will clean you out completely. It can be taken anytime you want to take it. Very little side effects will make you a little warm for about 1/2 hour then passes. Works great for me but can be pricey without insurance."

10 / 10
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28 Report

Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or to remove inappropriate language and content. Reviews that appear to be created by parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any particular medication. While these reviews may be helpful, they are not a substitute for the expertise, knowledge, and judgement of healthcare professionals.