# amitiza



## nogo (Dec 18, 2006)

is anyone having success with amitiza? I am trying it without zelnorm (still have a stash but I'm afraid to use it) and I'm not having much success. If I do, it takes at least a half a day of getting more and more bloated until it finally works. Anyone having good luck with it alone? If not, what do you take with it? nogo


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## lorilou (May 9, 2003)

nogo,I tried recently- i only took one a night to try to aviod the whole nausea thing- didnt feel sick but it made me worse- i ppoop better without it- as it is now i go three times in the am due to the miralax and MOM the night before I take one zelnorm upon arising then after i eat and hour- 2 hours later i go the final time- when i took the amitiza it interfereed with me going good the first few times - actually went less and felt like garbage. no more of it for me!!!praying for those new drugs in study to be out soon!!! we need more alternatives...God bless,Lori


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## nogo (Dec 18, 2006)

lorilou, thanks for the response. I keep reading that the miralax can really make you bloated. Does it do that to you? Whenever I take stuff that bloats me, it does a job on my bladder until I can actually go to the bathroom. In the meantime, my stomach sounds like a percussion band with popping and booming along with increased bloat. It is so frustrating to have to plan one's life around bodily functions. This whole thing has me utterly depressed and I can't seem to snap out of it. nogo


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## lorilou (May 9, 2003)

nogo,I guess I get some bloat- i only take the stuff at night then the next morning I go and after Im done- 4 trips, 1.5 hours, im good to go- i think I have some blaot but its so commom for me I forget what I look like not boated- the main thing is I drink the miralax and mOM before bed so if Im gassy and gross its in my sleep and I really dont care- my hubby says my tummy really makes noise at night but I sleep though it!! I pee alot if I dont go good and it feels like it sits on my bladder- as long as I get it all out Im ok. did I mention I take reglan at night? it is what gets the watery stuff going through me- without it I go incomplete..hope this helps...lori


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## fizzixgal (Apr 6, 2007)

Yes, Nogo, Miralax bloats me too and really doesn't do anything else. It does not cause a BM and it prevents me from farting out trapped gas. Amitiza did pretty much the same thing too, for whatever it's worth.The only thing that has ever made a real difference for me is zelnorm.


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## Kelby (May 23, 2007)

My Gastro started me on MiraLax. Didn't do a thing for me. After 5 days with no BM he told me to add magnesium. After a couple more days this worked, but my BMs were not complete and after several more days I was seriously constipated. Had to schedule a colonic irrigation to clean me out and get me back on track. Then doc prescribed Amitiza. It is working, but causes serious diarrhea. But it does clean me out, and quite frankly I'll take diarrhea and an empty colon over a constipated, impacted colon any day. I do admit to being a little uncomfortable taking this drug. It just hasn't been out long enough to know if its truly safe. First-round users are guinea pigs. Three things I've noticed about this drug that are negative: 1) it seems to draw a little fluid into my lungs and for the first 3 or 4 hours after taking it in the morning my chest is a bit tight and I'm a little phlegmy; 2) the diarrha; and 3) I think, not sure, but I think it might be causing a little hair loss. One thing very positive that I've noticed since starting this drug, however, is that I swear my mind is clearer. I'm definitely having an easier time recalling numbers and new info, etc. The possible hair loss thing, however, is a definite deal breaker. I'm gonna give it a few more days and if I decide my hair is falling out more than normal, I'm quitting, period. Would love to hear other Amitiza experiences.


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## nogo (Dec 18, 2006)

I have had a bizzare hair loss issue for a few years now. It started after a major stress in my life and derm said it was telogen effluvium and would resolve in 6-9 months. That was three years ago. It is a diffuse hair loss so not necessarily noticeable to anyone but me. Now my hair is like spun cotton with not substance or weight. I look up EVERYTHING I ever take to see if hairloss or constipation is a side effect. Amitiza didn't suggest any such complication, but since you've noticed it, I wonder if anyone else is having such a problem?! Anyone? nogo


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## Kelby (May 23, 2007)

Nogo, I didn't mean to frighten anyone who might be using Amitiza with a hair loss story. Here's what I think I might be confusing with hair loss: I've been holed up at home the past 3 days and hadn't washed my hair. Yesterday as I was running my fingers thru my hair I noticed that I was pulling a lot of strands out. But when you consider that you lose about 100 strands of hair a day, and then consider that I hadn't washed my hair in a couple of days, perhaps hair that naturally falls out remained on my head cuz I hadn't shampooed and then when I ran my fingers thru my hair it appeared a greater-than-normal number of strands were coming out. You'll be glad to know I've washed my hair since. I also got my hair highlighted last night and my colorist said she didn't notice any hair loss. I did, however, find one woman on a message board who felt very certain that Amitiza did cause hair loss for her. I'll be sure to post again if I think I'm having hair loss. I had significant hair loss a few years ago when I abruptly quit an antidepressant I was taking. It was so upsetting and I'm a little paranoid about it ever happening again.


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## nogo (Dec 18, 2006)

"It was so upsetting and I'm a little paranoid about it ever happening again."kelby....thanks for clairying the hairloss issue with Amitiza. I don't know if I will ever figure out what has caused this diffuse loss, so I live in fear of any medication that lists 'constipation' or hairloss as a possible side effect. I'm glad your situation is under control. I wish you all the best with your IBS. nogo


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## Slimmm (Jun 4, 2007)

I went back to Amitiza twice and it really is DEATH in a pill for me. Immediately after taking it, I get severe & smelly gas. Then I feel extremely nauseous, followed by bad heartburn and headache. Last night I couldn't even sleep because I took it before bed. Never again! It didn't even help with the C!! I'm still suffering badly without my Zelnorm. I look positively dreadful - like I'm 6 months pregnant, yet skinny as a rail.


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## Displaced (Feb 14, 2007)

My GI specialist prescribed Amitiza for me over six months ago. I have never taken it, hoping that I could manage my symptoms without it. There have been times when I have been relatively problem free, and I am extremely reluctant to take a chronic medication, particularly one that seems to have a lot of side effects and not necessarily a high rate of effectiveness. Things have not been good lately, and I'm wondering whether I ought to finally give it a try. If I go back to the doctor, he'll just ask me why I'm not taking it, so there's no point in doing that. I don't have any advice, and actually maybe I'm seeking some. Following a day of what was probably IBS-D, I took one, just one, Immodium (half the usual introductory dose). That stopped things. I don't think I"ve had a BM of any significance since then, and it's been three days. I"m on the verge of taking a laxative, just to try to break the logjam. Citrucel used to help a lot but doesn't seem to make much difference any more.To sum up, I am extremely frustrated, and I'm sure my stress level is helping to create a vicious cycle.


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