# New Drug for Chronic Constipation?



## Rose (Mar 25, 1999)

Does anybody know of a new drug approved by the FDA for Chronic Constipation. It is not Amitza(sp??) I saw it advertised during a commerical on World News with Charles Gibson last night. I didn't have a paper and pen handy and was sure I would remember the name of if, but I don't.Does anybody know what I am talking about.They said in clinical trials, the drug produced and average of 6 bowel movements per week.Did anybody else see this?


----------



## Jeffrey Roberts (Apr 15, 1987)

Rose,I'm really quite puzzled by this. The only FDA notice that I am aware of recently is that they agreed to review Sucampo's new indication for Amitiza for IBS-C.Jeff


----------



## Rose (Mar 25, 1999)

Thanks, Jeff. I am puzzled also. I wish I had written it down, and I haven't seen the commericial since. I now have a pen and paper by my TV. If I see it again, I will post it. I know several months ago, Massachusetts General Hospital was calling for volunteers to be in a study for a new drug for IBS constipation. Although I live in Massachusetts, I'm a good hour away from Boston and also work full time, so there is no way I could volunteer for the study. I wonder if this might be the drug I saw on TV.


----------



## Joan Mack (May 20, 2007)

Heard from gi doc that Zelnorm might be back on market in Europe by early 2008. That sounds like good news to me.


----------



## libraryg (Jun 20, 2007)

Rose, I have not seen this myself, but my b/f told me a few hours ago that he saw something on TV about a new IBS-C drug, which is script only. He did not know the name of it, but I have to wonder if it could be the same one you speak of? Hope it isn't Amitiza, which did NOTHING for me......and it can't be renzapride, which is still in the trial phase. How many new drugs for our condition can there be? Or rather, new drugs that actually work.........grrrrrrrrrrrr, sigh, sob.........I also hear from my doc that Zelnorm is back in clincal trial phase.....it is one of the most studied drugs ever, over 10 years in clinicals the first time around before approval. I hope it comes back in the US, for those of us like myself which it greatly helped, and soon!!


----------



## Rose (Mar 25, 1999)

For all of you who were helped by Zelnorm, I hope for your sakes, that they will bring the drug back.As for me, I have at least a two month supply of Zelnorm, but only use it once in a while. Unfortunately, for me, if I take it first thing in the morning with hot coffee, it does get me "moving" if you get my drift, but I feel miserable for the rest of the day. It leaves me feeling very bloated and gassy. So I only use it when I am really back up. I have researched the drug and found it contains quite a bit of Lactose and I am Lactose intolerant, which is why I believe I get that bloated, gassy feeling after using it.I have never tried the Amitiza, but from everything I have read, I don't believe Amitiza is for me either, because it draws water into the colon to soften the stool, but seems to have little effect on motility. I do not have a problem with Hard stool, my problem is with motility and the inability to "push" it out. Zelnorm works on the motility problem and would probably help me considerably if it didn't contain so much lactose. I have tried Miralax, but that seems to work in the same way as Amitiza...drawing water into the colon, but really doesn't help with motility.So I guess, I will just have to wait until some drug company comes up with a med that will help with motility and doesn't contain Lactose. I can only hope it happens in my lifetime.


----------



## lorilou (May 9, 2003)

Rose,just a thought- have you tried taking miralax or MOM and then a stimulant like senna to help the motility part?I had considered trying my MOM and miralax combo but then add one dulcolax to stimulate the peristalic motion... right now I take a fourth of a zelnorm in the am and that is fine- im wondering if i even need the fourth - its such a tiny dose....anyhow, I understand your situatuion with the need for motility- just thought Id add my two cents worth- maybe it will helpGod blesslori


----------



## Exploder (Nov 19, 2007)

I just seen the commercial for Amitiza and did a search on here and found this forum, just seeing if there were an update on it maybe? Seeing if anyone has tried it or know of someone who has.Here's a quick link for ya'll http://www.amitiza.com/constipationinfo.aspx


----------



## Joan Mack (May 20, 2007)

I am a big consumer of liquids...herbal teas etc and found that miralax was worse than my original problem. Hope there is something for us. If zelnorm is going through another clinical trial well maybe it can be approved again. Maybe they can tweek it and make it pass the FDA thing. I have very little zelnorm left.














These washington fatcats and the rest of them are very off base on this one. In my not so humble opinoin...I am an adult, I can meet with a lawyer and sign something in HER presence and get my medicine back.................pleeaassssssssseeeeee.


----------



## Joan Mack (May 20, 2007)

Is it possible that you heard the generic name for amitza or whatever they call it? If it was a news item, John Gibson might have used the other name. They all have two names...these medications







Like we need this added confusion.


----------



## Freaked (Jan 5, 2008)

I've been prescribed Robinul Forte for IBS-C. The description says it "reduces secretions in certain organs". Now why would I need to reduce secretions in the bowel when my stools are already heard and dry and I have no motility? Does that seem like an odd choice of drug for constipation predominant IBS? Is it new? If so, how does it work to help?Freaked.


----------



## screeb (Jul 25, 2001)

In answer to "Exploder's" question on 11/23, I have been using Amitiza with Questran, which is usually used for diarrhea. Questran binds bile in the liquid state, such that once it is stored in the colon the bile gets dried out and the bile acid can be recovered. If one uses Amitiza to add fluid secretions to the bolus, the bile is no longer absorbed and this triggers Neurotensin release in a vain attempt to recover the bile. Neurotensin receptors in the colon have recently been found to increase motility, such that the combination of Amitiza and Questran helps promote motility, as is the case in my experience. (One takes Questran at the night's supper before one takes Amitiza in the morning).


----------



## tinac (Jan 13, 2008)

The problem with all antibiotics is that they kill good and bad bacteria. Our bodies need good bacteria to have proper gut motility, thus IBS-C. Even laxatives will not work properly without good bacteria. I was diagnosed with IBS-C and SIBO. Basically, SIBO, thought to be the major cause of IBS is an overgrowth of bad bacteria and an inadequate amount of good bacteria. I was given a combination of antibiotics-metronidazole,and amoxicillin/potassium clav. (augmentin). The idea is to kill the bacteria overgrowth with one and to stop the overgrowth of another bad bacteria with the other. Not all antibiotics kill all bacteria. Different antibiotics target a specific or group of bacterias. I wish I had taken Rifaxamin, but it was relatively new when I was diagnosed. The combo I took made me feel absolutely horrible for 14 days. I felt like my guts were dead. I had no digestive noises or feeling. I had headaches and was really tired. I was still constipated and bloated. I called my Dr. and he said SIBO is really hard to get rid of and if I could handle it, stick with the treatment. I stuck with the treatment. He said I would have to take antibiotics again, as SIBO usually returns. At that point I started researching PROBIOTICS and decided to give it a try. I went with the theory that more good bacteria is better and found the strongest probiotics I could find (not dairy strains or dirt strains, but human strain). I located a company called Custom Probiotics on-line and after speaking with the company owner (Harry), I started immediately to take his custom 6 strain probiotic powder at a dose of 2 level scoops (240 billiion each scoop) twice a day. The reasoning behind this high dose is to replace my good bacteria before the bad bacteria grow back (I think the antibiotics killed off all my bacteria, good and bad). With probiotics, a high dose sounds a little scary, but not all of it survives the digestive juices and reach the colon, very little survives. I continued this therapy for about 5 months. I have just recently lowered my dosage to 1 scoop twice a day. I feel about 70% better. I really think it's working and I haven't needed antibiotics again. I will probably take 1 scoop twice a day for another 6 months and plan to, at that point take Custom Probiotic pills for maintenance. The probiotics are expensive, but not nearly as expensive as the 300 or so bottles of nutritional supplements (from fiber to enzymes to IBS cures) that I've purchased that don't work. I really believe these probiotics are working. And, by the way, I have a friend with almost identical symptoms as I have, who is taking only the probiotics. She never took antibiotics and is also having good results. She said she feels "great" for the first time in many years.There is also another human-strain probiotic supplement by Pharmax call "7 Day Synbiotic". It is also good but much more expensive and it contains FOS (a prebiotic). It seems like a good product (one sachel once a day for 7 days), but I have trouble digesting the FOS, so I've stuck with Custom Probiotics. Lastly, I did have some headaches, and strangely enough hot flashes, when I was on the 2 scoops twice a day. I'm unsure if it is related to the probiotics or something else. But, I've felt so awful for so long, that a few side effects from something that helps me is very tolerable.


----------



## tinac (Jan 13, 2008)

[topic="0"]antibiotic/probiotic for IBS-C[/topic]


tinac said:


> The problem with all antibiotics is that they kill good and bad bacteria. Our bodies need good bacteria to have proper gut motility, thus IBS-C. Even laxatives will not work properly without good bacteria. I was diagnosed with IBS-C and SIBO. Basically, SIBO, thought to be the major cause of IBS is an overgrowth of bad bacteria and an inadequate amount of good bacteria. I was given a combination of antibiotics-metronidazole,and amoxicillin/potassium clav. (augmentin). The idea is to kill the bacteria overgrowth with one and to stop the overgrowth of another bad bacteria with the other. Not all antibiotics kill all bacteria. Different antibiotics target a specific or group of bacterias. I wish I had taken Rifaxamin, but it was relatively new when I was diagnosed. The combo I took made me feel absolutely horrible for 14 days. I felt like my guts were dead. I had no digestive noises or feeling. I had headaches and was really tired. I was still constipated and bloated. I called my Dr. and he said SIBO is really hard to get rid of and if I could handle it, stick with the treatment. I stuck with the treatment. He said I would have to take antibiotics again, as SIBO usually returns. At that point I started researching PROBIOTICS and decided to give it a try. I went with the theory that more good bacteria is better and found the strongest probiotics I could find (not dairy strains or dirt strains, but human strain). I located a company called Custom Probiotics on-line and after speaking with the company owner (Harry), I started immediately to take his custom 6 strain probiotic powder at a dose of 2 level scoops (240 billiion each scoop) twice a day. The reasoning behind this high dose is to replace my good bacteria before the bad bacteria grow back (I think the antibiotics killed off all my bacteria, good and bad). With probiotics, a high dose sounds a little scary, but not all of it survives the digestive juices and reach the colon, very little survives. I continued this therapy for about 5 months. I have just recently lowered my dosage to 1 scoop twice a day. I feel about 70% better. I really think it's working and I haven't needed antibiotics again. I will probably take 1 scoop twice a day for another 6 months and plan to, at that point take Custom Probiotic pills for maintenance. The probiotics are expensive, but not nearly as expensive as the 300 or so bottles of nutritional supplements (from fiber to enzymes to IBS cures) that I've purchased that don't work. I really believe these probiotics are working. And, by the way, I have a friend with almost identical symptoms as I have, who is taking only the probiotics. She never took antibiotics and is also having good results. She said she feels "great" for the first time in many years.There is also another human-strain probiotic supplement by Pharmax call "7 Day Synbiotic". It is also good but much more expensive and it contains FOS (a prebiotic). It seems like a good product (one sachel once a day for 7 days), but I have trouble digesting the FOS, so I've stuck with Custom Probiotics. Lastly, I did have some headaches, and strangely enough hot flashes, when I was on the 2 scoops twice a day. I'm unsure if it is related to the probiotics or something else. But, I've felt so awful for so long, that a few side effects from something that helps me is very tolerable.


----------



## nogo (Dec 18, 2006)

Rose, I have the same problem you do...no motility, so zelnorm and amitiza only give me miserable gas...no help. Same with miralax.The other day when I saw my GI, he said they are testing a new drug, but not until September. I didn't get the name. But, you must have heard right!


----------



## sally-p (Nov 1, 2001)

Hi: I read that Glaxo Smith Kline has a new drug in the last part of the trials called renzapride and that it's similar to Zelnormwww.alizyme.com/alizyme/products/renzapridesally-p


----------

