# New to Linzess...did it stop working?



## Chrissy1978 (Nov 6, 2013)

I have been suffering with chronic constipation for almost ten years now. I suffered a broken neck from a freak fall in 2004 and ended up with nerve damage, a bruised spinal cord, and multiple rods/screws in my neck. Due to my daily struggle with pain, I have been on suboxone for some time and while suboxone has been an absolute miracle drug to me, there is definitely a down side to taking it....constipation. I only take one pill per day, but it still binds me up like crazy. I have dealt with it on my own for the past ten years but have been getting significantly worse in the last 12 months or so. I have blood in my stool about 90% of the time and am always straining when I DO go. I have tried A LOT of things to deal with the constipation....fiber pills, fiber capsules, mineral oil, castor oil, milk of magnesia, stool softeners, senna, cleanses (multiple types from GNC and CVS), probiotics (3 or 4 different types), daily activia, suppositories, and of course, enemas. I got more active, I tried to eat more vegetables, and I drink about 75 oz of water every single day. Still, I only go once per week, and I usually have to force the process with an enema. I NEVER feel totally cleaned out, and the bloating, discomfort, lower back pain, and gas make me MISERABLE. I am always worried about taking things on a daily basis...since everything I have used says "don't use for more than 7 days...10 days..." etc. I finally went to see a gastro doctor and he did a colonoscopy immediately based on the blood in my stool. Everything was OK (thank God) but he did find some polyps and of course hemmoroids. Immediately after my colonoscopy he gave me a prescription for Linzess, 290 mg capsules, once per day. I was so excited to finally have a daily pill to take that would help me, instead of doing all of these regiments that had little to no effect. The first day I took it, I was very uncomfortable (as expected) and had a lot of gas and churning in my stomach, but no bowel movement. Over the next few days, I continued to take it and still had some pretty significant discomfort, but I dealt with it. On about the 3rd day....YES! I actually had a regular bowel movement! I was so excited and hopeful that this medication would finally be the end to my misery! It has now been another week since the first successful elimination day, and nothing. I have been taking the pill each morning on an empty stomach, same time, each day. The discomfort is now very minimal (if anything at all), and the results are in turn very disappointing. I have resorted to adding back in my daily probiotic and taking fiber pills 2-3 times per day again. I also went out at lunch today and got some Miralax to start taking because I am seeing that mentioned a lot by other sufferers.

Can anyone give me some feedback on what they think is going on? Do I continue to take the Linzess? What about Amitiza? Can my probiotics or fiber pills be counter productive, while taking the Linzess? Reading through this site has been so incredibly helpful, and I want to thank everyone for their contributions. For the first time in a very long time, I feel like I am not utterly alone in all of this.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

Chrissy--i am so sorry for all your problems and all your pain. all that pain really complicates things doesn't it.

has your doc mentioned relistor to you? relistor is a med that treats constipation caused by opiod medications. so it very well may work to treat the constipation caused by suboxone. ask your doc about it if he/she hasn't suggested it. from what i've heard and read it's helped a lot of people with opiod-induced constipation.

about linzess--i have slow transit constipation and pelvic floor dysfunction. linzess did work a bit for me the first few days i took it but then each day after that the amount of stool i was able to pass went down while the side effects--nausea, bloating, etc--went up. after about a week it wasn't working at all for me. i was on the 290 dose. the 145 dose did nothing. it is disappointing isn't it when a med starts working and then quits.

some people have found that taking a combination of linzess and miralax helps and works better than linzess alone...

i would definitely look into relistor though if i were you...especially if you feel your constipation is caused at least in part by suboxone. good luck! hope you find something that helps!


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I'd give the doc a call back to see if the combo of Linzess + Miralax might be a good option or if there may be a dose change needed.

Unfortunately a lot of times it takes a bit of tweaking but that it seemed to help some may be an indication it could be a part of the solution.


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## Chrissy1978 (Nov 6, 2013)

Thanks so much for the feedback! I will speak with my doc about that medication but the fact it is an injectable drug makes me nervous!!  Does anyone know if taking Linzess twice a day is an option? Doubling the dose? I'm sure that would reek havoc on my system but I was just curious. Is 290 mg the top daily dose?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

A quick google shows that is the usual top dose, but I don't know if there is information about upping it. I wouldn't without the doctor's advise. I don't know how much above the usual effective dose the toxic dose is.

Some drugs have a really wide margin of error and some have a pretty narrow one.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

oh yes--i agree with Kathleen. you definitely would not want to double the 290 dose without your doctor's advice. and some people have reported an increased heart rate on linzess. another reason to be very careful.


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## Chrissy1978 (Nov 6, 2013)

That makes sense. I'll talk to my doctor first. One more question...how about amitiza...is that an option? Is linzess stronger than that medication? I don't know much about it...


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

oh yes, amitiza is definitely an option. i always feel it's definitely worthwhile to try anything and everything. you never know if something will work for you unless you try it. and we're all so different in how our bodies react to medications--what works for one person may or may not work for another but it's all worth a try.









both meds work by promoting colonic motility by increasing intestinal fluid--they just work in slightly different ways to do that.

like linzess, amitiza is available in two different dose strengths--8 mcg and 24 mcg. if one doesn't work try the other. from what i've read quite a few people found that the 8 mcg worked better for them than the 24 mcg.

one thing different about linzess though is it's supposed to also help relieve abdominal pain and bloating in addition to helping to promote a bm. it acts on some nerve receptors and stimulates them to inhibit the pain response and reduce bloating as well as increase motility.

good luck--i do hope you find something that helps. take care..


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

i just remembered a couple more things people have done to tweak linzess --either to get it to work or to get it to work better..

take it in the am with a cup of black coffee a half hour before breakfast.

some gastros have advised taking it with a stimulant laxative if adding miralax doesn't help first. start with a low dose stimulant like senokot and work upward if necessary. some people had good results taking it with senna (ex lax) --some with miralax and senna both...

and of course it would be nice if it just worked all by itself and for many people it does but for some of us stubborn cases







it may take tweaking.

another thing and i've mentioned this on the board before so maybe you've already read it but-----one of my gastro docs has done research and has run clinical trials on linzess. he told me that linzess works on the same receptors that food does. so generally, the closer you take it to eating a meal, the more diarrhea you get. and conversely, the more time that elapses between taking linzess and eating, the less D you get. it's all in experimenting and finding out what works best for you.

so if you're getting too much D try taking it an hour before breakfast instead of a half hour before as prescribed. you'll probably have less D that way. some people take at even two hours before eating or at night, on an empty stomach, before they go to bed.

yes, there are people who take linzess at night (on an empty stomach) because they find it works better for them that way and doesn't give them as much diarrhea as when they take it as prescribed, a half hour before eating breakfast. like i mentioned--that's the food effect. the closer you take it before eating the more D you get. conversely, the more time that elapses between taking linzess and eating, the less D you get. it's all in experimenting and finding out what works best for

another thing. i've read and heard that these meds -- linzess, amitiza and back in the day, zelnorm--- are more like bowel regulators --they're not laxatives--and so they work best if you're not all backed up to begin with when you start taking them. if you are backed up it's best to do a clean out first before trying them.


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## Chrissy1978 (Nov 6, 2013)

Thank you SO much! You have given me such great info....I can't thank u enough! !!


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## Chrissy1978 (Nov 6, 2013)

Just thought of one more thing....what about taking probiotics in addition to the linzess? Will the probiotics interfere with the linzess? (In ur opinion of course  Before my colonoscopy I was taking a probiotic that seemed to start working a little right before I had to stop everything for my cleansing. I don't know much about probiotics.....

Thanks again! Ur a life saver. I'm 34 and while it makes me uncomfortable to talk to my husband about these things, other people will usually just discount everything I say. I'm too young...I don't have a debilitating disease that would cause such difficulty....drink more water...ill be fine. So frustrating....


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

i haven't read anything specific about taking probiotics and linzess but i don't think it would hurt to do so. if taking probiotics with linzess interfers with linzess or causes an adverse reaction i would think that would be mentioned in the patient instruction sheet that comes with the script. or online:

http://www.frx.com/pi/linzess_pi.pdf

that's good you found a probiotic that seems to help.

oh you're more than welcome. i do understand what you mean--it is hard to talk to many people about these things and yes you're right--many people do discount what we say, how we feel-- they say-- we don't "look sick" etc. little do others realize how debilitating and hard to treat chronic constipation really is. and oh yes--if i hear one more "drink more water" or "it's your fault--you don't eat right--exercise right" "eat enough fiber" etc etc---honestly--i'll just







scream--lol..


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## mailemaikai (Nov 18, 2013)

i have been taking this 145 dose for a week , wow what wonderful drug and as I know whe it im completely empty 2 hours later , I then can go on with my life,

12 weeks ago all of a sudden i stopped going to the bathroom I stopped the dumping syndrome , I had my gall bladder out 3 years ago, went to gastro doc they did a colonoscopy that week found I had internal roids, and a polyp bigger then most it was not cancerous but big, doc said Im under so much stress my colon doesnt spasm anymore so I did the usual stuff accupuncture herbs stress techniques anyways make a long story short it didnt help and I wasnt pooping anymore life had to get back to normal at least somewhat, did google searches ARGH DONT Ever do that though oh I have pelvic floor disfunction I have all kinds of problems and being in the medical scene that didnt help, gastro doc said take linzess see if this work I was apprehensive but miralax to me makes me bloated aggitated and no appetite so i started taking this and I feel great yes it gives me the runs and for 2 hours after I take it , at 530 every morning after my one and only cup of coffee by 715 im going to the bathroom, by 830 im done and off with life, Im going to start taking it every other day and see how it works, my headaches in teh morning when I wake up are slight but go away , im getting urges to go in the morning but still no dumping syndrome weird huh, what use to go through me after I eat doesnt anymore, my colon could still be stressed or I could have another problem but my blood tests and exams came back good I know NO more searching on the internet no matter waht to self diagnose me&#8230;.. i dont take probiotics, or enzyme pills no mroe chinese herbs or gallons of aloe juice i eat normal and back to walking a few miles being happy and not worrying about going poop my life was such a mess worrying about not pooping it changed, I hate my husband being he has never had constipation in his life he feels for me but doesnt have a clue what we have to deal with , so Ill take linzess and hopefully it will work for me until one day just hoping ill be back to "normal" whatever that is.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

linzess comes in two doses. have you tried the 290 dose? just take two 145's...it's always a good idea to check with your doctor first of course before doing this.

for the pelvic floor dysfunction--have you tried biofeedback/physical therapy. sometimes that helps. also elevating your feet on a footstool or shoebox while on the toilet can help..and not straining, etc..

this u-tube video has a lot of helpful tips--how to empty your bowels without straining:






good luck...hope you find something to help and find some relief.


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## Josie67 (Oct 11, 2013)

Hi... new to the site (which is wonderful) but not to the IBS-C thing.

Have had problems off and on for about ten years or more. Considering all I've read from some of you, I've gotten off easy. SO sorry to read about how difficult it's been for you all. I can say I've been to some of those places and it scares me to death, thinking it could go there again or even worse. Was on Miralax for three years via script from gastro doc but it stopped working when i started synthroid last year. It actually got to be toxic for my body so i'm glad it stopped working on its own. Tried Amitiza...made me violently ill! Zelnorm worked years ago but, we all know how that went. Dulcolax is a KILLER for my system. Can't touch it, even the suppositories! Dietary supplements don't seem to do a bit of good. Flax oil helped a tad, as do stool softeners. I've heard, "Eat More Fiber" from so many docs that it makes me ill to think about going to them for anything.

Linzess didn't work for me until I figured out I had to take it way early in the am. Not just thirty minutes before eating. Tried that...NOTHING after the first dose or two. I generally wake up at any sign of daylight anyhow, so it's not a problem. I also have to take synthroid before eating and, once I got used to the routine, it's no problem. On the good days, the Linzess works about thirty minutes to a couple of hours after eating. I was taking the higher dose via my doctor's samples but I HAD to stay at home every day I took it. The lower dose can sometimes be unpredictable also; if I have plans to be away from home early in the day, I don't take it, which can cause problems, as it seems skipping even one day can make matters worse. Also, if I don't keep up with the minimal amount of fiber my body can stand, prune juice each time before eating, and lots of water, I get into trouble. The lower left pain starts and that's a signal to me that I messed up. Had an ER visit and short hospital stay in October because of diverticulitis and do not want that to happen again. The ONE thing that stops that lower left pain for me is muscle relaxers. I take them occasionally for neck and back pain and discovered that they were good for the diverticula pain by accident. No doctor has ever mentioned that to me, nor have they explained that IBS/diverticulitis pain isn't always localized in that lower left area. Now, when the pain starts, I take one senecot at night to help things along. So far, so good. FINGERS CROSSED!

I gave up on Linzess twice before I discovered when best to take it. I realize it's so different for all of us but when something helps one person, I try it if I can. I got manufacturer's help with the cost of Linzess; with insurance, my cost was one hundred bucks. Now, it's $36.00. Do not know why they kicked some in and do not know how long it will last. Probably ends with my next script renewal. I hold my breath at the pharmacy each time I get a refill. Good luck and good health to you all...and thanks for being here!


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

HI Josie--so glad you found a way to keep linzess working for you!

linzess has a "patient price savings program." i haven't used it but near as i can tell from reading about it on the manufacturer's website it looks like if you qualify and you're buying it from a "participating pharmacy" then it automatically kicks in when you go to pay for it....something like that--lol..here's the link that explains it all.

https://www.linzesshcp.com/patient-resources-and-information.aspx


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## ABNormal (May 24, 2006)

It seemed as if Linzess was working for me for about 3 weeks, but now nothing really. I've tried experimenting with time of day to take it. Having a really rough time. I was so hopeful that Linzess was going to help me over a long time.

I had had a pretty good couple years with pretty regular BM's and felt pretty good. Then this year, everything changed. When I mentioned it to my doctor, I got the old "as we age..." Yuck, hate hearing that.

I'm going to keep using Linzess for a little while and then give up.


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## razzle5150 (Feb 7, 2010)

Is Linzess a everyday medication or can you take when needed? I have been onit 4 days now and nothing . thanks


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

razzle--i answered your question over on your other post...


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## mommyof4ms (Jan 7, 2014)

My gastrointestinal doctor today told me that in addition to the linzess (which my gp started me on in October) it was safe for me to take Miralax 3 times per day, benefiber 3 times per day as well as colace 3 times per day. I asked her why do they have all the warnings about no longer than a week etc. She said that was so you would consult a Dr and rule out things like colon cancer, IBD, etc. In my case, I've had all that ruled out. The linzess has helped me greatly with the pain control which none of the other items I mentioned above could do so. As always, check with your doctor and tweak as needed to find something that works for you. I had to go to the GI today due to my insurance company only accepting IBS-C diagnosis from a GI doctor even though I had a colonoscopy and all the various work ups over the last 7 years to rule out the other bad culprits of this stomach mess and was diagnosed with IBS-C by my gyn 3 years ago! Was nice to be validated by the GI doctor today that I'm on the right track and she agreed with my other two doctors that I have IBS-C.


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## omgcantpoop (Jan 11, 2014)

Chrissy,

I feel your pain. I have had IBS-C for about 6 years now, and I have tried EVERYTHING. I had colon surgery 8 years ago for diverticulis and I swear, I have never been the same since. I had 2 feet of colon taken out, by one of the best surgeons in California. Linzess is the only thing that works for me. Pretty pricey, but I got samples from the doc when it came out. My insurance does not cover it, but I'm fighting it, and hope I will win with my insurance. Amitiza did not work for me (when that came out I was overjoyed). It worked a little, but not to the degree Linzess did. I'm so glad I joined this forum. I see Linzess does not work for everyone. It is literally an empty and you have GOT to be by a bathroom. The bloating and the gas I had was horrible. I still have the gas, but when I have the "empty" - OMG what a relief. I have a poor diet, and I really need to improve on that and I don't exercise. I have been online and getting educated on diet, cleansing, etc. I am going to try the Apple Cider Vinegar drink with the lemon juice, and also Chia seeds and also tried the Phillips Colon Health. It's hard to introduce everything at once, so I'm going to experiment and see what works best. I just know that Linzess, although almost the cost of a mortgage for three months if your insurance says no, it really has been a life saver for me. I am also going to try juicing. Magneseum supposedly helps too, but I don't want to do it all, as it may make things worse. I will keep you posted


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

omg--so sorry for all you've been through. glad linzess is working for you. and good luck with your fight with the insurance company--hope you win and that they come through for you. mine didn't want to pay for it at first either but once my gastro submitted a prior authorization, they finally paid for it.

linzess does have a "patient price sayings program". it helps both those with insurance with their co-pay as well as helps those who have no insurance coverage for it. ask you doc to get a coupon for you from the pharm rep:

"Cash-paying patients need a coupon to receive savings on their prescription for LINZESS. Physicians should obtain the coupon for LINZESS from a sales representative to provide it to their cash-paying patients."

https://www.linzesshcp.com/patient-resources-and-information.aspx

good luck! fingers crossed you will get insurance coverage.


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## 12A (Apr 29, 2016)

I used Linzess and at first it worked but in a matter of weeks it stopped. I started tweeking different ways of getting this to work again. I found the answer,do not do it the way they say.Take Linzess with about 16 ounces of water,do not take any other pill with it. I wait 3 hours before before eating and it works every time. Do not take any bread products because it will sop up ingredients in the stomach,you can now take any morning pills.


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## was the constipated one (Nov 27, 2016)

Chrissy1978 said:


> I have been suffering with chronic constipation for almost ten years now. I suffered a broken neck from a freak fall in 2004 and ended up with nerve damage, a bruised spinal cord, and multiple rods/screws in my neck. Due to my daily struggle with pain, I have been on suboxone for some time and while suboxone has been an absolute miracle drug to me, there is definitely a down side to taking it....constipation. I only take one pill per day, but it still binds me up like crazy. I have dealt with it on my own for the past ten years but have been getting significantly worse in the last 12 months or so. I have blood in my stool about 90% of the time and am always straining when I DO go. I have tried A LOT of things to deal with the constipation....fiber pills, fiber capsules, mineral oil, castor oil, milk of magnesia, stool softeners, senna, cleanses (multiple types from GNC and CVS), probiotics (3 or 4 different types), daily activia, suppositories, and of course, enemas. I got more active, I tried to eat more vegetables, and I drink about 75 oz of water every single day. Still, I only go once per week, and I usually have to force the process with an enema. I NEVER feel totally cleaned out, and the bloating, discomfort, lower back pain, and gas make me MISERABLE. I am always worried about taking things on a daily basis...since everything I have used says "don't use for more than 7 days...10 days..." etc. I finally went to see a gastro doctor and he did a colonoscopy immediately based on the blood in my stool. Everything was OK (thank God) but he did find some polyps and of course hemmoroids. Immediately after my colonoscopy he gave me a prescription for Linzess, 290 mg capsules, once per day. I was so excited to finally have a daily pill to take that would help me, instead of doing all of these regiments that had little to no effect. The first day I took it, I was very uncomfortable (as expected) and had a lot of gas and churning in my stomach, but no bowel movement. Over the next few days, I continued to take it and still had some pretty significant discomfort, but I dealt with it. On about the 3rd day....YES! I actually had a regular bowel movement! I was so excited and hopeful that this medication would finally be the end to my misery! It has now been another week since the first successful elimination day, and nothing. I have been taking the pill each morning on an empty stomach, same time, each day. The discomfort is now very minimal (if anything at all), and the results are in turn very disappointing. I have resorted to adding back in my daily probiotic and taking fiber pills 2-3 times per day again. I also went out at lunch today and got some Miralax to start taking because I am seeing that mentioned a lot by other sufferers.
> 
> Can anyone give me some feedback on what they think is going on? Do I continue to take the Linzess? What about Amitiza? Can my probiotics or fiber pills be counter productive, while taking the Linzess? Reading through this site has been so incredibly helpful, and I want to thank everyone for their contributions. For the first time in a very long time, I feel like I am not utterly alone in all of this.


Hello,

I was in the same predicament as you , however still on pain management instead of sub for pain. The constipation started plaguing me after surgery, even though I've been taking pain killers for years. I take Oxycontin and Oxycodone hcl at 15mg doses each, 3x daily. i went for a heart cath at the same time those oic commercials started running on tv, so I wouldn't be surprised if a new filler is added to make you get bound up. It should be illegal, but it does happen in the medical field, as well, involvement by the establishment is a huge part for additional cash.

Here is what I did , and my insurance did NOT like this. I was using Philips OTC magnesium fast acting laxatives for a while and it worked beautifully, and I was on many more instant oxycodone 30 mg pills , like 4-6 times daily when they didn't stop the doctors from prescribing them, then I was weaned down to 15 oxycodone hcl all by itself, to twice daily, feeling sick from the lack of meds. I was booted from the pain program because I went there for acute pain for 3 years after surgery on my arm. I found a pain clinic for my neck pain that I've been trying to figure out by going to every doctor in my area for at least the last 12-14 years.. I had several mri's, CT scans, you name it, they couldn't find anything wrong that would qualify for any treatment or surgery.

When i found a doctor that specialized in chronic neuropathic diseases, he knew within 20 minutes of asking me my symptoms what I had. My symptoms started shortly after 2 massive concussions, nearly within a 6 month timeframe. He diagnosed me with CTE. I have nearly wished to be dead from my pain, and literally contemplated suicide. To make a long story short, he started me on the same meds I had, but used instant release oxycodone for breakthrough pain and oxycontin 2x daily between those doses to counteract mini withdrawals I was having.

I was fine without constipation until my heart cath, and they gave me Fentynal during surgery. I didn't go for nearly 15 days and thought i was going to die. I literally felt ill as I was poisoned. My kidneys hurt me, everything felt as if it was rotting from the inside out. I mentioned this to my general physician and he gave me Amitiza 8mcg samples. They worked for the first 2 doses like a dream. He warned me to only take them when needed and not to continuously take any med constantly so my body didn't need it daily. He told me to take it after dinner, once I digested my food on an empty stomach with 2 bottles of clean spring water, not tap water.

He told me to NOT drink anything but water or teas without any sugar. The plan worked wonders until the meds were obviously changed as I thought once the commercials for like 4 different brands of meds for OIC started airing. The nightmares started to begin. I started to get slower and slower in the bowel movement department and the pains and other discomforts started to get worse and worse. I asked my pain doctor to up my meds and he gave me Amitiza 24mcg without question. It didn't even work once. I was po'd. My next month I was in agony and I asked to be switched to Linzess. They prescribed it but my insurance didn't cover it, so I fought for about 4 months finally to get 145 mcg, which worked the first time. i drank a ton of water with it and used it on an empty stomach at night. The second time I used it, the pains in my stomach were ridiculous. My general Physician gave me Linzess 290 mcg samples and it was like a miracle. The samples worked better than anything I ever used. He gave me 4 bottles of samples with 4 capsules, and gave me a sample bottle with 30 caps. I was using them while the insurance refused to give me 290's as I told the pain doc that the 145mcg were not strong enough, they prescribed me 290mcg and the insurance refused it. They said I needed to try the 145mcg and tell them they weren't strong enough, which I had already done, so, I the battle went on and 4 months later they approved them when I asked for the 190mcg 2 x daily. It was nearly double the price for Linzess 145mcg 2 x daily, so they approved the 290mcg 1x daily. I used them now for 3 months and now of course they do not work anymore, just barely have a tiny bowel movement daily, and they are rocks, with blood, and lots of flatulence, pain, etc.

I couldn't hack it anymore, so I asked for something that will clean me out. The PA gave me samples of Movantix. OMG, I never had so much pain in my life. My hemmerhoids hung down like a set of grapes.. I must have exploded 22 times throughout the night and finally after being up all night, I eliminated about the entire summer's worth and lost 27 lbs. I never felt better in my life, minus the hemmorhoids (asteroids) that no man or beast has ever seen the likes of.

The PA warned me to take it on the weekend, and I was so dazed from the poisoned feeling of not going in so long that I accidentally took it on a Thursday , thinking mistakenly that it was a friday. I couldn't in anyway go to work the next day because I was like a salad shooter until 10 am the next day after taking it at 6pm the night before. I found out that she gave me the strongest dose they had and I will NEVER in a million years take that stuff again without cutting the doses up in about 16 pieces , taking 1 or 2 of thiose pieces to try to get some relief.

I still take Linzess, but to be honest, I went so much that I think my esophagus, stomach and everything else was filled because I was so backed up that I never experienced anything like this in my life. Even the Halflitely solution they give you for a colonoscopy is like a baby drug compared to the Movantix. My god, if Movantix doesn't work on you, then you certainly have a blockage, however it is highly recommended that you have an ultrasound before you ask for it if you are still having problems.

The Linzess works for me, however I still have to do many things to keep it working. First and foremost.. do not drink soda with sugars or any sugar substitutes, or any high fructose corn syrup. Anything that is mixed like coffee that reduces the water content will bind you up. Eliminate rice, red meat and other binding foods from your diet completely. Take high levels of good fibers, not fibers that bulk up from water. You need the water to get fluids into the stool and some of your other meds may be interfering with you, as suboxone is one of the worst.

My advice is to take it less frequently so you start to get sick from not taking it if you'd like to go to the bathroom. That is how bad the constipation is, that stuff and oxy or any other opiate are the root of all constipation.

I buy a tea called smooth move from Rite Aid. I take 2 tea bags and make a stiff tea with a few tablespoons of raw honey in it, then I eat a handful of fresh bee pollen daily. I also take Bovine Colostrum and still take my pain meds nightly. If I shotgun (2) 16 ounce bottle of spring water without added minerals and take my multivitamin with my Linzess, i have zero issues now.

So, in the AM, I drink one 12 ounce bottle of spring water of your choice.

I take my pain meds as directed, I eat 5 small meals daily that include a lot of natural non bulking fiber. I take one pink lemonade Metamucil fiber drink to keep the movement active at around 12pm daily. I eat less fried foods, I do NOT eat small seeds at all, I do NOT eat more than one meal a week with steak or rice, and when I do, I drink one "Smooth Move' double bagged senna tea before I eat it, and once I digest it, I take my Linzess between 6 and 8pm.

Midnight every night I drink another Senna Tea with 2 bags, and I wake up and drink my bottle of water.

The moment I drink my first sip of coffee, I have to literally run to the bathroom and I eliminate as normal or better than normal if I follow this routine.

If I miss the meds or tea one time, the process stops and the agony begins all over again, and i'll tell you, it isn't easy to get back where I was unless Movantix was taken, which I DO NOT wish to do. Linzess literally assists me with the pain, and I do believe that I have created another disease by choosing to start the pain management program, and maybe even had IBS or Chrohn's disease but never knew about it because I have always thought it is suppsoed to be somewhat painful to have a bowel movement until I took Linzess. Once I took it and it worked, I have been able to comfortably go without terrible pain, and most people tell me that it feels natural to go to the bathroom with this medicine since it reduces the swelling related to Crohn's disease and pain's associated with it.. I have always had massive pains when going to the bathroom, however never knew that isn't suposed to literally hurt unless the BM is hard from constipation. I have always had hardened stool since I was young and Linzess is an awesome drug that has done nothing but help until recently when I used newer pain meds that I know have had something added to make us all become much more plugged up than normal.

I wish you the best of luck and hope you find some relief for your issues. I did and I pray for you that maybe what i do to better myself will work for you. I also hope your pain has subsided and you are getting relief from something. I couldn't imagine the pain of a busted neck. That must have and still be awful, especially when storms come through.

Good Luck and May God Bless you!


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## mar64disalvo1964 (7 mo ago)

Chrissy1978 said:


> I have been suffering with chronic constipation for almost ten years now. I suffered a broken neck from a freak fall in 2004 and ended up with nerve damage, a bruised spinal cord, and multiple rods/screws in my neck. Due to my daily struggle with pain, I have been on suboxone for some time and while suboxone has been an absolute miracle drug to me, there is definitely a down side to taking it....constipation. I only take one pill per day, but it still binds me up like crazy. I have dealt with it on my own for the past ten years but have been getting significantly worse in the last 12 months or so. I have blood in my stool about 90% of the time and am always straining when I DO go. I have tried A LOT of things to deal with the constipation....fiber pills, fiber capsules, mineral oil, castor oil, milk of magnesia, stool softeners, senna, cleanses (multiple types from GNC and CVS), probiotics (3 or 4 different types), daily activia, suppositories, and of course, enemas. I got more active, I tried to eat more vegetables, and I drink about 75 oz of water every single day. Still, I only go once per week, and I usually have to force the process with an enema. I NEVER feel totally cleaned out, and the bloating, discomfort, lower back pain, and gas make me MISERABLE. I am always worried about taking things on a daily basis...since everything I have used says "don't use for more than 7 days...10 days..." etc. I finally went to see a gastro doctor and he did a colonoscopy immediately based on the blood in my stool. Everything was OK (thank God) but he did find some polyps and of course hemmoroids. Immediately after my colonoscopy he gave me a prescription for Linzess, 290 mg capsules, once per day. I was so excited to finally have a daily pill to take that would help me, instead of doing all of these regiments that had little to no effect. The first day I took it, I was very uncomfortable (as expected) and had a lot of gas and churning in my stomach, but no bowel movement. Over the next few days, I continued to take it and still had some pretty significant discomfort, but I dealt with it. On about the 3rd day....YES! I actually had a regular bowel movement! I was so excited and hopeful that this medication would finally be the end to my misery! It has now been another week since the first successful elimination day, and nothing. I have been taking the pill each morning on an empty stomach, same time, each day. The discomfort is now very minimal (if anything at all), and the results are in turn very disappointing. I have resorted to adding back in my daily probiotic and taking fiber pills 2-3 times per day again. I also went out at lunch today and got some Miralax to start taking because I am seeing that mentioned a lot by other sufferers.
> 
> Can anyone give me some feedback on what they think is going on? Do I continue to take the Linzess? What about Amitiza? Can my probiotics or fiber pills be counter productive, while taking the Linzess? Reading through this site has been so incredibly helpful, and I want to thank everyone for their contributions. For the first time in a very long time, I feel like I am not utterly alone in all of this.


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