# About to ask the doc about Viberzi. Any advice?



## Christophermcne (Sep 7, 2011)

Folks,

I've had IBS-D for about 15 years now. I usually have to go to the bathroom at least once pretty urgently in the morning, and sometimes again in the evening (especially if I have a large meal). I'm almost certain that the primary factor in my IBS-D is psychological stress / anxiety. I've tried some stress medications, and they've had varying levels of success (none that have been satisfactory) but I detest the side effects and had to get off of them.

One of my biggest issues, and I assume an issue for most IBS-D sufferers, is the constant quest to make sure there's a bathroom nearby. As I said, I generally only have to use the bathroom once or twice a day, but just the fear of not having one nearby is enough to potentially cause me to have to go.

This year I will be taking a trip with family to Europe. We will be touring several locations by tour bus. This means hours of driving on a bus with no access to a bathroom, random sporadic stops and no promise of an easily accessible bathroom at any of the destinations. This is easily an IBS-D sufferer's worst nightmare scenario, and I'm trying to figure out what I can do to prepare for it.

I've been reading up on the drug Viberzi and have heard good things about it. I understand that it's not for people who've had their gallbladders removed, and fortunately I have mine. I have discovered that my private insurance doesn't cover this drug, which is surprising given that it's a very premium plan. I assume this must mean that most private insurance plans do not yet cover the drug. I've found a manufacturer's discount card that says I can get a 90 day supply for $30 with three refills (for what I assume would be a 1 year supply).

A few questions for anyone who cares to answer:

1. Has anyone else on here pursued this drug with a Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO Elect Preferred Value Plus plan (or something similar)? If so, how much did you end up paying for the drug?

2. Has anyone had success in relieving general urgency with this drug?

3. Has anyone had any 'long-term' experience with this? I understand that it's a relatively new drug, but I'm curious if it remains effective over the long term.

4. What makes this drug any better at all than a few Imodium?

I will be talking to my doctor about this within the next few days, and hope to have a prescription in-hand soon. Any info or advice would be appreciated!

Thanks!


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## bushja1 (Apr 23, 2003)

I started out having luck with Viberzi, but the side effects are hard to handle. I can't stay awake. I also get pretty bad abdominal pains with it. Lately, I've been having what I would call re- bound diarrhea. It stops me up for awhile, but my body eventually needs to go and I get frequent diarrhea as the drug wears off. I have to be honest with you....if I only went twice a day I'd think I died and went to heaven. I sometimes have to go four or five time an hour when my IBS is really kicking in. As far as worrying about the bus trip, I would think Imodium would work just as good as Viberzi and you wouldn't need a prescription.


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## Christophermcne (Sep 7, 2011)

bushja1 said:


> I started out having luck with Viberzi, but the side effects are hard to handle. I can't stay awake. I also get pretty bad abdominal pains with it. Lately, I've been having what I would call re- bound diarrhea. It stops me up for awhile, but my body eventually needs to go and I get frequent diarrhea as the drug wears off. I have to be honest with you....if I only went twice a day I'd think I died and went to heaven. I sometimes have to go four or five time an hour when my IBS is really kicking in. As far as worrying about the bus trip, I would think Imodium would work just as good as Viberzi and you wouldn't need a prescription.


Thanks for the reply! Based on everything I've read on this and other forums, I fully understand that my IBS in it's current state is 'relatively mild', and I certainly appreciate that. Imodium is definitely my fallback drug, but when I take it (and I have done so successfully in the past) it tends to stop me up completely for a few days and then the flood gates are released. I'm hoping that Viberzi would provide me with a more even keel that wouldn't result in a 'nothing and then all' situation.


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## bushja1 (Apr 23, 2003)

Have you tried Lomotil? It works best for me as far as not binding me up too much. Viberzi has that tendency like Imodium. It lasts much longer than Lomotil. I can take Lomotil in the evening and by morning have my normal irregular BMS. It does require a prescription.


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## dekkalife (Aug 21, 2015)

I experienced no effect nor any major side effect from Viberzi, besides from some fatigue and dizziness. I initially thought it was working, but I was taking it alongside Imodium. As soon as I dropped the Imodium and was on Viberzi by itself, I realised it was doing nothing.

In my experience, Imodium is far superior. I'm not disappointed I tried it, but Viberzi seems to have no effect on some people.


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## Christophermcne (Sep 7, 2011)

dekkalife said:


> I experienced no effect nor any major side effect from Viberzi, besides from some fatigue and dizziness. I initially thought it was working, but I was taking it alongside Imodium. As soon as I dropped the Imodium and was on Viberzi by itself, I realised it was doing nothing.
> 
> In my experience, Imodium is far superior. I'm not disappointed I tried it, but Viberzi seems to have no effect on some people.


Thanks for the reply! If you don't mind me asking, how serious are your symptoms? For instance, how frequently would you find yourself having to go to the bathroom if you were not treating your IBS with medication? I took my first Viberzi pill last night and haven't heard a single rumble from my digestive system since, which is highly unusual and very promising. I obviously haven't taken it long enough to determine if it's really working, but I do know that my symptoms are mild compared to many others and it make take less to resolve my issues.


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## seagazer (Jul 16, 2017)

Christophermcne said:


> Folks,
> 
> I've had IBS-D for about 15 years now. I usually have to go to the bathroom at least once pretty urgently in the morning, and sometimes again in the evening (especially if I have a large meal). I'm almost certain that the primary factor in my IBS-D is psychological stress / anxiety. I've tried some stress medications, and they've had varying levels of success (none that have been satisfactory) but I detest the side effects and had to get off of them.
> 
> ...


All I know is that I can't take it because my gall bladder has been removed.


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## bwpstl (Jun 6, 2017)

I too fear being away from a bathroom, even if my IBS-D isn't acting up. The anxiety can trigger my D when I'm away from home.

Initially, I was given a 2 week free trial of Viberzi from my Gastro and after the pre-warned 1st 4 days of constipation, I had tremendous success on Viberzi. But my insurance eventually disapproved it and I tried the 2 week antibiotic Xifaxan with little to no success.

Recently had my 3rd colonoscopy and my new Gastro recommended I try soluble fiber, so for the last 3 or 4 days, I've taken 1 capsule of psyllium(Target brand) with my lunch and dinner meal. It seems to have slowed my digestion of food because(knock on wood), I haven't had an episode of my IBS-D immediately after eating like I normally do. It hasn't helped with the anxiety of not being near a bathroom(wouldn't expect it to help with that) but I thought I'd share something that may provide some relief.

I notice your last post was nearly a month ago, have you taken the Viberzi and if so, what do you think?


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## atrix (Jun 7, 2017)

I believe if you have no gallbladder you cannot take it. I have a friend who is taking it and it gave her her life back. No side effects either.


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