Feedback on Linzess for Irritable Bowel-C or Chronic Constipation

bellacos question how many sennekot pills do you take at bedtime? I am on meralax and a stool
softner. not to helpful at all. I have been on meralax for years, it worked really good for about a
year, now not much.
marcia115

When i first Linzess I had horrible diarrhea. I ended up in the hospital with dehydration the week of daughter's wedding. If you keep taking Linzess the diarrhea will get better. Then it stopped working so now I add other stimulants. Prunella (?) somebody mentioned which is good. Trying to figure the best thing to do with colonic inertia. Colace with Senna etc etc. Every where I look on line says "NO" to total colectomy with or without ileostomy. Mine would be with ileostomy. My gastroenterologist "dismissed" because he said I need the surgery.
Any health provider that is gastro, urogynecologist, will say surgery from my experience in Florida. My internal medicine doctor (who referred me to gastro) was shocked, as well as my pelvic floor therapist and myofacial release provider.

Linzess works for me, BUT I have to take Magnesium at 11 am, a dose of Miralax at 8pm with a powdered magnesium. My total dose of magnesium throughout the day is the RDA, I just split it up in two doses. I go to bed at 9pm wake up at 5am take the Linzess at exactly 5 am and eat breakfast at 5:30 on the dot. I make a homemade breakfast bread with coconut flour and add lots of natural fiber to it. The Biggie is I have to drink 4 large glasses of water with my Linzess to make it work and lots of water throughout the day. This can lower your sodium/ potassium etc which can put you in the hospital but since I have low blood pressure I supplement with a homemade electrolyte like you would purchase Over the counter like Gatorade Rapid Rehydration. Low sodium can cause seizures and low or high potassium heart arrhythmias, so very dangerous! I do get labs every 3-6 months and get a CMP which will monitor your electrolytes and since I’ve been supplementing I feel better and my labs are normal but “you” have to be proactive. You have to be on it daily! Surgery is permanent and can create a host of other problems! I have to say if I change my routine like go to bed later or sleep in just an hour I will not go to the bathroom. My issue( chronic severe colon inertia started over a years time at age 36 and I’m 63 now. Before 36 I was normal with occasional diarrhea but I have hypothyroidism(which is controlled) and a severe history of endometriosis who’s has left my guts stuck together with scar tissue, IBS-C DX from the gastro Doc and thus decreased motility. Even with eating pristine healthy, very active , lots of water if I didn’t do what I do I would have been in the ER with a bowel obstruction and a probable bowel resection. It’s like being a bad diabetic it rules your life. I pray one day medical science will come up with a natural cure. Oh yeah I do the probiotics too and tried all the natural herbs to no avail! I see a gastrointestinal Dr but they just want to give you med and get out in 10 min and do a colonoscopy every three years and that’s it. I’m not impressed at all. I just hate to jump around to different Drs so I take charge of my own health and tell them what I think. I pray all who suffer from a form of chronic constipation will get a good Dr and also do some research yourself and find the best treatment to live with it.

Linzess did not work for me at all I tried it twice. I have a history of IBS-C since high school I am now 70. Marla’s and a better diet helped for a long time but also quit working well for me. I have now went gluten free( I am sensitive, not celiac). And incorporate senna daily, kombucha , kefir and fermented vegetables for probiotics. what form of magnesium is best. Mg citrate? And dose please?
Any other help is appreciated. It’s a long struggle. JC

The above should say Miralax, not Marla’s!

Since removal of 6 inches of my bowel, I too suffer from constipation & defecate in small balls. Does anyone else have this problem? Also, I have IBS so Miralax is not a good choice for me. I do eat fiber; and sometimes, but rarely, have light-colored normal-looking bowel movement. TMI, I know 🤪

I use Mag Glycinate 140 mg that gives about 33% of your RDA at 11 am. Read the labels. Be careful not to take any meds or supple around the Mag doses because it inhibits absorption . It may say 500 but it’s not all the true dose. I then take at 8 PM a dose of Miralax and about 300 mg of Mag Citrate. I alternate a powdered form of the Mag Citrate with capsules depending on how busy I am. Powder works better. I don’t absorb well. I get my Mg levels and all my electrolytes checked about every 3-6 months and I am always mid level or at least in the normal range. I could use more Mag but I don’t take it. I do eat very well, I only eat white bread on Saturday my cheat day, and I splurge on a little sugared dessert too. I basically eat fruit, veggies, Greek yogurt, meat, fish, almond butter and the bread I make with coconut flour, coconut oil,almond milk, eggs and add ground flax, psyllium, and pecan meal and a few other things,like xanthum gum, and baking powder etc. It’s gluten free too. Oh lots of water and my Linzess every am. I had a Sitz Study and I had minimal movement to the marker once it was in my Colon. Even though my thyroid is now fairly regulated my gut moves slow because many years of endometriosis like I mentioned( scar tissue). I do the best I can to stay out of the hospital. I have a medical background which helps also.

I also recommend anyone taking both Miralax and Mag Citrate or Mag gluconate to drink sufficient fluids and do some sports drink for rehydration and to replenish electrolytes loss but check with your Dr and check your labs for baseline and monitor thereafter. Listen to your body. Weakness or headache can signal low sodium, low potassium and other low electrolytes and can cause seizures and heart issues. . Older people have experienced dehydration because they don’t drink and don’t supplement. If your on a fluid restriction or take heart meds etc you a need to seek medical advice from your Dr before taking Miralax or Magnesium. I have a gastrointestinal Dr and I have zero kidney or heart issues and no meds except hormones and thyroid meds and I have monitored labs.

2 sennekot at bedtime. Miralax stopped working. Occasionally milk of magnesia or lactulose (RX) helps. Also tried Fleet suppositories. If stool is hard enema oil does not work. Otherwise the best. Doctors fail to check with colonoscopy in the elderly. They feel they can perforated bowel.

2 senna at bedtime. If stool is hard does not work. Senna is OTC.