Linzess and Stomach Pain: What Users Say

• Nel...
• September 20, 2014

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation "Before starting Linzess at age 21 (~1 yr ago), I was going to the bathroom about once every 3 weeks. Eventually, laxatives were necessary, but still, I was going maybe 3 times a month. I was experiencing severe stomach pains that left me in bed for hours at a time daily. Eventually, I ended up in the ER. Within 24 hours of starting Linzess, I went to the bathroom. Yes, the first few days it was diarrhea. Within the first week, I was having regular bowel movements and have been having about 1/day since then. MY STOMACH PAIN HAS DISAPPEARED (that's huge!!!!) Gas? Yes, all the time. Diarrhea? Only if I take it too late in the day. Increased hunger? Yes, obviously, because my stomach is empty. Worth it? 5 billion percent."

• Fre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 17, 2019

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I first went to the doctor for constipation at the age of thirteen. I would have a bowel movement only a few times a month. It was a struggle to pass a bowel movement. The laxatives I took would hurt my stomach. Last year, I had surgery to repair a hole in my colon. After surgery, I stopped having bowel movements, and the laxatives wouldn't help anymore. I started taking Linzess this year at forty-nine years of age. Where have you been all of my life? Finally, after using Linzess, it is working, I'm regular, no straining, and no stomach pain. I feel great."

• Mee...
• June 11, 2017

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I have suffered from chronic constipation for well over 10 years. I have just started using Linzess for 2 weeks, and I had my first bowel movement without an enema or without milk of magnesia or Senna the second day of using it. In 10 years, even though most of it has been diarrhea, I would rather have diarrhea than to not use the bathroom for up to 10 days, get deathly ill, and have to go to the ER. Linzess so far has been wonderful. I feel much better. The nausea and stomach pain have reduced dramatically! I am thinking if I take Linzess every other day instead of every day, it will not be diarrhea but will be a regular stool, so we will see how that goes. Two thumbs up to this medication."

• Sad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 21, 2016

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I was reluctant to try Linzess, and I wish I'd listened to myself! Horrid pain for hours, cramping, stomach pain, belching, lightheaded, chills, and now spasms, definitely a setback in my GI saga. I'm irritable and completely out of sorts too - my poor family! At one point, I thought I'd faint and need urgent care. I'm lucky my kids were here to help. I took it as directed, so that's not the issue. I'm just posting in case anyone else experiencing a negative reaction is wondering if they're alone. You're not. It's not for everyone."

• Bet...
• November 16, 2016

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "After a couple of stays in the hospital for constipation this year, after taking narcotics while recovering from neck surgery. I also have been chronically constipated for many years, I was prescribed Linzess. I have been on Linzess for a month now. I am regular for the first time in 10 years. Every day. It did take a week or two to get over my body adjusting, and not having to stay home for the run to the bathroom, things are calmer now. My stomach pain is also much better, as is the distension. I feel great. Huge fan of Linzess!"

• Jac...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 27, 2019

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "Terrified. My husband takes this 145 mg. He has taken it for over a year. It worked on all diarrhea, and then, after a while, he began to be bedridden for months. Day in and day out, I watch him suffer, and there is nothing I can do about it. He's had diarrhea, horrible stomach pain, extreme bloating, bloody stools, vomiting. He's been to the hospital. It wasn't until recently when his arms, hands, and legs started swelling that it was discovered what was wrong. It doesn't tell you that it also causes blood clots, and it doesn't let you know that there have been multiple deaths. Seeing and knowing what I know, I absolutely know that this medicine will and has caused deaths. I really pray that if you start experiencing this, you stop it before it's too late!"

• BB8...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 25, 2015

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I have suffered from chronic constipation since my mom said I was in diapers. I will go up to 2 weeks without movement when on no medication. I started on Amitiza 10 years ago, learned how to deal with the side effects, but still hated the nauseousness they caused. I asked my doctor to switch me to Linzess even though she hasn't had any patients on it yet, and so far, I LOVE IT! No terrible side effects. Yes, I get diarrhea on it, but that is common for any medication I take for CIC. I'll take diarrhea over constipation any day. No stomach pain, no bloating, no water retention!"

• 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."

• 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."

• Eli...
• October 25, 2016

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I just started Linzess last week, and it's already made a huge difference in my life. No more struggling to go or ending up in the hospital. Yes, my constipation was so severe it was called obstipation. I have had 3 episodes this year alone in the hospital. Linzess has turned things around. No more bloating, stomach pain, or stomach distention. I'm happy to say this drug was a miracle for me!"

• Uli...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 23, 2021

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I’ve been taking Linzess for 9 years to treat chronic constipation. I had previously tried Amitza and several other medications my doctor recommended. I was diagnosed with celiac about 7 years ago and changed my diet. I still had stomach issues and constipation, so I continued the Linzess. After years of limiting my diet to less than the low FODMAP elimination diet, I still continued to be constipated, have trapped gas, extreme bloating, and terrible stomach pain. I didn’t take my Linzess for two days so I could do a hydrogen breath test just to be sure it didn’t affect results. ALL of my symptoms went away. I felt like a completely new person. I’ve even tried a few things off the low FODMAP list and felt fine! So sorry I didn’t question this med years ago. It has caused so much pain and even a trip to the Mayo Clinic to try to figure out my problems. ☹️ If you don’t think it’s doing much for you or you have these symptoms, get off of it ASAP!"

• Hil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 3, 2018

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation "I'm suspicious of so many positive reviews because the pharmaceutical company has a vested interest in their drug appearing as a good product. My experience has not been so good. Although the drug worked for me, it caused severe vomiting, headache, and stomach pain. I wouldn't take the drug again due to the pain level, but it could be that it was an isolated experience."

• Chr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 22, 2019

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I have taken Linzess for one month after constipation my whole life. I have found it works well if you eat about 1/2 hour after taking it. When I don’t eat 1/2 hr after taking it, then I have a movement. It has helped, yet I am experiencing fever and stomach pain, but I don’t believe it is causing it because I had this once before I took it. I am pleased for the most part by this medication. It has helped me to not end up in the hospital from blockage."

• fae...
• March 9, 2017

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation "I have been taking Linzess 290 mg for over 3 months now. In the beginning, I had a few experiences of diarrhea, but not so much now. What I cannot take is the stomach pain, gas, and bloating, which has gotten worse over time. I stopped taking the drug for a few days to determine if these symptoms were from the drug, and they were. The stomach pain came right back today when I took a dose. While it does help with the constipation, it is not worth the other side effects. Back to magnesium capsules I go."

• tif...
• December 9, 2016

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I have been taking Linzess for a few months now. I have diarrhea almost every day, which most times leads to accidents. I went to my GI specialist, and she suggested I take IB Gard to help with the diarrhea. I am tired of having diarrhea every day and not knowing when it's gonna come. I go to work, and I still have accidents at work, it's embarrassing and disgusting. I have not had any help with bloating or stomach pain. I was on 145 of Linzess, but that didn't work very well, so the doctor put me on 290, it just makes me feel miserable."

• TRL...
• February 20, 2020

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I have been constipated my whole life. Dr. put me on Linzess, the lowest 72 mcg. Said if it doesn't work, increase it to 145 mcg. I took it for nearly 2 weeks, all it did was give me gas, bad stomach cramps. I didn't go to the bathroom for several days, I also took stool softeners, nothing. I stopped taking it. I took milk of mag the next morning and it worked. I called the Dr., and the nurse said he can increase to 290 mg - no thank you. I guess they don't hear you when you tell them it doesn't work."

• khd...
• February 25, 2016

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation "I have IBS with constipation. Been taking the 145 mg for about 3-4 months. The first two weeks I was on Linzess, it didn't help me at all. So my doctor told me to take a double dose. (Found out I had a blockage, which the double dose with Miralax on top got rid of.) I got diarrhea for about a week, then went to have 1 regular bowel movement almost every morning after the pill. I was feeling better than ever. It did give me headaches and distension, though, for about a week. After about 2 weeks on a double dose, I went back down to a single dose. Everything was still going smoothly. Until about 2 weeks ago, I've been getting urgent diarrhea every day for about 6 hours after taking the pill. And occasionally getting stomach pain and nausea again (which is why I started)."

• Ell...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 20, 2019

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I have had more issues with tummy pain, bloating, and nausea than with just constipation. Sometimes I won't go to the bathroom for 2 days. My gastroenterologist put me on Linzess. I go to the bathroom a little bit more often, but I didn't see a huge difference. The only thing that really helped me and made a huge difference in my life was going NON-GMO. My allergist told me that my digestive system couldn't handle genetically modified foods. It's like an explosion takes place in your stomach after you eat. Please, if you're in pain, look pregnant, and can't go to the bathroom, try a NON-GMO diet. I'm not a doctor, and I'm not telling you what to do, but this is what works for me."

• Kat...
• September 27, 2015

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I have had constipation for almost two weeks, so my doctor gave me Linzess in the 290 mcg dose. I was a little nervous about taking the medication, so I took the pamphlet out of the bottle packaging to read the side effects. The only serious side effects listed were diarrhea and stomach pain. So, I took ONE pill. In the matter of thirty minutes, I was reacting with hives and was having a serious reaction, I felt completely loopy, and I wasn't able to function properly. As I went to the emergency room, my sister noticed it says hives as a rare and serious side effect of this drug on websites only. NOTHING WAS LISTED ON THE BOTTLE! I don't trust this drug, and it didn't even help me go to the bathroom. I do not recommend this drug to anyone."

• Rac...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 12, 2017

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation "I have IBS mixed. Alternating constipation and overflow diarrhea. My doctor gave me 145 mg of Linzess to take 30 minutes before dinner. Nothing but gas. Then she said to take it with dinner. Two hours later, I had diarrhea a few times the first week. Then I got terrible stomach cramps a few hours later. I would go, but it was hard to pass, and a lot. The next couple of days, I would have the same stomach pain, have hard stools, but then diarrhea right after. I was all over the place. I told my doctor, and she gave me 245 mg and 30 minutes before dinner. It's been a few days, and I think my body is still adjusting because I did have diarrhea. But I've had many normal bowel movements! I feel it coming after I eat or wake up and go like normal! No belly pain, bloating, or rumbling. I hope I am finally stabilized!"

• JKB...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 21, 2016

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation "So far, loving this. Stomach pain has almost disappeared, haven't had an attack in over a week. Downside is, have to be near a bathroom about an hour after taking it, but that is manageable. Hopefully, it continues to work. Time will tell."

• Aan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 9, 2020

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "Linzess worked for maybe two days. This drug is a crock and expensive to boot. Best remedy is to find a good and natural routine, e.g., flavored seltzer water and 7 prunes twice a day, every day. It works like nothing else tried... OTC stool softener... etc. Linzess was a total waste of money and stomach pain."

• Duc...
• October 16, 2016

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I have been on this medicine for about a month. I was given samples of a higher mg than what I am prescribed, and those seemed to work the best. Then, I couldn't afford to get the medicine from the pharmacy for about a week and had no bm during that time. Yesterday, I took the medicine, and still nothing but stomach pain. Today, I am taking it again with the hopes of having some relief."

• lab...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 24, 2022

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I used 72 mcg at first with no change. Then, due to chronic constipation, my gastroenterologist recommended no more laxatives, just Linzess 290. The first day, I had a bowel movement, but now I have severe bloating, nausea, and belly pain. My stomach is distended and very uncomfortable. Clothes don't fit right. Not sure what to do. I have a colonoscopy next Friday. Hoping that will diagnose the problem and get me feeling better soon!"

• Dis...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 18, 2017

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation "I have IBSC, and I read about Linzess and asked my Dr. if it would benefit me. Started on 145, and it worked great for a while. Then hit and miss with a lot of gas, belly pain, bloating, and either diarrhea or not going at all. Tried on and off, then the 74 became available. It is better but still has lots of side effects, and I can definitely not take it daily. I take it 30 minutes before breakfast, and it produces bowel movement within an hour. I have at least 3 trips to the bathroom with very soft BMs. Hope something more effective comes along without all the side effects."