Eluxadoline and Cramps: What Users Say

• Ann...
• February 10, 2016

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea "I have been struggling with stomach issues for several years now and have gone through lots of blood work, 2 colonoscopies, stool samples, different diets, you name it! Turns out I have IBS-D and also battle anxiety on a daily basis which makes it worse. My symptoms include cramping, urgency, severe diarrhea (upwards to 10x a day), and sometimes rectal bleeding. I'm often late for work because I'm stuck in the bathroom or afraid to leave the house. I started taking 100mg twice a day of Viberzi and it's been absolutely amazing. I am currently 15 days diarrhea free, with very minimal cramping. Hoping it stays this way.. forever! I tried Xifaxan back in November and that did nothing for me. It's an expensive medicine, but it's worth it for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 7, 2016

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea "I have struggled with stomach issues my entire life. I started Viberzi 3 weeks ago, and it has been great. I do have some side effects, though. Constipation and gas lead to some abdominal cramps, but nothing like before. I experience muscle soreness/achiness in the back of my neck and arms about 30 minutes after I take each dose, but it only lasts a short while. Nothing that is really bothersome. Viberzi has given me a life I never had. I can leave my house and travel without any nervousness over being sick, and I also have been able to be more productive at work. I am so excited to have found something to help me live a normal life."

• Opi...
• September 9, 2016

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea "I was prescribed this medication after years of IBS-D. I was in the restroom all the time, sometimes 22 times a day. All my tests-colonoscopy, MRI, CAT, ultrasound-all clear. I was excited there was something that might actually give me my life back. Day 1, I didn't see a difference, just bad cramps. Day 2, about a 25% difference in bathroom trips but still cramps. Day 3, cramps and pain in the right side off and on. Day 4, severe pain in the right side and vomiting. Stopped taking immediately and contacted the doctor. Medication caused severe spasms in my gallbladder. It's now been 7 days, still in extreme pain and waiting for a referral for an ultrasound to see if I need my gallbladder removed. What I thought would give me my life back made everything worse."

• Opi...
• September 9, 2016

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea "I was prescribed this medication after years of IBS-D. I was in the restroom all the time, sometimes 22 times a day. All my tests-colonoscopy, MRI, CAT, ultrasound-all clear. I was excited there was something that might actually give me my life back. Day 1, I didn't see a difference, just bad cramps. Day 2, about a 25% difference in bathroom trips but still cramps. Day 3, cramps and pain in the right side off and on. Day 4, severe pain in the right side and vomiting. Stopped taking immediately and contacted the doctor. Medication caused severe spasms in my gallbladder. It's now been 7 days, still in extreme pain and waiting for a referral for an ultrasound to see if I need my gallbladder removed. What I thought would give me my life back made everything worse."

• GA ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 6, 2017

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea "Was constipated most of the 2 weeks I was on it. One night, all of the sudden I had horrible cramping under my rib cage and a pain that went all the way up my spine. The pain was so horrendous I was crawling on the floor, crying in pain, screaming in a pillow as to not wake my children. I would scream at times and nothing would come out. I had tears and mucus coming down my face. I literally thought I was in hell. I have NEVER experienced pain like this in my life. I have birthed 2 children and lived with Ulcerative Colitis/IBD for 15 years. I know what pain is. I wound up going to the ER and reporting this to my GI doctor. So much for this 'miracle pill.' I was so hoping this was going to work."

• Vib...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 18, 2016

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea "From day one of taking Viberzi, I felt a difference. No more stomach pains or cramps or needing to run to the bathroom every time I ate, this medicine truly is perfect. I've noticed that other people have had issues with it, and I see a few have mentioned that they don't have a gallbladder and it works fine for them. I do not have a gallbladder, and it has been the most helpful medicine I've been on yet, so maybe it has something to do with not having a gallbladder? Anyway, this medicine does work for me, and hopefully anyone reading this that has wanted to try it will take the good comments into consideration and try it out! You never know unless you try! Just read the directions and DO NOT drink alcohol like it says!!"

• sta...
• January 29, 2017

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea "This has definitely been a miracle drug for me. I'm finally regular. I take one 100 mg tablet before bed because it makes me sleepy. Occasionally, I'll take one if my stomach starts cramping up. It makes you feel heavy sometimes. I used to take sleeping medicine because I couldn't sleep from the pain. Two birds, one stone. The best thing my doctor has recommended. Ask for a free sample, it's worth a try."

• Lef...
• October 10, 2019

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea "The Viberzi stopped my IBS diarrhea immediately. However, it sent me into immediate severe constipation. As soon as I started taking it, I started having constant heart fluttering, cramping near my right armpit, and having daily skipped heartbeats. As soon as I went off of it, all the fluttering, cramping, skipped heartbeats, and constipation stopped."

• The...
• October 11, 2016

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea "I'm giving this medicine a 9 out of 10. And if it wasn't for the severe stomach pain, I would give it a 10. For the past seven years, I have experienced IBS-D. In the past 5 years, it has gotten so bad where I choose to stay home rather than face the consequences that come with traveling outside of my home. I have had my gallbladder checked, a colonoscopy, an UGI (scope), biopsies, ultrasound, CAT scan, and numerous blood work tests for parasites, not to mention all of the embarrassing stool samples given throughout the years. It's safe to say it's been a dark road with no light at the end. This medicine makes it a little better and manageable. Hoping the cramps will stop."

• GIm...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 30, 2016

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea "As of today, I can safely say that Viberzi has totally stopped working. I'm going back on two weeks of Xifaxan generic (rifaximin) 550 mg three times a day. It has not been easy with Viberzi, as others on here have said... I had incredibly painful cramps at first. The gastro said it'd be OK to experiment with dosage. I eventually got to a good place of 100 mg in the morning and 50 mg at night. It mostly worked for two months, but now it's done. So I'm sad. I hope the rifaximin will work now that I have been off of it for several months."

• Nad...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 15, 2018

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea "Having tried almost everything in the past year with no success, I was not excited about trying another medication. I prefer holistic methods. However, when I take Viberzi, it is highly effective. It stops the worst part — the cramps — and also solidifies my bowel movements. I only take half or a quarter of the 100 mg as needed. I tend to need it less and less except when I’m having my monthly cycle — there is a connection there with my IBS-D. At that time, I need half a pill a day."

• ALT...
• September 30, 2016

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea "Female over 30 here. I have had IBS-D for about 3 years since I had my gallbladder removed. I've only been taking Viberzi for a couple of days so far, and while I started getting abdominal cramps day two, they're not awful and something I hope will not get worse, but I'm having maybe 2 BM's a day and not running to the toilet every time food touches my lips. It's such a relief to not have bathroom issues every time I eat anything. I'm praying this keeps working and the cramps go away with time."

• Src...
• November 10, 2016

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea "Today is day 20 of me taking 75 mg twice a day. It worked really well up until today. I'm not sure if I have a stomach bug or if my symptoms are back. I fortunately did not experience any of the awful symptoms other people have had. No abdominal pain or cramping. Only one normal BM a day now, and there were only two days I didn't go and was a little constipated, but resolved the next day. My doctor only prescribed this for 21 days. This is the first IBS medicine I have used. I hope I am just having an off day and this medicine is still working!"

• Spa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 30, 2017

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea "Worked great for the first 3-4 months, then nothing. Went right back to the same misery I have dealt with for 20 years. Doctor even increased dosage, even though people without a gallbladder are not supposed to take the higher dosage. The higher dosage actually made things worse for me, and the cramps last even longer than they normally do, which is pretty bad, so since it was no longer working, I stopped taking it. It did seem like a miracle drug at first, but unfortunately I'm one of the people that it no longer works for after three or four months."

• Ali...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 13, 2016

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea "I have adhesions from a gallbladder surgery and diarrhea and lower abdominal cramping as a result. My doctor prescribed Viberzi to help control these two symptoms. Within one hour after taking my first 75 mg dose, I had developed pancreatitis and was hospitalized for two days. Do not take this medication - especially if you do not have a gallbladder! If you experience abdominal pain while on this medication, go to the hospital! Shame on you, Viberzi. Your product is trash."

• Jka...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 7, 2018

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea "Started Viberzi a week or so ago. Got painfully gassy and constipated. So went down to one 100 mg tablet daily. Felt kind of better but was still having IBS symptoms. Started the second dose yesterday. Tonight I got so sick: painful cramps, diarrhea, light vomiting, terribly painful all around. It lasted hours. I almost went to the hospital, which isn’t like me at all. Needless to say, I won’t be taking another dose. Trying an interstim device on my sacrum next. I’ve got to get my life back. I hope others have a much better experience, but for me, I’d rather live on Imodium and try other less perilous solutions."

• GBD...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 2, 2018

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea "I started taking Viberzi because almost every weekend, and anytime stress hit, so did the IBS-D. I have had it basically most of my life to some degree (college was the worst!). Anyway, I finally tried it 8 months ago and hadn’t had any issues, it was great! But then, a month ago, I had one episode of diarrhea and cramping. I had hoped it was attributed to some food problem. But this weekend I am having a rather painful episode, not much diarrhea, so far lasting two days. I am under extreme stress, but I think this whole month will be an issue for me. I wondered if anyone else has had recurrences. I work in a GI clinic, so I get free samples because insurance will not cover it."

• Gab...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 28, 2018

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea "Been on Viberzi for over a year. At first, it was truly great. But about a month ago, its efficacy decreased, and the cramps and going 6-10 times daily returned. I am WAY disappointed. Glad it works for others though."