# Tell Me About Linzess!



## Pinskers (May 16, 2013)

Doctor would like me to try it. I'm terrified. I've made mention of my nausea/vomiting phobia and I don't know how it will affect me. Ducolax is usually pretty gentle, but if it takes a longer time to work, I usually feel pretty faint. I've seen a lot of horror stories for the medication!

Opinions? Is it really that terrible?


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

you could start with the low dose (145 mcg) and see how that affects you.

of course, everybody is different. YMMV. and you'll never know if something is going to work for you and how it is going to affect you unless you try it for yourself. linzess gave me mostly bloating but then i also have SIBO on top of everything else. i still take it from time to time...

i've read a lot of success stories about linzess and my gastros both have told me it's helped a lot of their patients. one of my gastros ran clinical trials on it and is a big fan of it because he's seen such good results with his patients..

please, if you can, try not to get all worked up about this. anxiety just makes everything seem worse and tends to amplify any side effects you have or might think you have. if you decide to try it, it's best if you can try it with an open and positive mind. that's what i always do with new meds. i don't let other peoples' experiences sway me. i try everything lol..but that's me.

and yes there are a lot of horror stories on the internet about just about everything. there is a tendency toward drama on the internet. usually people who have success with a medication don't come back to report about it. instead they are off enjoying their lives. so it's mostly the bad experiences that show up online.


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## TiffanyDW (Apr 15, 2015)

Why are the side effects the exact issues I'm having? Like why would I take medication that would cause me the same issues I currently have. I've been suffering from "IBS" for 15yrs. I've been to so many doctors, had so many procedures except allergy testing so that's next. I cannot .... Literally cannot eat a single thing without having some issue. My stomach will swell so much, I'll feel nausea, I'll cramp and now I'm having some serious muscle spasms it almost killed me cause the recent one happened while I was driving. All this over food right! It's ruining my life, I can't wake up and know if I'm going to be able to workout. I starve myself most of the time because my stomach hurts so much after I eat I'm just tired. After 15yrs I am tired, stressed, afraid to be in situations that I can't find bathrooms for....this medication would cause more severe issues with these side effects that benefits...

Side Effects
LINZESS can cause serious side effects, including diarrhea, the most common side effect, which can sometimes be severe. Diarrhea often begins within the first 2 weeks of LINZESS treatment. Stop taking LINZESS and call your doctor right away if you get severe diarrhea during treatment with LINZESS.

Other common side effects of LINZESS include gas, stomach-area (abdominal) pain, swelling, or a feeling of fullness or pressure in your abdomen (distension). Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of LINZESS. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

In addition, call your doctor or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away if you develop unusual or severe stomach-area (abdominal) pain, especially if you also have bright red, bloody stools or black stools that look like tar.


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## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

Pinskers said:


> Doctor would like me to try it. I'm terrified. I've made mention of my nausea/vomiting phobia and I don't know how it will affect me. Ducolax is usually pretty gentle, but if it takes a longer time to work, I usually feel pretty faint. I've seen a lot of horror stories for the medication!
> 
> Opinions? Is it really that terrible?


Here is a link from this site with many reviews for Linzess:

http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/topic/159852-linzess-review/


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

Tiffany--these side effects, like all side effects with all medications--do not affect everybody. just some people.we're all different. the only way you'll be able to know if linzess works for you and that if you'll have any of these side effects or not is to try it for yourself. like all medications, YMMV.

also--with many medications, side effects --if any--tend to fade once you've been on the med for a little while. again--YMMV.

one thing i know about linzess is this. the further away you take it from eating, the fewer side effects you'll have. the prescribing instructions say to take it a half hour before meals. if you have bothersome side effects, try taking it an hour before eating. or 45 minutes before. also, a lot of people have had success with it by taking it on an empty stomach before bedtime.

my one of my gastro docs told me this. he's run clinical trials on linzess and written research papers on it. he's seen many of patients have success with it. so has my other gastro doc. they both love it.

also--linzess comes in two doses--145 mcg and 290 mcg. if the higher dose give you side effects, try the lower dose.


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## Pinskers (May 16, 2013)

I actually tried the 145 mcg on a very empty stomach in the evening waiting and waiting for this diarrhea everyone spoke of and... nothing happened. Haha. All that worrying for nothing. I'm not horribly keen on trying the higher dosage, to be honest, or trying the same dosage again just from all the anxiety it caused me. I'm going to stick with my as needed Dulcolax since nine times out of ten it works, and I know how I'm going to react to it.


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