Feedback on Linzess for Irritable Bowel-C or Chronic Constipation

Being an RN, my concerns were worrisome. To know cancer exists in your intestines and pancreas engulfed with polyp on polyp. The Cleveland Clinic is 4 hours away. I should go somewhere. Your reply has my directed thoughts to a second opinion Thank you for your share RKA19

Raging diarrhea

I too have had chronic constipation for most of my 77 years. Trialling Constella which is not yet readily available in Australia. It has to be imported from Canada and made into capsules by a compounding pharmacist at a cost of $AU300 p/m. I’ve been on it one month and find it preferable to taking 4-6 Ducolax p/n plus 34x2 mg of Osmolax before bed and again before breakfast. A massive amount of ‘draino’ as I call it, which most days gives me a good clean out. My gastroenterologist said to do whatever it takes to keep it moving, otherwise I get an impacted bowel necessitating a ‘pump out’ under anaesthetic. Constella does not work for me on its own, I add 2-4 Ducolax at night and one Constella before breakfast. This regimen has been quite successful although sometimes hit and miss. And much more preferable to the vast quantities of draino. However, I do experience a little pain occasionally, though less bloating than previously. I eat a very healthy diet, and exercise daily. Like some I have ‘a long and tortured’ bowel, and a lot of adhesions from too much abdominal surgery. I hate the fact that my bowel is constantly front and centre of my mind, so I took up meditation some years ago. Most helpful. Of course anxiety feeds constipation, and I have C-PTSD.
I’m interested to hear others’ experiences with Constella. My gastroenterologist is tracking my reactions in the hope that, if successful, it will be supplied by the hospital at a much reduced cost. And perhaps the Australian TGA will consider making readily available on prescription.

I did milk of magnesia and Miralax for a long time. I couldn't stomach the milk of magnesia anymore, and the Miralax isn't working so well now. I've been on Linzess for 3 or 4 weeks, but I think it is making my acid reflux disease worse. I don't know which is worse, not being able to go, or not being able to eat any foods but bland foods. I'm going to stop the Linzess for a while, and just do the Miralax twice a day, and hopefully go back to being able to eat more things if my acid reflux calms down. I already take a proton pump inhibitor for the reflux as well as a acid reducer.

I have UC and recently constipation. My doctor prescribed 145 Linzess. Have taken 3 days (in morning, 30 mins before eating), so far no reaction. Having read other posts I assume that's the norm. It's been 4 days since a miniscule stool using suppository prior to starting Linzess. It's concerning.

I have complete immobility, after no luck with 2,000 mg of magnesium oxide recommended by gastroenterologists the next step was to try linzess. This was my 3 rd time trying it. The first few days of merely water and pain, have had no movement with linzess.

Curious if you have tried Senna and had any luck?

Tried all the strengths of Linzess - none worked for me.

Senna did nothing for me. Tried Senna S and it worked for a while but stopped working.

Do you have hypothyroidism? Speaking from personal experience with hypothyroidism I've learn how it causes constipation. Also, for me, it made Mirylax and Linzess useless because it's a motility issue. It slows motility to an absolute crawl which leads to constipation. Once I went on synthroid my gut started to move again. My GI never connected the dots. I also learned that the muscles involved in having a BM get out of sync so they contract instead of relaxing when you try and go. They can be retrained.