My daughter has CIC. Her GI told her to drink 8 oz of water an hour and go for a 15/20 min run in the morning and the evening 3 hrs before bedtime. She still gets Constipated but not as frequently.

Would linzess help with her CIC. I know exercise and staying hydrated helped her.

Edited October 19, 20205 yr by Hammad
Grammar

I’ve been taking Linzess (290) for a while now but not getting much results. I don’t get diarrhea but I can’t really go that much either, a little bit of formation some days and some days nothing. I am always uncomfortable and very bloated and distended. I know these are side effects but it almost isn’t worth it because I really can’t go. I’ve tried mirilax and it worked for several years then stopped. I also tried senna tea for years and then it too stopped working. I have tried amitiza, Linzess, and Trulance and nothing is working. I’m not sure what else to do. I was wondering if I took the Linzess at night if that would decrease the bloating and distention at all? I used to take the senna tea at night and it would work every morning, no bloating or distention. 

Hi, so glad to have found this group.  IBS C with stools so hard I can't pass them without stimulant lax or enemas. this is my 2nd time on Linzess.  I can't remember why I stopped, but I know I had a lot of inconvenient D or I might have gotten normal for a while.  I go through months of misery to be followed by months of "normal" although Normal has been a long time now for me.  Doc told me some pts only take 3 days a week and have more success that way.  Anyone here do that?  Also she told me there's nothing functionally wrong with my colon (had scope yesterday).  Just read that I can't take with levothyroxine, so I'm taking it later in the day, at least 30 minutes before next meal.  I'm hopeful!

update, I took the 145 MCG 2 days and last night vomited my dinner and felt nauseated all night.  No bowel movement.  I can't take this in the morning on an empty stomach because I take levothyroxine.  Last night had me concerned that it'd given me a small bowel obstruction.  Should I try something else with this med or ditch it?

 

On day 4 of Linzess.  Take it around 6 am but then don’t eat tiL around noon (I intermittent fast)...so I get some very watery BM with cramping and gas.  Should I wait til Closer to the time I eat?  And I’m a teacher and can’t run to bathroom every 5 seconds.  Could I take it when I get home...around 4; then eat dinner around 5 pm and hopefully have a BM before bedtime?  

I am just starting on Linzess 72 mcg a day. Since my stomach is worst with food ( pre Linzess), I generally do not start eating until dinner time. I do have coffee in the morning but no food. Since I do not eat until around 6:00 PM, should I take my dose around 5:00?  is it better to take it closer to the first meal or just to make sure it is in your system for at least 30 min prior to the first meal? Some days I do eat lunch, so as long as I wait until my stomach is empty before taking the meds, will that be ok also. I am fortunate to be able to work from home, so quick urges for bathroom work into my schedule easy now.

I have just started on Linzess 145 several weeks ago. But mainly all I pass is watery stool with very little feces.  And I still feel very bloated and full.   I don’t want to eat at all!  My GI keeps saying “give it time” but i I am wondering if maybe it just isn’t gonna work for me?  Anyone else have a suggestion?

16 hours ago, Dawn said:

I have just started on Linzess 145 several weeks ago. But mainly all I pass is watery stool with very little feces.  And I still feel very bloated and full.   I don’t want to eat at all!  My GI keeps saying “give it time” but i I am wondering if maybe it just isn’t gonna work for me?  Anyone else have a suggestion?

Several weeks is a long time to have watery stools so I get your question about how it's working. Could you take the 72 mg version or perhaps take the 145 mg every other day?

My dr started me on 290 once a day after not being able to go for over two weeks. I had also been diagnosed with SIBO which is Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. It’s diagnosed by a GI dr using a breath test. I had tried everything and was extremely bloated and in pain. He prescribed 2 antibiotics for 20 days and the Linzess worked after day 3 and completely cleared me out after a couple days. I take a thyroid medicine on an empty stomach around 8 am and I don’t eat breakfast around noon I take linzess and 30 minutes later eat lunch. Almost immediately I have the urgent need to use the bathroom or within the hour. I’ve found it depends on what I’m eating. The linzess is the only reason I’m able to function at this point. All of my pain and bloating is gone. I went from ibs-d to ibs-c overnight and the linzess is a god send. Maybe you all should get a breath test? I hope this helps! 

Is the goal of linzess to cause you to have regular bowel movements after one to two weeks of taking it? Or is it still a hit or miss on the bowel movements after 2 weeks? I have started 290mg for one week, take at 6am , coffee 7am, nothing else until 12 noon lunch. I have only had one day of diarrhea within 2 hours of taking it. Should I wait and take at 11am? I am picturing it to work after 2 weeks like someone without chronic constipation and will have regular daily normal consistency bowel movement. Is this right thinking? 

12 hours ago, MaryGLynch said:

Is the goal of linzess to cause you to have regular bowel movements after one to two weeks of taking it? Or is it still a hit or miss on the bowel movements after 2 weeks? I have started 290mg for one week, take at 6am , coffee 7am, nothing else until 12 noon lunch. I have only had one day of diarrhea within 2 hours of taking it. Should I wait and take at 11am? I am picturing it to work after 2 weeks like someone without chronic constipation and will have regular daily normal consistency bowel movement. Is this right thinking? 

Your thinking is right as far as I know. I would expect more regular bowel movements after 2 weeks. Not sure if timing is going to make a difference. Have you told the provider who prescribed it how you are doing?

Taking it as directions said doesnt work for me....Yesterday I took linzess after eating and today with breakfast. In 2 hours I had a poop. I'll be taking it that way.  

OMG.... you guys are my people!!

Hi, I am on 72mg of linzess prescribed for severe C caused by celiac disease (gluten free diet really helped it but since the diagnosis was late my gut hasnt fully recovered). I only take as needed because if I take it regularly I have severe D. I was wondering if anyone has experience with taking it before dinner, still with an empty stomach, instead of before breakfast? I don't have time to take it in the morning because I'm at work until 2pm. Theres no time for a BM then lol. It would be so convenient to be able to take in the afternoon and have the BM in the evening at home. 

I'm new to using Linzess for my chronic constipation. The constipation had gotten so bad that I couldn't sleep from the pain and repeated visits to the toilet trying to pass at least some stool.

I started on 145 mcg and had pretty bad diarrhea for about a week, so doc reduced the dosage to 72 mcg once a day. I've been on that dosage for about 12 days. I take it about 6:30 am then eat about 7:30am.

The last couple of evenings I've been experiencing bloating and cramps two to three hours after dinner. It continues for a few hours. So I skipped this morning's Linzess and plan to try every other day for a couple of weeks.

My question is if anyone has tried using probiotics with Linzess? I had two nasty bouts with C-diff in 2018 and again in 2020, so I take a reuteri combination fairly regularly. I'm now taking Florstor and the Reuteri pearls on alternate days.

I have been dealing with diarrhea then constipation or constipation then diarrhea for three years. I  can't figure out what comes first. It's pretty much ruined my life. I  can't make plans because I never know when diarrhea is gonna hit me. Thank God I'm retired and don't have the worry of a job to get too. Anyway, after my last bout of all day diarrhea, the toilet paper, panty liners, baby wipes and multiple showers to stay clean because of hemorrhoids has worn me out. This might be TMI but it's also ruined my physical relationship with my husband whom I love very much. My doctor came to the conclusion that I have IBS constipation and wants me on Linzess. He mentioned that a side affect is diarrhea. That's when I got emotional and started crying. Diarrhea? More diarrhea? I'm also going to add that resent bloodwork showed my Chloride was high and apparently Linzess secretes Chloride but I  don't know what that means. Contacted the Dr about it though.Reading through the comments by users of Linzess scares me to death. Ok that's my story.

1 hour ago, MaryBeth said:

I have been dealing with diarrhea then constipation or constipation then diarrhea for three years. I  can't figure out what comes first. It's pretty much ruined my life. I  can't make plans because I never know when diarrhea is gonna hit me. Thank God I'm retired and don't have the worry of a job to get too. Anyway, after my last bout of all day diarrhea, the toilet paper, panty liners, baby wipes and multiple showers to stay clean because of hemorrhoids has worn me out. This might be TMI but it's also ruined my physical relationship with my husband whom I love very much. My doctor came to the conclusion that I have IBS constipation and wants me on Linzess. He mentioned that a side affect is diarrhea. That's when I got emotional and started crying. Diarrhea? More diarrhea? I'm also going to add that resent bloodwork showed my Chloride was high and apparently Linzess secretes Chloride but I  don't know what that means. Contacted the Dr about it though.Reading through the comments by users of Linzess scares me to death. Ok that's my story.

MaryBeth,

I would have to say that Linzess might not be the medication for you if you have mixed IBS (IBS-M). While some people with IBS-C can have diarrhea and then cycle back to constipation, I'm not entirely clear that is your pattern since you described having diarrhea all day. A central neuromodulator (formerly called antidepressants) like cymbalta or remeron might be worth considering with your doctor. Ultimately, the way to treat IBS is to try and treat the symptom that causes you the most grief. To me it sounds like diarrhea. I don't know if bloodwork showing chloride being high has anything to do with the mechanism of action for Linzess. It's different than other IBS-C medications which utilize the chloride channel in the bowel wall. Linzess acts as a selective agonist at the guanylate cyclase–C (GC–C) receptor - a very different mechanism.

i’ve been constipated most of my life, probably for different reasons. The last few years,  I believe that it is from a tight pelvic floor/psoas and iliacus muscles. 
If these muscles are tight, it is difficult to push out a bowel movement, even if it is loose. Can be caused from constant straining. Once  it gets to the door, the door won’t open.
The bloating and the pain have been terrible for the last 2 months. The only thing that really helps is a glycerin suppository. Probably should not do those as often as I’m doing. Also, I should mention ultrasound and bloodwork were normal.
i’ve been taking 290 Linzess for 2 weeks now. The first few days were strictly diarrhea very soon after taking. Since then, it has been rather inconsistent. Still pretty bloated. Dr. said to give it a few more weeks.
I can’t stress enough how important it is to drink more than enough water and get some exercise. 
If you don’t have any major issues, this medication really could be your answer. You may just have to tweak the dosage and what you eat. 
And if you have a history of straining, as most people with constipation do, consider pelvic floor therapy to see if it is a muscular issue.also, stress and tension make it so much worse.  I’m still continuing to deal with this, but hopeful things will calm down. All of this truly interferes with daily life. 

Yes, water water water. I started with 145 dose about 6 months ago and it didn't help. Recently called Dr and asked if I could double up and try that. It worked for a day or so then nothing. Starting reading up on caffeine and learning it was a diuretic. Bingo, that was my issue, knock on wood, I take in alot of caffeine in the mornings. I take preworkout before gym workout which has caffeine then coffee couple hrs later. I've increased my water alot in the morning and it works. Just hope it continues!!!

Hello, I had an impaction in July. Miralax worked for a couple months, but stopped.  I am new to Linzess. I’ve been taking 145mcg in the am for 6 days and today was the first time I needed to have a BM….nothing coming out. My bottom is feeling packed. My doctor told me to take the Linzess morning and night…290 total. Just asking if anyone else takes it that way and he also told me to drink a bottle of mag citrate tonight before going to bed. I trust my doctor, but this worries me. I know we are all different. Has anyone tried doing this. 

On 5/14/2021 at 1:10 PM, Heather said:

I’ve been taking Linzess (290) for a while now but not getting much results. I don’t get diarrhea but I can’t really go that much either, a little bit of formation some days and some days nothing. I am always uncomfortable and very bloated and distended. I know these are side effects but it almost isn’t worth it because I really can’t go. I’ve tried mirilax and it worked for several years then stopped. I also tried senna tea for years and then it too stopped working. I have tried amitiza, Linzess, and Trulance and nothing is working. I’m not sure what else to do. I was wondering if I took the Linzess at night if that would decrease the bloating and distention at all? I used to take the senna tea at night and it would work every morning, no bloating or distention. 

Heather. My experience has been somewhat like yours. But different too. I took senna and it worked great for about a year and then nothing. Here’s my routine now. I have IBS-C. I discovered I’m  allergic to certain foods which if I eat I get bloated for a couple of weeks. I take my laxative(for now it’s dulcosate) and Metamucil everyday. Metamucil works great with laxatives because it bulks up the feces instead of just diarrhea . If I have pain in my abdomen it’s almost always due to gas. I’ve learned to be flexible with IBS. Always trying different remedies. Because the old ways stop working. It’s a journey of understanding my body.  Since I stopped fighting my body and IBS I’m much more patient with myself. 
22years plus.  You’ll find your way. It’s like a maze to me. Hope you have a wonderful day and more days to come. Renee

I am new to this forum.  I am on a lot of medications and am sure that is what is causing me my severe constipation.  My GI has me on 290 constella with lactulose.  It gives me diarrhea…….and have severe constipation without it.  She has even mentioned an ostomy.  I want to see a different GI.  She tried to refer me to one another GI and he declined.  I am upset.  She said she would try another GI , but feels they might decline as well.  She then said maybe I could talk to a surgeon.  I am terrified.

On 10/23/2024 at 9:06 PM, Miehling said:

I am new to this forum.  I am on a lot of medications and am sure that is what is causing me my severe constipation.  My GI has me on 290 constella with lactulose.  It gives me diarrhea…….and have severe constipation without it.  She has even mentioned an ostomy.  I want to see a different GI.  She tried to refer me to one another GI and he declined.  I am upset.  She said she would try another GI , but feels they might decline as well.  She then said maybe I could talk to a surgeon.  I am terrified.

That's a really unfortunately story. I agree with you to get another opinion. The GI practice in Canada is unfortunately very overworked and it's very challenging to move from one GI to another.

Have you reviewed all your meds with your family doctor or pharmacist to get a deeper understand as to which ones might be contributing to constipation? Were you as severely constipated before you added all your meds?

I have been on these meds for quite some time, mainly for depression (antidepressants) I was dropped by the psychiatrist 4 years ago.  The wait for another psychiatrist is over two years. He changed his position and is now working out of the hospital, as opposed to private practice.  He said I was in remission.  My GP said she didn’t want to change my meds, because I am stable, not depressed.  The system doesn’t work.  No one is monitoring my meds.  I feel the meds are the cause of my problems.  I am frustrated and very annoyed and don’t know what to do.  I have a wonderful pharmacist, but she relies on my GP for instructions on medications.  I feel I have fallen through the cracks.

Sounds like you are doing all the right things. I do believe that your family doctor is the right person to come up with a plan for you. While they are reluctant to make any changes, severe constipation resulting in an impaction or blockage can be very serious and life threatening. While you have a solution that works to prevent it, I can see how it really impacts your quality of life. The psychiatrist is likely the best person to understand how these meds affect you. Like you said, getting access to one if almost impossible. While the GI has suggested ostomy, if they are willing to have you meet with a surgeon, I would take that meeting and explain what is going on. They are smart enough to know when it's unnecessary surgery and will either take you on directly or write a report back to your GI doctor to come up with a different plan.