Amitiza for Chronic Idiopathic Constipation User Reviews (Page 2)

• LMSW
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 3, 2013

"I've had Irritable Bowel Syndrome and chronic constipation my entire life. Now at 23, after exhausting all over the counter and homeopathic remedies to no avail, I've decided to try a prescription. Overall, it works great and I don't plan to get off of it. What I have now is more like diarrhea than anything, but I'll take that over going up to 20 days without a bowel motion any day! I do get nausea about 30 minutes after I take it, and it gives me bad gas sometimes, but none of that is worth getting off of it. If you are seriously about to give up on life because of constipation, this medicine is for you! I recommend. I do also take Metamucil about every other morning, which helps the diarrhea. Also- the website for this product offers a $35 off prescription card."

• Owen
• May 30, 2017

"Incredible experience. I started having chronic constipation shortly after joining the military. I had intense constipation all the time and was completely dependent on laxatives. After one year, I had a colonoscopy to see what was the problem, but there was nothing. I've met with a dietician, made a food log, tried tons of fiber, supplements, but nothing worked. After one more year, Miralax stopped working, and I was prescribed Amitiza. Amitiza immediately made me regular, I've only taken four pills total, after 3 weeks, and I've been the most regular ever in two years. Only fault is it makes me nauseous for a couple hours. I wish I had this years ago!"

• PATTI...
• May 2, 2008

"I just began taking Amitiza and had immediate results. I've stuggled with this condition all of my life. No side effects except I feel a bit tired. If that's all I have to deal with, that's fine with me. The alternative is much worse."

• Mimi
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 1, 2018

"I used this drug for chronic constipation for years with good results, stopping after I retired and didn't seem to need it any more. More recently I have needed it, and it still works for the most part. You do need to drink a full glass of water with it, per instructions, though a "glass" can be as little as 6 or 8 ounces. If you don't take it with a meal, take it with a big spoonful of peanut butter or almond butter or you will likely have nausea. That is the one side effect I have noticed, but I like peanut/almond butter anyway so it's not a problem. I'm sad that my insurance is going to make me "try" Linzess now instead of Amitiza; I'm a bit leery of that product after reading the reviews."

• AMMcC
• June 5, 2013

"I have been on Amitiza for nearly 8 years. I take three tablets 24mcg. daily; however I only take at bedtime. If I for some reason have to take it during the day because I missed my bedtime dose, I get very nauseous, gag and diarrhea. I strongly suggest taking this medicine when you are ready to sleep. The other problem is that I need three tablets daily and it is extremely expensive. "

• Anonymous
• March 14, 2008

"A person has to decide if it is worth the less serious side affects of nausea and headache and I have to say that it is. It is brief and therefore, I feel that the alternative is much worse. It has only been a full week and I am hoping these less serious side affects will subside eventually when I get used to taking it on a regular basis."

• T4ano
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 17, 2015

"Amitiza is GREAT! My constipation began 11 years ago at the age 20 which caused me to deal with very bad fissures. I hated going to the bathroom. I would be in the bathroom for literally an hour to an hour and a half mentally trying to prepare myself for what would occur. I began taking laxatives every other day just get some relief but yet I still had unhealed fissures. When I finally was prescribed Amitiza I was scared to go to the bathroom as I mentally had to prepare myself and to my surprise it didn't hurt and I felt normal. I wanted to cry. I wasn't in pain. I still tend to feel slight nauseous for little while though I eat with the meds and drink plenty fluids but I will take that over constipation and pain."

• giget
• May 13, 2015

"I have been taking this medicine 24mcg once a day for a week now. Nothing has happened yet. I drink 1 to 2 quarts of water a day, on the fodmap diet, eat tofu, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables. Also eat a lot of chicken. I have had no luck so far. I have left 3 messages with my doctors nurse and no call backs yet. I feel bloated, full of gas and feel miserable. So I am stuck taking laxatives, Epson salt enema's or citrate mag (awful tasting stuff ever) then feeling sick all the next day with upset tummy and sitting on the throne off and on all day. I clean myself out about every 3 to 4 days because I feel miserable and sluggish and it starts all over again after cleaning myself out. I have had this IBS-C for about 20yrs now. It ruins my life!"

• Anon
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 14, 2021

"I am 21 years old and I have struggled with Chronic Idiopathic Constipation my entire life. I was prescribed 24 mcg of Amitiza and took it for a year and a half. Overall, I had a positive experience with it and I recommend it to other people. The first two weeks I was on it, I experienced some intense nausea but that subsided after my body adjusted, just make sure you take it with a full meal. I also suggest making sure you are consuming enough water throughout the day. Amitiza worked very well for me in the beginning but throughout my time, I needed to ensure I was drinking enough water in order for it to work properly. The only reason I am switching to Linzess is because my insurance no longer covers Amitiza :/. Hope my experience helps someone out there!"

• Anonymous
• October 22, 2008

"I noticed on the previous reviews that nausea and headache are a problem. I had those too when I first starting using amitiza but have learned that you MUST take it with a FULL meal and drink lots of water and both side effects won't happen. I love the results!!"

• mar
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 15, 2013

"I have been on laxatives forever. Specifically, Perdiem. I take 3 Perdiem and 1 Amitiza at bedtime and go every morning. The Perdiem (similar to Senokot) was starting to not work as well after 25 years and once I added the Amitiza, all is well. I am trying to cut back on the laxative now. My doc wants me to take Linzess, but I'm reading how many people are gaining weight. My only complaint with Amitza is the gas, so I am reluctant to take in the morning."

• Bunky...
• June 23, 2017

"In the first week I took Amitiza, I thought it was going to be a miracle answer to my chronic constipation. But I had a side effect of severe headaches almost every day....and sometimes all day long. Since I already have migraines, I blamed it on them getting worse.....even though the symptoms were different. First the headache would start, and within 5-10 minutes a gush of uncontrollable diarrhea. I kept blaming it all on migraines and seeking treatment for them. Finally, because of the expense of this one medication and having to take so many more, I had to stop taking Amitiza. Within just a few days, the headaches with diarrhea stopped. This is an excellent product if you don't have the side effects."

• Jenni...
• May 7, 2010

"I was nervous taking this after reading the reviews, but this medicine has been great! I first started out taking the 8mg twice a day, and was using the bathroom every third day. I moved up to the 24mg twice a day, and I actually use the bathroom once a day. The first time I took it, I did have stomach cramping during the night, but that just lasted for one night. I have had no side effects what so ever. My stool is actually what it is supposed to look like and I feel great. I used to be on Zelnorm and I miss that so much, but this medicine seems to do its trick. Hopefully this one will stay on the market. Don't be afraid of trying this at all after reading some other reviews."

• Anonymous
• May 22, 2009

"Had side effects - not even understanding it was from this medication. Went to Doctors many times with flu like, systems and breathing problems with chest pains. After stopping this medication after being on it for months, it has now been a week, my breathing still has not returned to normal as of yet. PLEASE if you have any flu like symptoms, breathing problems, or even seem to just have a change in your voice, stop taking this medicine and see your doctor."

• Nurse...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 5, 2017

"I've been on Amitiza for about a year, and while it works, it doesn't work as well as If like it to. I tried the 24 mcg dose at first but it was way too strong, definitely makes you run to the bathroom all day. I then switched to the 8mcg capsules twice a day. If I take them on an empty stomach, I get really nauseated, so I usually take them with a meal. I still had to use Miralax and fiber along with the Amitiza to ensure I stayed regular. Sometimes with all of this, I still got constipated, so I would take a 24mcg dosage and deal with the aftermath. When I did have a BM with Amitiza, it wasn't a "complete " one. It would make me poop out water, but it felt like the bulk of the stool was still left inside. I stopped taking it."

• Cosmi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 3, 2012

"If you suffer with occasional constipation like me and you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome then this is a great medication. It is very safe with very little side effects that most women will already go through. Like headaches and random nausea and dizziness. I take this medication 2-3 pills twice a day and I feel so much better being on this medication. It isn't normal to go a day or two or three or even a week like what used to happen to me without having a bowel movement. This medication will help you release all that waste you need to. It works great for me. IBS is not a fun condition but I guess it's just for all of us lucky people to struggle with and experiment trial and error. Give Amitiza a try it really works. Good luck!"

• Quality...
• January 6, 2013

"45 year old female with diagnosis of Chronic Constipation due to long term use of Med's, to include opioids for pain management. Also, diagnosed of Irritable bowel syndrome, around 8 years ago. When I'm taking this medicine, usually 2-3 times per day, I'm regular with a bowel movement of one to two times a day, depending on my diet and food intake (I eat very little on most days). Whenever I'm not taking this medication, I'm lucky if I'm able to go once over a 3-4 day time frame, even with laxatives, stool softeners, and my daily dose of lactulose syrup. I took Zelnorm about #8 years ago, until it went off the market, but Amitiza works much better, I asked my doctor to prescribe it after seeing a commercial for it, I've done well with it, only side-effect: flatulence. "

• 62...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 17, 2016

"After reading all the previous reviews of Amitiza I felt compelled to add my experience. The first morning I took it with a meal and plenty of water and went to work. Mistake! Jeff Foxworthy jokes about the side effects of certain medications, like fecal incontinence. I can assure you it's no laughing matter when it happens to you. Within 1 1/2 hrs. it began. My stomach was full of gas, and I was worried sick all day about not knowing when my issue would start. That evening I took my second dose and about three hours later had leakage on my sheets. I had just been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and was put on Synthroid. The combination of my age, Synthroid and Amititiza=fecal incontinence according to the "eHealthMe" website."

• coach
• May 11, 2017

"55 yr old female, chronic constipation my whole life. I have tried everything, OTC to Linzess which did nothing. I am thin, exercise, high fiber, flax, metamucil, probiotic, and nothing. I go 4-5 days then take 3 ducolax, magnesium citrate and pray. Now that doesn't work. Colonoscopy ruled out anything "serious". Prescribed 24mcg Amitiza. Ate breakfast took the pill and within an hour I was SO SICK. I had explosive diarrhea, felt faint, nauseous, cold chills and sweating. Laying on my bathroom floor going back and forth to the toilet, thought I would throw up too. But I went! I did not take it again because of the side effects. Doc gave me 8mcg. I'm scared to take it. It's awful that I would even think of taking it again just to go to the bathroom"

• Nicole...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 18, 2016

"Well I started this medicine on Monday and its Thursday and I am extremely sick. My stomach is killing me I sit on the toilet because I feel like I am going to go to the bathroom but nothing ever comes out. I have severe abdominal cramping and cold chills that make it even worse. My chest feels tight and I am so uncomfortable and grouchy because of the pain. This is awful I would not recommend because I was so excited about being able to go to the bathroom and be normal but this has not worked. I am not taking any more of this medication when it is suppose to help with chronic idiopathic constipation and IBS and its made it worse!! So upset I could scream..."

• Autumn
• December 17, 2019

"I started taking amitiza when I was around 16-17. I was on it for about 2 years. I had tried a lot of drugs before my pediatric doctor finally landed on this one. My family and I were hesitant to try it because of how expensive it was, but we felt like we were out of options. It was the first med that actually worked other than stimulant laxatives. I remained on the highest dose of amitiza during my time on it. I had no side effects. I eventually stopped taking it because the medicine began to stop working. It was basically a gradual decline of efficiency near the end. I don't regret taking it even though it stopped working. I switched to linzess and its working just as well. If linzess stops working, my plan is to switch back to amitiza and see if it'll work again. If you're considering trying amitiza, I would. Just make sure you try it on your day off if you're worried about side effects"

• Tummy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 13, 2019

"Oh my no no no! Avoid this. I took one 24mg pill with food. 30 mins later felt lightheaded and drenched in sweat. Vomited all over the floor. Couldn’t even make it to the bathroom and more vomit hit. Then the horrible loose stool started. So loose you can’t get off the toliet or you’ll have a mess. Finally took a zofran to ease the vomiting. I feel so much worse. Not worth it! Avoid this Med. I feel like death"

• mommy
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 3, 2018

"For the past 2 years Ive been struggling with constipation since going through chemo. I finally got referred to see gastroenologist. He put me on a low dose. 8mg twice a day and I can say for me personally I feel like a normal person again!! This is the best medication no side effects so far other than having to go to the bathroom a few times a day. I've tried drinking more water, having more fiber other laxatives and even linzess which was a no after the first pill. Not having the bloat feeling and feeling like you have to struggle to go the bathroom is the worst."

• Angels
• May 16, 2017

"I have been using amitza for a week. You need to take this LITERALLY WITH FOOD. If you have eaten lets say an hour before, do not take it. It will cause you severe painful stomach type of nausea. I feel after taking this. It causes me some type of stomach cramps. Not severely painful that will cause you to curl up in a fetal position but uncomfortable enough that you know its there the weird feeling in your stomach area. I have called my doctor to see if its even worth one more week to try despite the side effects. I have not seen any improvement in my bowel movement."

• LYBL
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 5, 2016

"I am in my early 60s. Have had chronic constipation ever since childhood (2 BMs per week), but it became much worse in the last couple of years (up to 2 weeks without BM). After more than a year of trying to find the optimal amount of Miralax to take per day per GI doctor's instructions, and when to also include stool softeners, I was doing okay (BM every 4 or 5 days), but had occasional leakage. I started Amitiza two weeks ago at my internist's suggestion, two 8mg pills twice a day. It was like a miracle the first week - small to medium daily movements and a couple of large ones. No side effects. But now it stopped working. It has been 7 days with no BM. The last 2 days I took 24 mg. Also ate prunes and took stool softeners. Nothing yet."