Amitiza for Chronic Idiopathic Constipation User Reviews (Page 3)

• Lil...
• September 26, 2015

"My doctor put me on the 24s twice a day with a meal. Despite always taking it correctly, it always gives me unbearable nausea and occasionally diarrhea. For me personally, the side effects make this medication very unbearable. However, I gave it a decent rating because it certainly gets things moving along. The first day I took it, I passed stool 5 times, which seemed excessive. Overall, it's up to you to decide if you feel better or worse after taking it."

• Anonymous
• May 22, 2009

"Had side effects - not even understanding it was from this medication. Went to doctors many times with flu-like symptoms 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."

• Anonymous
• October 21, 2009

"I have had very severe chronic constipation for over two years that has just seemed to get worse and worse over time. I've tried Amitiza on a few occasions over the last couple of years, and each time has been an awful experience. It works, but it takes about 3 days, and those 3 days are unbearable. Horrible gas and bloating, headaches, cramps, nausea, not to mention the pain in my back and sides from the severe bloating. I gave a friend some of my samples, and it worked wonders for her, she had none of those side effects. Everyone is different, it's always worth a try."

• Sta...
• January 9, 2009

"I have been on pain medicines for the last 6 and 1/2 years. My doctor finally gave me some samples of Amitiza. When I haven't gone in so many days, I just take two pills late in the evening, and they work great in the morning. I haven't noticed any side effects at all."

• Mou...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 27, 2020

"I was taking Linzess with total success. Then insurance wanted me to try Amitiza. Then I became twice as constipated and had extreme fatigue, abdominal cramps that felt like labor pains, headaches, and severe dehydration, and my movements went from 3 to 4 days to 5 to 7 days. I became toxic. I will never take that Amitiza again. I swear it is nothing more than a placebo. Bad stuff. I now have to reschedule my colonoscopy because of a blockage that could have been prevented. My life and health are a joke to Fidelis insurance."

• Bel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 7, 2012

"I've suffered from constipation for about 10 years now. I would use a laxative once or twice a week. Tired of laxatives, so the doctor prescribed Amitiza. The first 2 days, I suffered from severe nausea and had to lay in bed for an hour or so until it passed. Then I had extreme diarrhea that lasted the whole day. So far, it seems that I'm only experiencing light nausea with the first dose, which seems to subside when I fill my stomach with food. It has been a full week now that I've been taking it and have yet to have a full bowel movement. I have constant gas and pains. I feel like I have to have a movement, but when I go to the bathroom, I find I still have to strain and nothing really comes out."

• LYB...
• 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 a 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 8 mg 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."

• Jo ...
• May 16, 2016

"I'm just writing to tell people if Amitiza isn't working for you, DO NOT switch to Linzess! It worked great in the beginning, but for me and thousands of people complaining online... it just stopped working. I actually went from taking one 145 mcg capsule to THREE, and nothing! Linzess sucks."

• Anonymous
• September 20, 2012

"I started taking Amitiza a month ago. I am on the 24 mg. It works sometimes, but I am experiencing side effects that I didn't think resulted from this medication until I read some of the reviews. I have trouble taking in breaths, coughing, severe headaches, nausea, but most of all, bloating and gas. Before the medication, while being constipated, I could still button up my pants. Now that I've started the medicine, it's a struggle due to bloating."

• hon...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 24, 2019

"I have been taking Amitiza 24 mcg twice a day for several years. I also take psyllium fiber and drink water up to 2 quarts a day. Since my work does not support a lot of walking, I tend to get abdominal bloating in the afternoon due to incomplete bowel emptying and inactivity. When my stool becomes dark brown, I may experience diarrhea as my colon is attempting to move hard stool. When my stool is soft formed and a light tan color, I experience a feeling of complete emptying and no abdominal bloating or diarrhea. This is a daily challenge to ensure sufficient exercise, water intake, and fiber-rich and roughage-producing foods. I feel that the medication would be more effective if the dosage could be titrated or time-released to meet individual patient needs."

• lon...
• July 7, 2009

"I am 71 and have had constipation all of my life. I've tried OTC products (all of them) and even some prescription products. I take 4 of this per week with plenty of water. More gives me some cramps. However, my constipation is finally under control. It isn't easy, but I do get results about 4 times a week. That beats 1 or 2 with a lot of bleeding from strain. I may increase to 7 times per week and see if the cramping stops. I have a super long colon, which has caused the chronic constipation."

• Anonymous
• March 14, 2008

"A person has to decide if it is worth the less serious side effects 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 effects will subside eventually when I get used to taking it on a regular basis."

• Nee...
• December 28, 2014

"I took 24 mcg of Amitiza for 6 days, twice a day. I got a pretty bad reaction from this. I had dry mouth, lightheadedness, my face was always warm, stomach aches, loss of appetite, severe anxiety, and nausea. I've come to the conclusion that the 24 mcg twice a day was far too much for my body. I weigh 117 pounds, and I don't think my body could handle that amount. If anyone is experiencing these side effects, don't take it, make another appointment with your doctor to see if the dosage is too much. Also, if you have had a loss of appetite like myself, make sure to get enough sugar in your system, I had a hypoglycemic attack. Drink ginger ale, or eat if you can."

• aer...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 7, 2012

"I have been on this for about a week. First few days, was amazed. Before this medicine, I would do enemas every week or so due to pain, etc. The day after I took this medicine, I went three times, once after every meal. Wow! Same for the next few days. Side effects: majorly tired, headaches that develop into migraines by the end of the day, weird feeling in chest and throat, breathing funny (like a bad cold), and VERY nauseated until I have a movement. Also, the last few days, only having a movement every other day. So don't know what is going on. Need to try increasing the water and see how that goes. Don't know if normal bowel movements are worth all this, plus, it seems to not work as well as it did a few days ago."

• tif...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 25, 2012

"I take the 24 mg twice a day after having severe constipation post-chemo and multiple abdominal surgeries. It takes a couple of days for it to cause a movement, but when it does, it's unbelievable how much it works! I have felt the nausea and headaches, but didn't realize it was caused by the Amitiza. I'm so thankful to have this medicine!"

• FIN...
• February 12, 2018

"I have been severely constipated for years after 20 years of chronic diarrhea. Have had to resort to enemas and laxatives just to get some relief. Was on Linzess 290 for a year and a half, and it was so inconsistent when it worked. Started Amitiza 24 mcg a couple of months ago. You definitely have to eat while taking it, literally. I only have to take it once a day now, and I feel like it is a miracle. I just hope it doesn't stop working. I am finally feeling normal and not sluggish and miserable anymore. It is quite expensive, as my insurance pays very little, and I'm out $259 per month. It's definitely worth it to me. I was probably spending more than that on OTC stuff anyway."

• Ano...
• December 2, 2017

"I've recently started taking Amitiza 24 mcg twice daily for chronic constipation. I wasn't having any luck with OTC remedies. It took me 3 days to finally start having things move. I did experience slight nausea after taking each dose. Tolerable, though. Hopefully, as the next few days come and go, things move along much better."

• Sue...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 31, 2019

"The first night, I was sick as a dog. Felt like the flu. I even woke up to find I had an accident in bed. Very disturbing. Then couldn’t go for a few days, had a very small bowel movement, then went several days without. Had constant stomach cramps, bloating, total unease, and feeling ill. Had to take Miralax just to produce a small bowel movement to get relief. After almost 2 weeks and almost ending up back in the hospital for hypomotility and gastroparesis, I decided it was time to stop. I really had very little relief but a lot of nausea, cramps, and uncomfortable flu-like sickness."

• 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 Amitiza = fecal incontinence according to the 'eHealthMe' website."

• Nic...
• November 1, 2015

"I've had chronic constipation and IBS for six years. When I was first given this drug, it was stronger than I needed and caused severe cramping with gas. Later, when nothing else worked, I was given it again, and I learned to take it at bedtime so that I don't notice the cramping. It's just one of many medicines I take, but my body can't expel without it. I have developed hypoglycemia and found on an MRI that I also have a spastic colon, so I think we're about to make some trial changes, but I'm not sure I would be alive without Amitiza. My insurance only pays a portion, but I use the online coupons to make it affordable."

• Ban...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 15, 2019

"I've been experiencing constipation for over 15 years. I was so miserable. I tried everything, nothing worked, so I had to take herbal teas with senna or cleanses to go. When I first tried Amitiza 8 mcg, it didn't work, then finally, after about a week and a half, it started working. I just have to drink a lot of water and take 2 bulk laxatives with it. I did experience some gas and bloating, but it's better than being full of poop. I'm so thankful. I finally don't look pregnant anymore! Yayyy."

• sha...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 3, 2012

"Actually, CIGNA covered this, but I now have United Health Care, and they won't cover it unless you have irritable bowel syndrome or idiopathic constipation. I have constipation from M.S. and chronic opioid use and used it for over 4 years, twice a day. I'm going to try lactulose, but this pill is so much more convenient, and for me, works without side effects. Prior to this, only over-the-counter senna helped, but with cramping side effects at times, and only more than the recommended amount worked."

• SuI...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 15, 2012

"I have been on Amitiza for five years and am truly grateful for it. I was lucky to have a bowel movement every 5-7 days before Amitiza after trying other prescriptions, Miralax and high-fiber diets, and this medicine was a godsend. When I was recently hospitalized for two weeks, the hospital did not carry the medication, and I had to wait five days to have someone bring it from home and have it approved by the hospital pharmacy to give to me, and I paid the price for being off it for that long. I am astonished when doctors have not heard of this medication because it has been my savior from constant constipation."

• Brn...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 11, 2016

"I've had chronic constipation all my life, and I am in my 60s now. I have tried it all! I've practically lived on taking enemas every 4 to 5 days, which worked most of the time. I haven't had a 'normal' BM on my own in over 5 years. It just sits there and won't come out. I was prescribed 24 mg Amitiza a month ago. I took one at 8 a.m. I had a great BM at 10 a.m. It only took 2 hours to work! But it was not formed. It was almost like slight diarrhea. It felt like such a big relief to get all of that toxic poison out! The drawback, I had a lot of nausea all day and bouts of diarrhea 3 or 4 times later. I also felt bloated for a couple of hours, which was a bit uncomfortable. So at this point, I'm a little nervous to take another one."

• kNy...
• August 30, 2009

"I began taking Amitiza twice a day in 2007 and, like others in this room, swore by Zelnorm. My experience has been great, although it seems I need to stop taking it for a few days every 4 to 6 months to reboot, so to speak, as it begins to diminish effectiveness. I'm curious if the extra long colon plays into our problems? I deal with this as well."