Lubiprostone for Chronic Idiopathic Constipation User Reviews (Page 4)

• Mar...
• October 18, 2016

"I have been taking Amitiza for about a week and having a very limited BM every 3 days. I get terribly nauseated in about 20 minutes after taking it, and last evening after dinner, I became sick and vomited. My stomach is so bloated and hurts from the extreme pressure. I took the Linzess, and at first, it worked, and after a month, it stopped. I am not going to take this med tonight. I was taking 8 mcg 2x a day with meals. I might go back to Linzess and take it with Miralax to see if that would work."

• Eps...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 15, 2015

"My prescription was for 24 mcg twice a day. I never tried it two times in one day because it is so unpredictable. After a few hours (or more), it gives me severe diarrhea lasting at least an hour. So I normally take it late at night so it works by the morning."

• Ley...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 1, 2019

"I took the other reviews here with a grain of salt, and I wish I hadn’t. Do yourself a favor and clear your schedule before taking this medication. It completely knocked me off my feet. Insane dizziness and nausea. I’m so sick I can’t even talk. I wish I had never taken this medication and definitely won’t be taking it again. I’d take constipation over this. It was extremely expensive as well, and now I see is a waste of money since I can’t even use it without puking my brains out. (I’m also not prone to nausea from medications, which is even more shocking to me that this drug did this to me)."

• Mkc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 26, 2019

"I have struggled with constipation most of my life. After a car accident, I began taking pain meds, which of course made it worse. I took Amitiza for 5 days. Never had a BM, I just stayed curled up in bed for 3 days with bloating, cramping, and extreme joint pain. I was excited about this medicine but was very disappointed with the result. I will continue to use OTC drugs and my normal, fiber-filled diet. I still haven’t gone, and it’s been a week. I also believe that Amitiza lessened the effect of some of my daily meds."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 27, 2012

"It works perfectly. I have been battling with chronic constipation for far too long. No matter how much water, fiber, or exercise I do, nothing gets my bowels moving. Amitiza worked fantastically, I took three pills (one a day, as prescribed by my doctor) and went to the bathroom every day for a week. Unfortunately, my doctor gave it to me as a test. My only complaint is that Amitiza is far too expensive. Insurance does not cover it."

• Jac...
• June 19, 2016

"I've always been a sufferer of chronic constipation. Thought that Amitiza would be my miracle pill. Here are my pros and cons: Pro - When I actually go, I REALLY go. I'm not feeling bloated and cramped. Con - I'm usually nauseous for about an hour after taking my pills. I'm not able to go on my own. I have to use a Fleet to get things going."

• J P...
• February 12, 2020

"Almost immediate extreme nausea and dizziness. Had to be almost dragged into bed. Couldn't stand up. Cold sweats. My cardiologist called to see why an extreme drop in my blood pressure flagged my heart monitor. My internist had given me samples. I would not take even one more pill for any amount of money. Returning to the doctor!!!"

• Jin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 7, 2020

"Why did I feel like I was having a heart attack and felt like possibly I might end up with a stroke when I took this medication? I wanted to ask my bf if I could take one of his high blood pressure meds because I had such a bad headache, worse than I had ever had, and couldn’t breathe. Is this a side effect?"

• crs...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 30, 2019

"This medication gave me terrible side effects: bloating, gas, diarrhea, abdominal pain, exhaustion, headache. Do not use it if you do not have to. The benefit was not enough to warrant the amount of side effects I got from Amitiza, so I had to stop it. It took 2 weeks for the side effects to completely go away."

• Anonymous
• March 24, 2012

"After having chronic constipation for several years and having nothing but laxatives, I was prescribed Amitiza. I have been on it for 3 weeks and can't take it. I have bloating so bad and am backed up that I must return to my laxatives. Back to the doctors for a specialist referral. Good luck to all others though."

• Sue...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 9, 2016

"I find the side effects terrible and am still constipated. For me, it is not working, and I am tired of the nausea, bloating, distention. I feel sick and nauseous all the time and have given this med over two weeks. Some people seem to have different experiences. You would have to try it. Can't wait to stop it. Tomorrow I plan to."

• Anonymous
• November 15, 2011

"I have been taking this medication for a month now, and it works wonders for me. I had tried every over-the-counter product for constipation, and it finally got to the point that my GI said I was becoming dependent on laxatives. I'm an active 26-year-old, but I have had two major surgeries on my stomach. The second surgery ended with me needing half of my bowel removed. I'm content with this medication. I worry about getting dependent years down the road. The only thing I don't like about this medicine is that after I take it, my bowel sounds are unreal. It wakes me up from my sleep. I haven't had any other side effects that were listed above, luckily. I'd recommend it."

• jer...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 16, 2015

"I was extremely constipated due to opioid-induced constipation. I took one capsule, and an hour later I got chills, a severe stomach cramp, and the next 8 hours were the worst experiences I have ever had. It was like I knew I had to pass the stool, but try as I may, it would not budge. Severe chills were the worst pain. Combine chills and stomach pain, and I was wishing I could just pass out for 2 days till this passed. Eventually, after 5 hours of grunting and commode sitting, I passed the stool. I won't be taking any more since the treatment is worse than the condition. This was a sample my doctor gave me at his office. I'm glad I didn't pay for it."

• tlb...
• February 17, 2011

"I have been dealing with chronic constipation for 6 years due to a muscle disease and pain medications. I have been on Amitiza for over 3 years now and have had no side effects at all. I have also had little to no problems with constipation since starting the medication. I would recommend anyone considering Amitiza to try it. If you have any side effects from it, I would bet they are better than dealing with the constipation."

• Sun...
• December 23, 2014

"I stopped after only taking 2 pills. I developed a slight problem breathing and a rash across my neck and shoulders. Also, I now have unbearable gas pains after taking 2 of these pills a week ago. I am glad that I was only given 4 pills by the pharmacist as they were out, so I wasn't charged."

• Anonymous
• April 16, 2012

"I've had chronic constipation for 8 years now, and I can go anywhere between one to three weeks without a movement. My doctor prescribed me Amitiza, and I'm now having a movement every other day. The only reason I didn't give a ten is that the side effects are brutal. I've eaten a full meal and drank water, and I've still gotten terrible nausea, and I've even vomited from it. And the headaches don't give a good impression either. But I would rather deal with that than the horrible constipation. Overall, I love it!"

• San...
• June 28, 2011

"At the age of 30, I started having severe constipation, but have had mild constipation since I was 16. I was on Zelnorm with some success, but find the Amitiza to be working for me with great success, a bowel movement every day, which was rare for me. I find I have to maintain a healthy diet, yogurt in the morning (a must), and drink lots of water. I also take a probiotic pill OTC every day to help with my extremely sensitive stomach. Things are in good order now for my stomach and constipation. The cost of Amitiza without insurance is $200 per month, and with insurance, I pay $50. Some minor side effects include an immediate need to use the restroom and headaches. This medicine is successful for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 19, 2012

"I took this as directed for about 3 months, and it was ineffective. I was still constipated. I stopped using it. Then I used it every 3 days when I needed to go, and it helped. Now I am taking it as directed, and it seems to be working this time. So, inconsistent results. Stool is still hard and somewhat difficult to pass. Slight uncomfortable feeling when I am nearing having a bowel motion. Some nausea."

• Man...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 6, 2018

"During surgery to correct a prolapsed bladder in May 2017, my urogynocologist tightened the vaginal area (cystocele?) and then did a rectocele without my permission, as he never mentioned it when I was diagnosed. This has led to severe constipation and nausea, so my family doctor prescribed Amitiza 24 MCG, two per day. It helped me have a bowel movement within 24 hours, but now I feel somewhat dizzy and my blood pressure is up. Has anyone else had a rectocele that caused constipation?"

• DBa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 28, 2018

"I started taking Amitiza several months ago because my insurance wouldn't cover a different medication. Honestly, I still find myself needing to take other methods almost weekly for elimination. I haven't had any testing done by a GI specialist yet, so I'm not sure if maybe I just have something more going on that makes the medication ineffective. I didn't expect it to work like a laxative exactly, but I did think I would go more than once or twice a week. Sometimes, I still become incredibly bloated with stomach pains from lack of movement, so I don't think it works very well for me."

• Dan...
• October 8, 2016

"I started the 24 mcg for chronic constipation. I took one pill at noon yesterday, 12 am today, and just took another (11:45 am). I guess I thought I would feel something by now. No real cramps or noises in my bowel, it just seems like it's not doing anything yet. I'm jealous of the people that got immediate relief. It's been almost 2 weeks since I had any movement at all. Has anyone switched from this to Linzess, or are they pretty similar medications?"

• Sic...
• July 27, 2010

"I have had chronic constipation for over 10 years. I would only go once a month, usually the first day of my period. I have tried all types of medication and had procedures done because I thought something was wrong. I spoke with my doctor, and she prescribed Amitiza to me. The price was crazy, even with my insurance, but I was willing to try anything. I took it for 15 days. I am very active and drink water like crazy and did not have a single bowel motion during that time. I am disappointed, thought I had found a solution to my problem. Back to the drawing board."

• Ash...
• January 19, 2017

"This medicine helped with constipation but gave me pretty major emotional issues. I was very moody and depressed. It also made me pretty tired. I wasn't able to sleep. I think it gave me aches in my joints as well. I would say stay far away! It's not worth it! I'd rather just take regular laxatives. At least those don't make me want to kill myself."

• Car...
• September 1, 2011

"Other than the expense, this medication is outstanding. No headaches or nausea for me. It is the first medication to not only soften and move stool effectively, but it seems to target that awful gas pocket that causes so much agony normally. I have a twist at the splenic flexure that is so tight, the gastroenterologist could not get the scope through, despite tripling the medications. So this medicine is a miracle. Without it, only surgery could get me this comfortable. Wish I could afford to take it twice a day. I only do that occasionally. Still have to use Miralax since I can't afford to take Amitiza twice a day."

• Anonymous
• October 12, 2011

"I have been on this medicine about 3 weeks now. The first week, I thought there was good progress, then things went back to more my norm of not going for days on end. My doctor increased it to 8 mcg 2 x/day, still not much change. I decided to take 3 at a time. Probably not a good idea. I had diarrhea within the hour, severe nausea, and a little shortness of breath."