Linzess and Diarrhea: What Users Say (Page 5)

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 12, 2015

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I had an umbilical hernia and severe constipation, where I felt my bowels grind to a halt. At first, my family doctor and gastroenterologist recommended Miralax, but I had to increase the dosage to 14 tablespoons a day to deal with the pain. Linzess does not cause diarrhea for me because I take it as soon as I get up and do not eat until lunch. Bowel movements are normal, and the pain is gone. The pain used to feel like my intestines were being torn apart. I thank God every day for Linzess."

• cou...
• December 2, 2013

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I am currently having horrible cramps and constant diarrhea. I cannot even bend over to pick something up without having to run to the bathroom. I am very sore at the other end, and my bowel movements are like water."

• Cor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 19, 2016

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation "If you're taking samples currently, please read this. I have to love and hate this medicine. Pros: It does what it says it does. It makes you go! It doesn't give you full-on diarrhea if you take it every few days. Just soft stools, which is a great thing! Cons: You cannot take this medication every day, no matter what the doctor tells you. Maybe it's my body or something, but I can promise you, your body will soon reject the medication if taken every day for more than 5 days. If continued in such a fashion, you will bloat, cramp, and become MORE constipated than before. It will plug you up FOR REAL. It's not strong enough to make you go a lot the next day if you need it. Take a weak laxative with it. Still, the best IBS/Constipation meds I've found."

• Ron...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 21, 2013

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation "I'm 65, have suffered from Irritable Bowel Syndrome-Constipation my entire adult life. Have taken 145 mcg dose of Linzess off and on since the middle of August 2013. The longest stretch I have taken it for is 12 days. I was also taking Align, but discontinued it during the 12-day Linzess experiment so I could evaluate the Linzess objectively, and got horrible trapped gas and splenic flexure syndrome for my troubles. I resumed the Align, which has been a blessing, and now do Linzess every second or third day. The Linzess is a very effective laxative, although it will give you at least one or two bouts of diarrhea every time. But without the Align, it seems to aggravate the abdominal pain and bloating, NOT alleviate it. Align is more effective for gut pain."

• Kp1...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 19, 2016

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I've battled constipation for the past 16 years. I've tried every remedy you can think of and have gone through every OTC product recommended. Probiotics and yogurt have been no help either. I finally found relief with Linzess. I currently take the lower dose along with an OTC stool softener per my doctor's instructions. Linzess works best on an empty stomach, but watch out. You'll want to stay near a restroom for the first 2 hours after taking it, as diarrhea is an obvious side effect. Accidents are a possibility if you're not mindful of the medication. I've been told that the diarrhea subsides after a while of taking Linzess, but only time will tell."

• TV3...
• August 23, 2016

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "Before I took this medication, I read many reviews from others so that I could make sure that I wanted to take it, as some of the reviews made me think twice about taking it. Based on the review of someone on here, I decided to take mine with 20 oz of water, and while I had a little bit of bloating for about an hour or so, other than diarrhea about 2 hours later for 15 mins, I was fine. The bloating I did find uncomfortable for that time, but once I went to the bathroom, I was fine. I have only been on it a week, but I have learned when to take it, how long it takes to kick in, and for the side effects to fade. So far, so good, just a helpful tip is to make sure you are drinking enough water too. I drink about a liter within an hour of taking."

• rab...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 12, 2015

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation "IBS-C my entire adult life (44-yr-old female). I have done it all - tried everything natural and prescribed. I cut out dairy, gluten, red meat... was drinking prune juice, using Fleet supps almost daily, NEVER having a decent or 'normal' BM. My GI doc gave me samples of Linzess yesterday; I took it this morning, and exactly one hour later: WHA-LA. A 'perfect' BM!!! NO cramps. NO diarrhea. If you have trouble going, please try this. I am absolutely thrilled! Not sure what my insurance will cover, but I don't even care - this is my miracle pill, and it is going to make a huge difference in my life."

• BRN...
• August 13, 2016

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation "I have had IBS most of my life with feelings of fatigue from constipation and cramping. Tried not eating certain foods, no gluten, no dairy, but never seemed to overcome this issue. Tried every bottle for sale to help with this and seemed to make issues worse and only a temporary solution. I got a script for Linzess 145 and decided to try it out in the evening after dinner to see what would happen. I finally had a normal BM. Decided to then take it as directed in the morning on an empty stomach, it also works but will give you the squirts. Will try the evening again and morning as my schedules allow. The main thing is I'm moving my food through now and no cramping, etc. Love it so far."

• Bye...
• June 12, 2016

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I have diagnosed chronic constipation. My doctor tried to refer me to Miralax, which I did try, but it did nothing for me. I asked him for a sample of Linzess, and I thought I might happy cry because of how well it worked. Within the first two weeks, you will most likely have some diarrhea, as your body is getting used to the medicine. I'm about a month in on my prescription, and the diarrhea DID stop. But trust me, it's better than constipation every day. Every body is different, but try to follow the directions to a T for the first month before you switch it up. I take mine 30-1 hours before I eat after I wake up in the morning and have a completely normal BM a few hours later. If I wait to eat any longer than one hour, it doesn't work at all."

• lar...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 3, 2018

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "My chronic constipation comes on every 2 months, and then I was using suppositories and then fleets, and sometimes that didn't even work. I am 72, but I keep myself in pretty good shape and about a few pounds over, but not much. I started taking Linzess about six months ago by Dr. prescription, and from the beginning, it started working like clockwork, but I don't take it every day. I learned to pause, like maybe twice a week, and it works like a charm. I believe the secret is to take it first thing in the morning with two glasses of water and wait for a half hour, and then maybe coffee with one toast, and it's beautiful how it works during the whole day, at times some diarrhea, but not that bad."

• Bea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 8, 2022

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation "I tried to give it a chance, but it made me sicker each of the 16 days I took it for my chronic constipation/IBS. Within a half hour of taking it, I developed a headache and nausea. Following days had the same along with diarrhea and sharp belly pains. I'll stick to my natural remedies and healthier foods."

• Tal...
• September 8, 2019

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation "I have IBS, and my doctor prescribed this as a miracle drug. Do not use this medication. I ended up in the ER. Diarrhea, blood pouring out, and because of the drug, developed colitis. It’s been four months since I stopped and still having abdominal pain and going for a colonoscopy. Before I began the Linzess, I had a routine colonoscopy, and everything was fine. Now I have gone through test after test, and the same doctor is ordering these tests. It was the Linzess, and I pray the colonoscopy doesn’t show any inflammation, which was the case after taking Linzess. I haven’t felt like myself since my hospital stay."

• Ara...
• April 2, 2016

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I took a 145 mcg dose yesterday morning at 8 a.m. on an empty stomach and ate 1 hour later. I still haven't gone to the bathroom, nothing at all but stomach gurgles. I just had a CT scan on Wednesday and X-ray showing I was completely backed up. I tried an enema at home Thursday and Miralax and probiotics and that didn't help either. I am on opioid medication and have been experiencing chronic constipation for years now. My husband, however, experiences temporary constipation and took the same medication yesterday morning, and within hours he had diarrhea and his stomach has been hurting all day. I was worried about starting this after reading all the bad reviews, especially about weight gain. I can see it works differently for everyone. I will try again."

• Bam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 25, 2017

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I took the 145 mcg for chronic constipation. It worked okay for a week, then I didn't have a bowel movement for a couple of days, then diarrhea one day and regular movement the next. I got a lot of gas and flatulence. Within a month, it stopped working, so I contacted my doctor. He said to take 2 capsules equal to 290 mcgs. I got diarrhea for 2 days, then no bowel movement, then some normal movement. More gas pains and flatulence. Very disappointed with the medication. Doesn't really work as advertised. I will tell my doctor about it when I see him for my follow-up. This medication sucks."

• Lin...
• July 8, 2016

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I have had chronic constipation for as long as I can remember. I have tried every remedy, over-the-counter medication, tea, prune juice, and all worked but not ideal. When I saw the advertisements for Linzess, I thought, finally, something that will help me. I was prescribed this drug and have nothing but severe diarrhea for a month and a half. I have tried taking it at different times of day and night. Setting my alarm to get up and take it before I go to work, hoping I can make it out of the house. I have taken it before bed, but woke up to an accident. I can't seem to get past the diarrhea. I am happy that the drug works, but cannot with the unpredictable diarrhea. I'll contact my doctor for a smaller dose, but may need to stop."

• Cra...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 9, 2018

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "Miracle drug for me! I’d suffered from lifelong constipation without any hope of a cure. Finally, my doctor prescribed Linzess after determining that I had a redundant colon. Talk about amazing results! I didn’t even know what diarrhea was after a lifetime of pain and suffering, passing petrified rocks through my sphincter. When others refer to “blowout” results, this brought tears to my eyes! No more pain. No more bloating. No more heartburn. Nothing but pure joy! After a few weeks, my doctor lowered my dosage to 145 mcg, so I could walk the streets and go to work without fear. The most important thing is to take it daily and drink water, otherwise, blockages will return and then you may have pain or bloating again with the good fighting with the bad to get to the finish line. Otherwise, I didn’t know it was even possible to have a bowel movement daily (I’d averaged once a week), let alone multiple times without bleeding or blowing an O ring in the process. Amen for Linzess!"

• Gei...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 21, 2017

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation "I started this a week ago because I was having incredibly intense cramps and nausea every time I needed to poop. I experienced massive diarrhea about an hour after I took it. I have other digestive issues, including gastroparesis, GERD, and kidney problems, so I'm used to these issues. So, I continued to take it and deal with the fallout diarrhea. Yesterday, I had the best day I've had in months. When I took the Linzess, I didn't have the diarrhea and, in fact, had a normal day! I think this stuff might be effective if you can get past the initial diarrhea part and let it work for a week or so. I'm a little nervous about reports that it stops working after a month, but I'm going to see what happens."

• Hei...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 22, 2017

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I'm a 25-year-old female who has had BMs every 7-9 days since I was 10, with no real answers. I had tried everything, nothing worked. I did not feel the sensation of 'needing to go' despite the pain and discomfort in my abdomen and could only have a BM if I removed it myself with manual disimpaction. This was, of course, disgusting and very inconvenient. It eventually became normal for me, and I had almost given up on ever finding treatment. I started taking Linzess 290 mcg nearly two weeks ago. Nothing happened for six days, and then I had a small, well-formed BM. I never had any explosive diarrhea that many others experience with this medication. My BMs are now every 1-2 days, small, and still sometimes have to be removed manually."

• Ter...
• March 2, 2016

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I was prescribed Linzess for chronic constipation, which I have been dealing with for years. I was prescribed 145 mg. The first day I took one, it worked great. I continued taking them every day as prescribed, but they weren't working. I read that there is a larger mg, so when I hadn't gone to the bathroom for a week, I took 2. BIG MISTAKE!! It started with horrible stomach pains, which continued for 13 hours without being able to have a bowel movement. I was also vomiting. I had horrible heartburn too. I finally was able to go without warning all over the place. I had severe diarrhea for 5 hours. I mean severe!! It's been 2 days, and I still don't feel well. I will go back to taking 1 and see what happens."

• Jaw...
• August 22, 2019

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "Day 3 and still nothing. Have not experienced the diarrhea mentioned or warned about from the doctor. Although no one likes diarrhea, I would love to have it right about now. My stomach rumbles, and I can feel the gas moving around, but no BM. Will stick with it to see if things will change. However, may need to throw in the towel and get the doctor to give me something else for this severe constipation."

• Bin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 4, 2020

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation "I’ve been on this medication since November at 145 mcg, and I either have mostly watery diarrhea to where I have to run to the bathroom, and then there are days where I’m just constipated. I have rarely had any normal bowel movements since starting the medication. Not sure if I need to up it or lower the dose."

• Mos...
• April 19, 2016

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I was born with Hirschsprung's disease and have fought constipation all my life, and as I've gotten older, it's getting so much worse. I took Zelnorm when it was on the market, and it was a dream come true. Unfortunately, it was pulled for possible side effects. Duh ... what meds don't? I've used Linzess three times now. Yes, it cleans me out, but I have horrible stomach cramps and severe diarrhea. But as others have said, it's far better than being constipated for days on end. I so wish someone would/could bring Zelnorm back. Best solution there was. Will only use Linzess on occasion."

• Ang...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 28, 2015

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation "I did not have any diarrhea when I started it, and I have been using it for 6 months. I have noticed a big difference in the last 3 months in that my stools are much smaller and softer. The biggest difference for me is pain reduction. My episodes of crippling abdominal pain have all but stopped. That has changed my life!"

• Jef...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 23, 2015

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation "Severe diarrhea started in one hour with about 5 ounces of discharge every 2 minutes. Was not able to consume water fast enough to prevent dehydration. Diarrhea slowed after a couple of hours. Most diarrhea was over after 6 hours."

• Tom...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 15, 2019

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I have fairly regular constipation and was on Linzess a few years back, and it worked very well. Had to go back on it again today (145 mcg), and within 3 1/2 hours it did its magic. It works great for me, although it gives me diarrhea, I can live with that. Beats trying to pass jagged rocks!"