Naloxegol and Nausea: What Users Say

• Ali...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 2, 2020

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "Movantik is the worst experience I have ever had. Within 20 minutes of taking it, I was doubled over with severe stomach cramps, nausea, sweating profusely, shortness of breath, and thought I was going to pass out! But after all this, still no BM. It has been over an hour, still having stomach cramps, nausea, and sweating. I WILL NEVER TAKE MOVANTIK AGAIN! I WISH I HAD NEVER TAKEN THE ONE PILL! You should really think about it before you try this drug. It was one of the absolutely worst experiences of my life!"

• Owa...
• December 5, 2019

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "I've taken this pill 2x months apart. Both docs insisted it wouldn't put me into ANY form of withdrawal, gut or otherwise. I took a whole pill the 1st time & it sent me right into withdrawal. Blood pressure up, sweats, cold, anxious, restless legs/body, awful. On top of that, it gave me horrendous stomach pains. I was crying & moaning, it felt like labor pains almost, plus nausea. I couldn't take care of my daughter. Took extra methadone, but it didn't help. 7 hrs later I was cleaned out but exhausted & scared, but it finally slowed down, still had mild cramps for hrs after. 2nd time I took less than half a pill & it was the same, except I wasn't in as bad of withdrawal. I vomited so hard & painfully over & over, was seeing double, I didn't get cleaned out, I ended up just having a normal-sized bowel movement. Headache both times. Want so badly to not be constipated anymore that I want to see if it gets easier, but I am so scared. Nothing works. I don't know what to do..."

• JWD...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 25, 2015

For Constipation, Drug Induced "Amitiza has worked well for over two years to control constipation which is a direct result of opioids taken for pain control. However, my doctor gave me a box of Movantik to try instead. NEVER AGAIN! Within a short period of time, my colon began cramping for several hours. Initially, I hoped that a bowel movement would reduce the pain. It did not! I then got diarrhea. Not wanting to call 911, I tried to breathe deeply as I went from chills to sweats to chills & the cramping continued. Praying not to throw up, but when I did, it was SO VIOLENT that it went through one of my nostrils. I had peritonitis 20 years ago, and it is a toss-up which was worse. Childbirth wasn't as severe. I'll never again try this pill even at a lesser dosage."

• Que...
• November 24, 2019

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "My doctor put me on this medicine because I couldn’t go to the bathroom. I took one pill at 6:30 in the morning, by 10 o'clock, I had gone to the bathroom three times. My stomach hurt so bad I couldn’t stand it, it was that way for hours. I got a real weird feeling in my body: shaking, cold, anxious, sick to my stomach. Twelve hours later, I’m still sick to my stomach, cold and anxious. I only took one pill, and the rest are going in the garbage. This pill should be taken off the market."

• EMS...
• September 24, 2015

For Constipation, Drug Induced "I am on opioids for chronic back pain. I used Miralax and Metamucil, but my bowel movements were irregular, and I felt like I was emptying out and backing up. I tried 25 mg on an empty stomach at 3 pm yesterday for the first time. I started having cramps. I called my doctor and added a suppository. Twenty minutes later, I had a massive bowel movement over 30 minutes. None after that. This morning, I woke up in withdrawal, feeling cold, nauseous, having abdominal cramps, horrible pain, and generally feeling lousy. It was odd as my last pain med dose was six hours before, and I do not usually get withdrawals that quickly. My morning pain meds fixed the withdrawals, but I was still in significant pain until 1 pm after the second pain med dose at 12. It seems to decrease the pain-reducing effects of opioids."

• MS...
• September 19, 2015

For Constipation, Drug Induced "I've had very severe constipation for years due to my daily need for oxycodone and morphine. I've tried everything with little relief, so that's why I gave this a try. It was the worst day of my life! I took it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. About 30 minutes after taking it, I had a bowel movement... yeah, right? About 2 minutes after, I started having SEVERE intestinal cramps! So bad I could hardly breathe! I also got severe chills and had goosebumps all over my body. I continued to have a bowel movement every 15-20 minutes for the next 3 hours. The whole time, having extremely painful cramping, nausea, sweats, chills, goosebumps... It cleaned me out, that's for sure. But it was not worth the pain, and it wiped me out the whole day!!"

• hun...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 6, 2019

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "Worst medication I've ever tried. It gets rid of your constipation but also causes horrible withdrawal. At first, I thought everything was fine. Six hours in, I had gone to the toilet four times. I was okay except for some stomach pain, which I expected. After eight hours in, I had the most horrendous cramps of my life. My whole body ached. I was nauseous. As time goes on, I realized I was in full-blown withdrawal. I started shivering. The cramps, pain, and diarrhea were horrible. Twelve hours in, I can't leave the toilet. My pain's unbearable. I felt I had nothing left to evacuate, but I keep just cramping up. My entire body is shaking. FYI, I take 30 mg oxycodone IR every three hours and Norco 10 four times daily. Movantik has made this ineffective. I'm writing this in the hopes that you do not take this drug. I was going to the bathroom every morning with just Miralax. My insurance company decided to stop covering it. But I'll figure out I'll just buy the Miralax. It's the next morning now, and finally, it's over except for residual cramps."

• Brb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 6, 2017

For Constipation, Drug Induced "I have a spinal cord injury and have been taking methadone for nerve pain and oxycodone for hip pain for over 15 years. I had been using Miralax, but it was not as effective as I would like. The doctor recommended Movantik, and I figured it couldn't hurt to try it. Was I ever wrong. The warnings about methadone users are very accurate. Within 2 hours, I was doubled over in pain, in the bathroom for nearly 2 hours while my body cleared out. To the point of practically urinating from my butt. It was excruciating, cramps, nausea, severe sweating, and I had pressure in my head for about 6 hours. I was very ill and out of it. I was extremely afraid, the pain was so severe I thought something was wrong. I was considering going to the ER but couldn't get off the toilet. I think this medication is dangerous."

• POD...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 15, 2018

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "Ok, I have been prescribed opioid pain medication for the past 17 years after I fractured my skull. I have literally been on every pain medication known to man! I was on Duragesic for 3.5 years-400 mcg every 3 days. All opioid pain meds cause constipation. I have tried many laxatives, however, NONE of them have worked at all! I saw the commercials for Movantik and asked my doctor about it. He prescribed the med for me, and I started taking it 3 days ago. Movantik works, at least for me. Two hours after taking the dose on the first day, I felt somewhat queasy and slight cramps. Wow! There was no explosion, no diarrhea, no unpleasant side effects. It just worked. I take Movantik in the morning an hour before I eat. Within 2-3 hours, I have a bowel movement, and that is the extent of the experience. I feel like a new man."

• LH9...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 8, 2015

For Constipation, Drug Induced "I am on the second day of this medicine and am considering stopping it altogether. I take 100 mg of Morphine x2 daily and am currently miserable on Movantik. Whatever comes out of me is pretty much all liquid after it woke me multiple times to go to the bathroom after resting from severe stomach pain. I am now going to the bathroom a minimum of every hour for all 24 hours. I never thought a drug could make me so sick. I am in so much pain and so nauseous. I am going back to Miralax, at least with that, I know the minimum side effects on Miralax."

• Jum...
• December 15, 2016

For Constipation, Drug Induced "I've been taking opioids for back pain for almost a year, so I've been dealing with constipation for about the same length of time. I took Movantik last night for the first time, and within an hour I had a racing heart, shortness of breath, and a throbbing headache. Now, 20 hours later, I'm so irritable I could spit and can hardly think straight. 24 hours of anxiety, cramps, and nausea! I'm so grateful to see these reviews because I don't feel alone and crazy."

• MB0...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 24, 2015

For Constipation, Drug Induced "I lasted less than 3 weeks on Movantik my provider recommended! I ended up at the ER because of the severe cramping, violent vomiting, bloating, nausea that had occurred. I'm being asked if I had ever had colitis or diverticulitis in the past, which is a fat no! They had to put me on an IV because of the dehydration. I've been off Movantik for a while, and my GI is still irritated. Huge disappointment, but I'd rather give natural birth to more children because it was a breeze compared to the experience I had with Movantik! Now it appears I have to seek a GI doc to deal with the aftereffects of being on it!"

• RNS...
• July 22, 2015

For Constipation, Drug Induced "My PM MD gave me samples after being constantly constipated for 2 years. Post L5-S1 disc replacement - 50 mcg/hr q72h of fentanyl and 10 mg oxycodone 6x day. The 1st time you take Movantik, make sure you take it on a day off from work! I took it on a weekend, first thing in the AM as the instructions say (1 hr before your 1st meal) and had a BM approximately 4 hrs later. I strongly suggest taking a stool softener - the BM was so wide from sitting in my intestines that I cut myself while going and bled (awful feeling). I tried taking every other day but it gave me nausea the day of taking it and usually the day after, very painful cramping before, during, and after taking the pill and having a BM, and decreased appetite. Will try Relistor inj next."

• Jen...
• August 6, 2018

For Constipation, Drug Induced "My doctor gave me this because I’m on high doses of opioids for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) or Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) and spinal arachnoiditis. This was horrible. I was given trial packs first. 25 mg I took, then so much pain in my belly I could not move. I was curled in the fetal position contemplating calling an ambulance. Horrific pain and deep bone pain in both my legs, far worse than my CRPS pain, plus nauseous, chills, I thought I was dying. Horrible. Threw them in the trash."

• Blu...
• July 22, 2020

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "This Movantik is so awful I believe it caused me to have my intestines tear, caused me to have emergency surgery and a foot of my intestines removed. I also had to wear a colostomy bag for seven months, thankfully, I was able to have the reversal, but I would never use this again. I use stool softeners and MiraLAX. When I did use this drug, it caused me to have horrible stomach cramps, sweats, nausea, and vomiting. I hope they allow this to be posted."

• Nur...
• August 5, 2017

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "I have been dealing with chronic pain for over 5 years, in which I've had to take opioids on and off. After 3 failed surgeries in an attempt to relieve my pain, I decided to see a pain management doctor who has put me on a daily regimen of opiates. I've tried Amitiza, Linzess, and of course fiber, Miralax, laxatives, and enemas. None of these have worked like Movantik. It's been truly a miracle drug. I take it first thing in the morning with my other meds and coffee, but I don't eat until an hour later, as the directions say, and it works every time. I've never had diarrhea, horrible stomach cramps, nausea, etc. It just makes me have a large, normal, and complete BM in the morning, and that's it. It's been a life saver for me."

• lov...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 30, 2018

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "I am never taking Movantik again. I'm sitting here with a heating pad and the air conditioning on, with a huge blanket on me, and let me tell you it gave me the worst excruciating pain in my stomach. I myself have gone to the ER for lesser pain as well. This is out-of-this-world kind of pain, I thought I was going to throw my dose up. I almost puked on the nurse, lol. I held that medicine down, but I seriously wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy."

• Gre...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 8, 2017

For Constipation, Drug Induced "My pain management doc has me on time-release morphine for spinal injuries because other modalities have not worked. Of course, I have severe constipation. Was given samples of Movantik. I took one pill and within one half hour, had severe cramping, and within one hour, total diarrhea. Also had some withdrawal symptoms. I waited a few days, became constipated again, and thought I would try it again. Same effect again except this time, I am three days out from taking the Movantik, and I am still experiencing withdrawal symptoms... nervousness, runny nose, anxiety, headache, and nausea. I have reported the adverse reactions to my doc and will be reporting them to the FDA as well. I am a 67-year-old male."

• Jer...
• November 14, 2017

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "My doctor gave me some samples of Movantik, as well as an Rx for it. Took the first pill on an empty stomach one hour before a meal, as directed. Cramps started about an hour after taking it. Cramps increased in intensity over the next few hours until I was experiencing the worst stomach pains of my life. I've actually gone to the ER for stomach pain less severe than this. Initial normal bowel movement quickly turned into total diarrhea (with the most horrible odor imaginable). Additional side effects included intense nausea and just an overall feeling of being very sick. These symptoms continued for an agonizing 8 to 10 hours. I reported the side effects to my doctor, and he advised against taking any more of it. This drug is a nightmare."

• Hig...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 28, 2018

For Constipation, Drug Induced "I have been on opioids for over 8 years. Movantik was suggested after an ER visit due to constipation. On my first night of taking this pill, I went into the ER with severe diarrhea (5 episodes in 2 hours), cramping, and nausea. I took the pill again the next night and still got cramps with diarrhea, but both were not as bad as the night before. I kept taking the pill at night before bed, and the side effects got better and better with each continuous night. By the second week, I was no longer cramping nor getting diarrhea. When taken at 10 pm, I would have a bowel movement at about 6 am, and it was loose without needing a laxative. It is my suggestion that even if the first few nights bring diarrhea, cramping, nausea, and other discomforts, to stick with it; it will get better. As painful as those first few nights may be, the long-term outcome of it will be worth it more than the struggle of dealing with the consequences of not staying on Movantik."

• No...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 26, 2016

For Constipation, Drug Induced "My advice on Movantik is to understand that Movantik is an opioid blocker in the same manner that naloxone (found in Suboxone) is an opioid blocker. My husband took 12.5 mg and was thrown into withdrawal. Nausea first, chills, fever, shaking so hard the bed was vibrating. I thought Movantik worked on the backed-up s**t, but it stops the opioid from working. Of course, you will have diarrhea when your pain meds are cut off. It may not happen to everyone, but it happened to my husband. I guess it's back to OIC."

• Mys...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 8, 2021

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "I took this medicine, and I’m on 95 mg daily of methadone for the past 5 years. Within 20 min, I had to poop, and then I started feeling icky. I went into full-blown withdrawal, and it was terrible. I was shaking, freezing, and sweating, nausea was intense, yawning, runny nose, back pain, and every 10 min, I had more cramping and pooping until my bowel was completely empty. Finally, I tried taking more methadone, but it was being blocked out and wasn’t helping. I then took some Tylenol and a few mg of Xanax, and it knocked me out and I fell asleep finally. Luckily, when I woke up, the withdrawal had passed, but I was in withdrawal for around 3-6 hours. It’s midnight now, and I’m extremely sore from back spasms, and my stomach feels awful. Please don’t take this garbage. Pooping is not that important. Use a stool softener daily. This was the worst day of my life in 5 years."

• Kiv...
• March 20, 2016

For Constipation, Drug Induced "Taking it for three months and no bowel movements. I have one movement a month. I really need to poop. All this medicine does is make me feel sick. I take it as it says and nothing happens. In between, I take Miralax, still nothing. I get nauseous, vomiting a lot of the time. Cramps, I am so tired of being full of bowel."

• Mam...
• November 17, 2017

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "Frankly, I’m surprised by the bad reviews. My constipation is severe. It, at one point, sent me to the emergency room. Reason? A stimulant laxative. Never again. I have never been a “1/2 pill is too much” girl. Movantik doesn’t overwhelm my body. My husband lost his mother to a burst bowel, so he is especially concerned. Never was a “poop a day” girl either. Having found Movantik is why I’m breathing a sigh of relief. If I can ever get off the opioids, it will be a happy day. But until then, I thank the Movantik developers. True, I, on occasion, will take a nausea pill, but I did that before Movantik. Now you can’t pry it from my cold dead hands!!! It helps me and our peace of mind to have Movantik assist me."

• ais...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 11, 2017

For Constipation, Drug Induced "Been taking Movantik for 2 1/2 months. At first, it seemed to be working great, no side effects with normal daily bowel movements and was thrilled. Then last month, I noticed being nauseous about an hour after taking my morning dose (the literature recommends taking your dose in the morning, 1 hour before your first meal). Usually after eating, it resolved, but then I started having random sudden severe cramping and nausea, cold soaking sweats, feeling extremely dizzy, and bad diarrhea ultimately. I didn't realize it was the Movantik until I stopped it for a few days. Felt fine, and then after restarting, it happened all over. I guess that's withdrawal then? Had no idea but figured out it was the Movantik causing all the symptoms!"