Lubiprostone and Upset Stomach: What Users Say

• Dis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 19, 2017

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I recently started Amitiza at the 24mcg dose twice a day for terrible constipation not resolved with tons of water, veggies, fruits, flax, chia, bottles of Miralax, or Linzess. I have taken it for 4.5 days with NO results at all. How long is this supposed to take to work? I have the side effects of nausea, stomach cramps, bloating, hot flashes then so cold I shiver, body aches like I am coming down with the flu, joint pain. And believe me, I would put up with all of this if I could just go! But nothing is happening. I even increased my fluid intake to 3L per day, which is ridiculous. Does anyone have suggestions out there?"

• gig...
• May 13, 2015

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I have been taking this medicine, 24 mcg 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 doctor's nurse and no callbacks yet. I feel bloated, full of gas, and feel miserable. So I am stuck taking laxatives, Epsom salt enemas, or citrate mag (awful tasting stuff ever), then feeling sick all the next day with an 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 20 years now. It ruins my life!"

• ant...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 19, 2017

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "I am a recovering heroin addict and have been taking Suboxone in low-medium amounts to control withdrawal symptoms and cravings, as I was not able to stay clean on my own due to underlying depression, schizophrenia, PTSD, and others. I have been clean for over 3 years and have had crippling constipation since on the Suboxone. My doctor prescribed me Amitiza, but told me to only take it as needed. I did experience nausea and stomach cramps at first, but now do okay with it, and have had much better bowel movements."

• Jen...
• May 7, 2010

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I was nervous taking this after reading the reviews, but this medicine has been great! I first started out taking the 8 mg twice a day, and was using the bathroom every third day. I moved up to the 24 mg 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 whatsoever. 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
• February 23, 2011

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation "I absolutely love this medication! The trick I have found is to take it right before bed, then you can avoid the upset stomach and nausea. I know it says to take with food, but I have been on this for over a year, and it has been working great for me."

• Ang...
• May 16, 2017

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I have been using Amitiza for a week. You need to take this literally with food. If you have eaten, let's say, an hour before, do not take it. It will cause you severe, painful stomach-type 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 it's there, the weird feeling in your stomach area. I have called my doctor to see if it's even worth one more week to try despite the side effects. I have not seen any improvement in my bowel movement."

• Meg...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 28, 2016

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "I have opiate-induced constipation from narcotic pain killers. My doctor gave me samples of Manitoba, and it worked great. I didn't have any side effects other than cramping, which is to be expected with any laxative. It worked within 2 hours and continued to work throughout the rest of the day. I would definitely recommend taking this on a day you have nothing to do. It causes a little gas and stomach cramps that feel like you're gonna have diarrhea. But it definitely does the job. I also had a little nausea after taking it, but it was worth it. Especially if you have been dealing with chronic constipation for a while. Anything is better than the constant bloating and pain associated with constipation."

• Nee...
• December 28, 2014

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "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."

• Mar...
• August 30, 2015

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation "I tried the samples my dr sent me home with. It gave me some of the worst stomach aches of my life. And I didn't go to the bathroom any more than I normally do. I hated this medication, it made me feel much worse."

• bes...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 13, 2019

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "Millie, I have been taking Amitiza for over a year. Like others, I was given samples for the first month. Because my OIC (opioid-induced constipation) was severe, I continued to take it, hoping it would kick in and work on a regular basis. Unfortunately, it never worked. The side effects were bloating, belching, and stomach discomfort. I've since tried another OIC med (Linzess). When all else fails, I go back to milk of magnesia on an as-needed basis. My biggest regret was staying with the Amitiza for almost two years."

• Pau...
• December 10, 2016

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation "I was kind of shady to take this pill because of all the bad reviews on it. I have IBS, so I thought, what do I have to lose? So I took one pill, and within 10 minutes, this terrible nausea hit me. I even ate before I took it, and that didn't help, I was nauseous all day long, and I thought screw this, I am not taking it again, so I didn't. Two to three days later, I started having terrible stomach cramps to the point where I wanted to cry. I had diarrhea and also somewhat of stools. So does the drug make you go? Yeah. Are the side effects worth it? No! This is a really powerful drug with way too many side effects. It also gave me a bad headache."

• Fem...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 28, 2018

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation "So far, so good. I started this med due to my first IBS-C flare that went on for a week and showed no signs of going away. I’ve been on 8 mg samples, morning and night, for three days now. This medication is so amazing for shortening my time in the restroom; I’ve gone to 1-2 hours from 10-15 minutes. I had some nausea the first day, but that’s gone now. The only negatives with this med are that I get stomach cramping if I eat vegetables until I “go,” and sometimes simple gas, which has increased, feels like it’ll be a BM."

• Swk...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 9, 2016

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I went from IBS to IBS-C and suffered severe constipation for three months. To the point of when I went, it caused hemorrhoids and a tear. I went to my gastrointestinal MD who assured me it was not cancer or anything from the results of my colonoscopy eight months earlier. He gave me Amitiza, one or two pills a day depending on the consistency. It works well, and I go more regularly, but every two weeks I get stomach spasms and an increased urge to go that almost cripples me. Swelling occurs, gets hard to breathe, have passed out from the pain. I use a cream prescribed to help heal the stretching and swelling. BM is usually thin and flat but feels like a huge boulder. Any suggestions or thoughts? Should I discontinue the medicine?"