Naloxegol and Stomach Pain: What Users Say

• Hop...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 19, 2023

Naloxegol for Opioid-Induced Constipation "I felt I needed to write this review considering how many negative reviews there are out there for this drug. (There are very few good/positive ones.) Hopefully, those like me will give it a try. My experience so far has been great. I’ve been taking Percocet 10’s, muscle relaxers, and gabapentin daily for the past 22 years due to 24/7 chronic pain. I have severe constipation. I never go on my own without taking something to make me go. I have advanced to taking prescription medications via the doctor. But either they don’t work or eventually stop working for me. I took the first dose in the morning, one hour before any other meds. Had a small bowel movement within 20 mins. After eating a couple of hours later, had a large bowel movement. No withdrawals and very few cramps/stomach pains. (FYI: It was sudden.)"

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

Naloxegol 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!"

• Bob...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 3, 2020

Naloxegol for Opioid-Induced Constipation "This Movantik was a godsend for me. Pain medication caused severe constipation to the point I was taking stimulant laxatives almost daily with only minimal success. The first day of taking 12.5 mg Movantik, I had some severe cramping and stomach pain, but it worked. After the first day, I had no more cramps. I’ve found it works best if you take it first thing in the morning. When I’ve taken it later in the day, it seems to do nothing, and if you stop taking it for several days, you go back to day one as far as cramps go. It’s not perfect, but it’s a godsend for people on opioids who have almost panicked to death because of days of no motility. Highly recommend, just know on Day 1 you may have discomfort due to days/weeks of backlog."

• Owa...
• December 5, 2019

Naloxegol 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..."

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

Naloxegol 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."

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 2, 2016

Naloxegol for Constipation, Drug Induced "Awful stomach pain that lasted hours. Very small amount of diarrhea. Not worth the pain. I threw the medication away, it was that bad. I didn't want to be tempted to take it again. It's really that bad. I wouldn't even bother halving the 25 mg tablet. Also, the fact that it seems to suck the options out of your body. I'm in more pain than before. Unfortunately, I had taken my morphine before this drug. Stay away from it, terrible medication."

• Nan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 28, 2018

Naloxegol for Opioid-Induced Constipation "This can be an extremely dangerous drug. My stomach still isn't back to normal 10 days later, and I wasn't terribly constipated. I take magnesium, which can be uncomfortable. This was the worst stomach pain imaginable. I didn't call 911 because I knew that it would work itself out eventually, and what could they do anyway? This was not withdrawal symptoms. I can see someone overdose from pain medication trying to cope with the Movantik-induced pain. I'm sure you can get a perforated stomach lining from the side effects. My stomach feels raw."

• Jer...
• November 14, 2017

Naloxegol 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."

• Lau...
• June 14, 2019

Naloxegol for Constipation, Drug Induced "So I am on 70 mg of methadone and have been on it for about 4 years. It is what causes my super horrible constipation. I tried 1 25 mg Movantik for the first time yesterday. I took the pill at 1 pm on an empty stomach when I got home from the pharmacy. Within 20 minutes, I experienced the WORST stomach pain of my entire life. I immediately ran to the bathroom to try to go and couldn't. I had to go lay down immediately, the pain was so intense. This was on and off for about an hour with no luck using the bathroom. Then, about 1 hour and a half after taking the pill, I was in full-blown withdrawal. It was terrible, I was crying and in so much pain. I was contemplating going to the hospital, but I couldn't even walk and muster up the energy to go. I will NEVER take this medication again, and I am very, very upset my doctor did not warn me about these side effects. Had I known the risk, I would have never even tried it."

• jtj...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 13, 2016

Naloxegol for Constipation, Drug Induced "I have been on various opioid pills for five years and fentanyl patches for two years. I was generally able to cope with the OIC symptoms from just the pills with 1500 mg of magnesium and an occasional Linzess, but when I started the fentanyl patches, I was fairly sure I was dying. The Linzess didn't even touch this constipation. Movantik returned me to my pre-fentanyl condition of only mild constipation. For anyone with severe OIC, mild constipation is heavenly. I have had none of the reported stomach pain, withdrawal symptoms, etc. I take it at least an hour before or two hours after eating. I do still need to take an occasional Linzess. When I ran out for two days, the OIC came back immediately."

• Lyn...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 4, 2018

Naloxegol for Constipation, Drug Induced "Ok, I'm NEVER taking that Movantik EVER again!!!!! I feel like I'm going to die! Insane stomach pain, cramping, sweat pouring off me, chills, lightheadedness, diarrhea, crazy lower back pain. I threw up while on the toilet... uhh... no! That pill is awful! I'll deal with the constipation.... I can't handle this. I'm lying on the couch downstairs in excruciating pain, shaking, sweating, and wanting to puke. So yeah... you could say it “worked,” but I’m not willing to deal with the consequences."

• Don...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 25, 2021

Naloxegol for Opioid-Induced Constipation "I had been on methadone for about 12 years, and my doctor told me I should be having bowel movements more often than every 10 days (duh), so prescribed me Movantik. Honestly, one of the biggest mistakes of my life. I was at work (not a good place to take this!), and within 10 or so minutes, I started to have stomach pains. I went to the washroom and sat on the toilet but never had a bm, just severe stomach pains. I didn't know what to do, I just sat there hunched over. The pains were off and on, so when I thought they had stopped, I ended up going back to the unit I was working on, but the pains hit again, and I had to lay down on the floor. FYI, I work in a long-term care facility. Back to the bathroom I went, where the pains eventually went away. I can't even explain how bad this experience was. And now reading all of these reviews that sound exactly like what happened to me. Little bottle costs just under $500. No warnings from my doctor either. Don't take this!"

• Cha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 26, 2018

Naloxegol for Constipation, Drug Induced "Let me tell you my Movantik experience. It's a terrible drug, but it does help me use the bathroom, but it's not worth it. When I take it, I have the worst stomach pains I have ever felt. I thought I was going to end up in the hospital. The pain was the worst stomach pain I have ever felt. I'm on 72 mg of methadone daily, so it's very hard to use the bathroom. While it did help with that, the trade-off will be the worst pain you have ever felt. If you ever saw the Alien movie where they explode people's stomachs to come alive, that's how your stomach feels, like it will explode. Now I don't know how many people experience these side effects, but from what I read, a lot do. If you can take it without these side effects, it definitely will help you poop."

• Ful...
• December 17, 2016

Naloxegol for Constipation, Drug Induced "First dose worked great. Then comes horrible pain. I only use in dire straits when it's been 5 days and nothing else works. Sometimes it takes days for Movantik to even kick in. That's what made me find this board, it's been 3 days this time and it hasn't worked, but I haven't had any stomach pain. My pain experience doesn't sound as bad as some of yours. Try heating pad on stomach. Or my joke, just stay full of poop! It feels better!"

• Dot...
• July 9, 2021

Naloxegol for Constipation, Drug Induced "I had an awful experience with Movantik. I had all the side effects listed. Terrible stomach pain, throwing up, hot and cold sweats, weakness. This lasted over 6 hours. I can't remember ever feeling this sick. I will never take it again."

• Tja...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 15, 2019

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "It makes me go, but every so often I get severe stomach cramps, nausea, and feel like I am going to die. I sweat so much, feel dizzy and sick, and the pain is worse than labor. I actually feel like I am going to die. I am sure it must be the drug. But I'm a bit confused as to why it doesn’t happen all the time."

• Dan...
• December 15, 2021

For Constipation, Drug Induced "Absolutely awful!! I'm on methadone, and I'm not really sure these medications go well together. Yes, I'm certainly no longer constipated, but the stomach pain, more like burning from the inside out. I've had children, and this was bad. I very nearly phoned for an ambulance, had sweat pouring off me, this went on for a good 2 and a half hours. The stomach pain, that is, the sweating and chills a few hours. I took this medication today before I had my methadone, this was only the second tablet I'd taken, the first one I had 2 days before gave me really bad stomach and intestinal pain for around an hour, bad but just bearable. It must be very strong, as I went to the toilet within 30 minutes, had diarrhea all night. I also had it today several times. I read that you're more likely to have severe reactions to Moventik while on methadone. Great for constipation. Not if you're on methadone, though. I was put straight on to 25 mg, perhaps that's too high, or maybe a doctor should see you in person, not just over the phone, when prescribing."

• Tra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 18, 2017

For Opioid-Induced Constipation "I ended up with severe constipation after two weeks of being on this medication, resulting in hospitalization. Need two enemas and a further 9 days on other laxatives before it cleared my bowel. I was in a lot of pain. Following that, I have now got severe diarrhea and stomach pains. I have stopped taking it and am waiting for further advice from my gastro doctor."

• oh ...
• March 21, 2016

Naloxegol for Constipation, Drug Induced "So on one hand, it works great, makes me go. On the other, it feels like it's literally killing me. The stomach pain is excruciating. This is only my 3rd and last day."

• Dog...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 29, 2021

Naloxegol for Opioid-Induced Constipation "Caused severe stomach pain and diarrhea."

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

Naloxegol for Opioid-Induced Constipation "Constant stomach pain and cramps, and it doesn't even work! Still backed up on the highest dose and feel like garbage! Headache that won't quit for days."

• Hor...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 7, 2022

Naloxegol for Constipation, Drug Induced "This has to be one of the worst medications I’ve taken. Non-stop stomach pain and increased constipation. Not to mention getting withdrawal symptoms. Absolute poison!"