Ondansetron and Constipation: What Users Say (Page 2)

• San...
• April 27, 2019

For Nausea/Vomiting "I just started using ondansetron again. I used to have IBS-D and C, and it has just come back. I'm trying to manage it again. I am always nauseated, I can't eat, and when I do, look out. I even dry heave with my IBS. I only take it when I get extremely nauseous because it does cause severe constipation for me. In turn, that causes my whole IBS cycle to be worse. This medication usually works within 20 minutes. I prefer the melt tabs over tablets. They work quicker and better."

• MsD...
• September 30, 2014

For Gastroenteritis "I have suffered with gastrointestinal/irritable bowel syndrome problems for 15 years. This medication is literally a 'miracle worker.' Anytime I have a flare-up that causes nausea/vomiting, I take one pill of this and I am fine just minutes later. I remember thanking my doctor over and over for finding this medication for me. I agree with others that it makes you a little sleepy (does not knock you out though), and also if you use it several days in a row (which hopefully you do not), it can and may cause constipation. I would recommend this to anyone with frequent and/or recurring GI/IBS episodes."

• Anonymous
• September 24, 2008

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting "Until my doctor gave me Zofran, I was one of the millions of women who suffered terrible morning sickness. It was so bad, in fact, that I couldn't work. The first day I took it, I became dizzy, but the vomiting stopped. The dizziness was gone by the second day. It did cause constipation, and I was hungry all the time. By the second trimester, I went off of it and found that my bowel movements returned to normal and my appetite had returned to somewhat normal. It definitely serves its purpose during the first trimester."

• Agu...
• January 2, 2016

For Nausea/Vomiting "I had bad constipation, and my urgent care doctor prescribed it to me so I wouldn't throw up due to me being terrified of it. After about 30-60 minutes, I feel a lot better, and I can actually eat again. It doesn't help out so much with the constipation, but it keeps my anxiety from building up towards the vomiting."

• Nic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 3, 2018

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting "At first, it worked for me when it was given to me at the hospital. It was then prescribed to me by my doctor for nausea and vomiting from gallstones. After a few hours of taking Zofran, I started to experience body tremors, and I still have residual nausea too. It also makes me feel very sleepy from it too. I think it has also caused me to be constipated since I haven't had a bowel movement in a few days. Not sure if I would recommend this to anyone. It does kind of work, but not well for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 3, 2019

For Nausea/Vomiting, Chemotherapy Induced "I just discovered I will not be taking this pill anymore! I was taking it for anti-nausea for chemo. Three weeks ago, I started on chemo. Now I'm horribly bloated. For the past week, so bloated I look like I'm pregnant. Horrible gas, horrible constipation. I am not taking this pill ever again! I am so bloated and I'm so swollen everywhere. They even checked me for blood clots Thursday because I was so swollen. My ankles are swollen horribly bad, my face is swollen horribly bad, and now after a week, I am discovering it's from this stupid anti-nausea pill!"

• Sic...
• November 18, 2015

For Nausea/Vomiting "I have endometriosis on my bowel and severe IBS. A lifelong emetophobic, the crippling nausea/vomiting/diarrhea that accompany my endometriosis/IBS cause me great anxiety and keep me from living freely. I was first prescribed Zofran after surgery on my bowel so I could take pain meds without vomiting. Then I was prescribed oral Zofran/ondansetron to manage ongoing nausea. It helps tremendously. If very sick, I may take 8 mg to stop the nausea entirely, but 4 mg usually does the job within 30 min. I also have a prescription for the 4 mg Orally Disintegrating Tablets (ODT) version that melt under your tongue. They work fast, within 10-15 min. This med is a lifesaver for me. Side effects of bad constipation and headaches are manageable for me."

• A3c...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 29, 2015

For Nausea/Vomiting "My experience on Zofran has been alright so far. I suffer from PCOS, endometriosis, and GERD. All three of those combined make my nausea outrageous. Sometimes to the point where I have to call in to school or work. I had an ER visit a week ago because my PCOS pain meds made me severely constipated. They gave me Zofran in my IV along with six other things and two liters of this water stuff. I've been taking it for a week now and it's alright. It works fast, but it doesn't make my nausea go away. It does ease it to the point I don't want to throw up everywhere, though. Overall, it's a pretty good med. They've had me on six to seven other meds to prevent my nausea, and I have to say this works the best."

• Pen...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 2, 2019

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting "I find Zofran to be totally worthless, regardless of format or strength. Not only does it not help, but also it causes constipation that greatly aggravates my existing nausea and abdominal pain even further. I am dealing with that now, after a recent ER visit, and regretting not having refused it."

• 3be...
• November 16, 2020

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting, Postoperative "I had a horrible reaction to the anesthesia after surgery and was given Zofran for the nausea. I am now three weeks taking it, and it has been a lifesaver for me. It works really fast, and the only side effect I have is hard stools."

• Kay...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 25, 2022

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting "I used this along with Phenergan suppositories, but I couldn't keep the pill down, so I did the dissolvable. The dissolvable tasted bad, but if you drink a little (like a very small amount) of almond milk or regular milk right after, it takes away the bad taste. I did have to take Miralax because it made me very constipated at times, but it beat vomiting 20+ times a day. I also had Zofran through an IV three times a week with fluids, which felt like the biggest relief."

• Sus...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 1, 2016

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting, Chemotherapy Induced "Could not tolerate this drug during chemo RX. Hated it prescribed for three cycles of my red devil chemo treatment. It caused paranoia, constipation, which caused increased vomiting, and also probably added to the chemonesia issues. Zofran was replaced by Emend, and I had 180 degrees different drug and had no issues whatsoever. Zofran interferes with serotonin in the brain."

• Mic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 3, 2014

For Nausea/Vomiting "I was in the hospital for 11 days, diagnosed with failing kidneys, which made me highly nauseated. I've lost 20 lbs. in 2 months. The shots worked quicker for me than the 4 mg pills I'm taking at home. But reading through the posts, I now know why I was severely constipated, and I normally suffer from irritable bowel syndrome...constant diarrhea. My kidneys continue to deteriorate, which causes the nausea. As far as the person who mentioned they stopped taking it because of a headache...the headache probably came from extreme vomiting or the blood pressure going up from the stress of vomiting. That's what happened to me. I would give it another try."

• Ale...
• September 23, 2015

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting "Sometimes have really terrible heartburn due to my birth control pills, and sometimes causes bad nausea. Wanted an alternative to promethazine. Works great for taming the nausea, but the side effects were pretty annoying. Terrible backache and constipation. Oh man. Won't be taking these unless I'm dying or something."

• Mar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 29, 2021

For Nausea/Vomiting, Chemotherapy Induced "Had chemo for breast cancer. Very effective drug, took care of my nausea immediately for the whole day. Downside is that it was very constipating for me. I already am chronically constipated, and this drug made it worse. Had to take laxative to keep myself going."

• Anonymous
• June 22, 2009

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting "I have been given this medication twice - once after surgery to deal with nausea/vomiting from the pain medicine and again for severe morning sickness from pregnancy. It has been very helpful, however, I have experienced severe constipation as a side effect."

• vit...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 8, 2024

Ondansetron "I had hyperemesis gravidarum during my pregnancy, and Zofran was the only medication that allowed me to feel 'okay.' I was prescribed 8 mg ODT every 6 hours. This medication truly kept me and my child alive during that time. I also have had it prescribed for kidney infections and kidney stones. Side effects include severe constipation, and it can cause headaches. Benefits include not vomiting all over the place."

• Pre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 17, 2025

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting "After being diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum, I was given Zofran. The midwife suggested I waited until the 12-week mark as they don’t like to administer during the first trimester, so I had an alternative to then. I went from being sick multiple times a day to maybe once or twice a week and gradually to once every couple of weeks, etc. If I stop taking the medication, I will start to feel very nauseous again, which to me indicates I still need it (now 20 weeks). The only side effect I have is constipation, which could be down to pregnancy itself. I have had no other issues at all and am thankful to have this medication."

• Ott...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 8, 2022

Ondansetron for Nausea/Vomiting "I was given this for nausea from gastritis. It really didn't help the nausea, but it did give me a headache, made me very tired, that I had to lay down, and then gave me short, awful nightmares that I woke from with something like an electrical shock. It also made my breathing shallow, and like many, the next day I was very constipated. It was not a pleasant experience all around. I find non-prescription products much better than this for nausea. This made me feel much worse, and I would never use it again."

• Mot...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 13, 2022

For Nausea/Vomiting "I’ve used this medicine for so many years. I’ve never had any side effects other than a little constipation here and there. It helped my side effect nausea from medications, curbed some vomiting due to COVID, and has worked in other nausea-related attacks. I know if this medication doesn’t work, I either have toxins that need to leave my body or I’m anxious. It really works 99% of the time."

• Sma...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 8, 2024

For Nausea/Vomiting, Chemotherapy Induced "Sometimes it works well but did cause worsening constipation, fast heartbeat and bad heartburn. I will take it for prevention of vomiting but the heartburn is very painful. It aches up into my ears on both sides and means I must use Gaviscon to ease it."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 27, 2022

For Nausea/Vomiting "I’ve been dealing with unknown severe neurological and skeletomuscular issues associated with my neck for a year. Due to current events, it’s been nearly impossible to get treatment. Besides the physical and neurological pain associated with my condition, there have been intense waves of nausea and vomiting from effects on my vagal nerve. The nausea lasts days, causes severe suicidal thoughts/suffering, and is probably the worst of the symptoms by far. Recently, I got a script for ondansetron, and it has significantly reduced the nausea during these attacks, sometimes outright eliminating them. One vomiting spell was so violent that the acidity damaged my throat and was closing my airway. I took a dose and was able to reduce the nausea, preventing another wave of vomiting that could’ve suffocated me. The dose is 4 mg sublingual as needed, and the only side effect is hard stool for me. The medication has significantly improved my QoL and hopefully will buy me the time to get diagnosed."

• Ano...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 15, 2024

For Nausea/Vomiting "I have found this medicine can be very effective. Sometimes it works really, really well, and sometimes it doesn't work very well. The ODT version is much better than the tablets, and the IV version is the best (but least accessible), so I would recommend the ODT for outpatient settings. Zofran has never fully taken away the nausea for me, but it has helped a lot at times. It can make you very constipated and can cause headaches, but if you take Miralax, that can help with the constipation. I have also noticed the constipation is less bad the more often you take the medicine. Your body gets used to the side effects. If you are consistently nauseous/vomiting, I would suggest at least trying this medication, because it really is the love of my life. Even though it doesn't take away everything completely, it is like my safety blanket and helps. I really love ondansetron."

• Ecr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 1, 2025

For Gastroenteritis "Zofran Zydis 4 mg. I got food poisoning when I was 8. Started with abdominal cramps and diarrhea, then progressed to vomiting. After vomiting around 20 times over the night, I was given 1 wafer of Zofran Zydis. After being unable to keep down even a sip of water, I was able to keep down an entire popsicle within an hour of taking it. Did not vomit again until 2 days later, where I vomited a few times due to introducing some foods too soon. I took a half tablet and that was the end of my symptoms. The only minor side effects I got was when I took 1 wafer for a less severe episode of vomiting/diarrhea (not due to gastro) as an adult, which were a moderate headache and hard stool."

• Abr...
• April 28, 2018

For Nausea/Vomiting "Never will I ever let any of my family take this drug again. So many side effects, especially. Both my wife and I are still sick. We only took two pills, and I destroyed the rest of them. I'd rather have a stomach bug. My older son was fine without this drug. We have the feeling like you don't want to eat anything and the worst constipation."