# Constipated on Amitiza?



## Dylan5100 (Aug 18, 2012)

Hi,

For 1 week I've been taking Amitiza, 2 stool softners & 1 dose of Miralax yet have been constipated all week. Has anyone else had this problem with Amitiza? I'm going to stop taking it.

Best wishes to all!!!!

Take care,

Dylan


----------



## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

sorry it amitiza didn't work for you. it didn't help me either. but everyone is diferent in how they react to meds. amitiza does come in two different strengths, though--24 mcg and 8 mcg. if one strength doesn't work you could try the other. some people had better success with the 8 mcg than with the higher dose. sometimes less is more...

because meds like this work more like bowel regulators--not laxatives--it's best to do a clean out before starting to take them instead taking them when you're already backed up and constipated--gives them a better chance of working properly.

have you tried linzess (linaclotide). it seems like more people have had success with that rather than amitiza.

good luck, hope you find something that helps.


----------



## Dreamcatcher32 (Nov 12, 2013)

Different strokes for different folks. Sometimes it works.. sometimes it doesn't. You gotta find what works for you and then rotate those things out. Try some Magnesium Citrate. I find the liquid kind works best for me.

Though if you're dealing with Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, you gotta get a handle on that first. Sometimes laxatives won't work. For PFD, you need biofeedback, physical therapy as well as yoga and relaxation techniques to understand how your pelvic floor is tensing.

Best to you!!


----------



## futureyogi (Dec 25, 2013)

How long have you been constipated for?

I have been for two months and nothing is working. I don't get it.


----------



## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

futureyogi--do you have a good gastro doc? go to one and discuss your problem. you can try linzess or amitiza (scripts). it sounds like more people have had success with linzess than with amitiza.

you can also try taking miralax. my gastros both suggested this to me. it is very safe to take. if it bloats you or gives you too much gas at first, start increasing the dose gradually.

you mentioned taking dulcolax and lactulose. does that help?

having tests can be very helping in getting to the bottom of a constipation problem. then your gastro can recommend an appropriate treatment plan based on the results of your tests.

have you had a colonoscopy? this would show if your colon is unusually long or twisted.

also-you could ask to have a sitz marker test (colonic transit study) this test measures colonic transit times and shows if you have slow transit constipation. also placement of the markers can reveal other problems--ie if they end up with all or most of them collected in the rectum it could indicate pelvic floor dysfunction or an outlet problem.

and then there's the defogram--defecatory proctogram. this test will show if you have pelvic floor dysfunction --where the pelvic floor muscles don't coordinate properly to allow stool to pass-- or an outlet obstruction like a rectal prolapse or intussusception or a rectocele, etc. both men and women can have these problems. sometimes people have an internal rectal intussusception that they are not aware of until they take this test. if the defogram indicates pfd, an anal manometry is used to confirm this dx.

if you have pelvic floor dysfunction, biofeedback/physical therapy can help with that.

i've found that when sitting on the toilet elevating my feet on a footstool (shoebox actually, in my case) so that my knees are higher than my hips really helps. it straightens out the anorectal angle and allows for a more complete evacuation.

and adjusting your diet can help as well. for those of us with slow transit constipation, fiber--especially insoluable--is not our friend. i have found a low fiber diet works a lot better for me.

good luck hope you and your doc can work out a treatment plan that brings you some relief.


----------



## Stephers (Jan 24, 2014)

I took amitiza for two weeks at the 8 mcg dosage, after the first week I was way constipated and having to use suppositories to get anything to move. Amitiza also seemed to cause extreme bloating. Called my Dr, the nurse that answered said the constipation couldn't be because of the amitiza (but I wasn't this bad off before I started it ) and that I should increase dosage to 2 pills a day, not just one. I did this for another week with no improvement, and have quit taking the drug. It only seemed to make everything worse than it was while on it, and I have not gone back to normal since.


----------



## Stephers (Jan 24, 2014)

Also, all the reviews that report similar effects say that doctors increased to the 24 mcg dosage, which eventually worked for most, but it also came with some pretty severe side effects. Didn't seem worth it to me


----------

