Can Linzess Be Taken As Needed? (Top voted first)

I just took my first dose of Linzess 145 and like the others posted...within 2 hrs of taking it (I took it on an empty stomach 30 minutes before breakfast) I had noticeable bloating and gas within an hr and it was working full on within 2 hrs. The entire experience seemed to work itself out within 3.5 hrs. Very unpleasant 3.5 hrs but now everything seems to have calmed down. Not ideal..but can Linzess just be taken every few days? 2-3 times per week? If it always has this effect it seems I would be able to manage calendar to allow for the time it needs and still be able to fully function the rest of the time.

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I was told by my gastro to take it when I need it. If you take it daily and it gives you diarrhea and you are purging your large GI tract to the point water comes out after, then you can't expect to go normally the next day. Taking this every single day will give you diarrhea. I have only taken 3 pills in 30 days out of a 30 day prescription when miralax doesn't work and it works within an hour and half with a normal bathroom visit followed by 2- 3 plus watway D bathroom visits after. If you take it again the next day and next day you are always going to have diarrhea. This drug is like an over the counter senna tea or milk of magnesia. It lasts in your body for days not a few hours. My stomach is still gurgling the next day from it so it's still in me. So what I would do it take it every few days or every 3 days when needed. I opened up a 290 capsule today and took half of it in a spoon of apple sauce to make it close to the 140 dose and it still gave me diarrhea for an hour and half after 1 normal bowel moment. I'm not severely constipated like most on here and im about to take half of a half dose around 80mg in apple sauce the next time and see if it still gives me watery diarrhea after a normal bathroom trip. This stuff works way too good for me so that means I am not as constipated like most of you even though I am. I only weight 150lbs and a male. I've had this ibs thing for 5 months and hardly any pain. I get spasms once In a while and take nothing for it. This drug and all other laxatives give me more symptoms than my ibs gives me. I take miralax daily and it does help but there are days I don't go or if I do go, I feel like I'm not evacuating. I then take 1/2 of the 290 pill and it works within 2 hours but I am stuck home all day and it ruins my weekend or weekday.. It takes my body 2 days to recoup from the diarrhea after, as your system is now purged from any waste.. There's an article about what happens to your colon and large GI tract when you have a purge of its contents aka a diarrhea episode.. Its like 3 train cars all lined up to move on the train track.. If a 4th car comes in too fast (diarrhea), it hits the 3 cars hard then all the contents are now gone. You knocked all the cars off the track. You now have to wait for the 3 train cars to line back up again to be able to get an urge to go to the bathroom again (colon needs to refill back up). My wife tried the idea out. She took a linzess one day and another time a dulcolax just to see what I go through. She has no issues with ibs. Well she went and had diarrhea all morning and called in sick. She didn't go again until 2.5 days after! Her system wasn't fully back to normal for a whole 5 days. True story. So we proved it takes your body at least 2 days to fill back up with any waste after purging your system. Same thing happens with people with ibs. If you have diarrhea from linzess or a laxative for that matter, you can't expect to have a normal movement the next day, so there is no reason to take another linzess after you just had an episode of diarrhea from it. The food doesn't move through the stomach and small GI tract and to the colon that fast. It's approx 18-36 hours for a complete processing of food to and out of colon. Sometimes 48 hours or more. So for those of you taking linzess or any laxative, and you have diarrhea all day from it, don't expect to have another movement the next day, so skip the linzess that day. You are just going to make it force your colon to give up food that hasn't been fully processed yet and of course it's going to cause diarrhea the next day again. I was making this mistake for 4 months. I did lots of research and kinda got this under control now. If you are going to take linzess take it when you need it..give your body a chance for the train cars to pile back up into place. Your body doesn't need time for linzess to build up to work. It either works, doesn't work, or works too well.

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I was given samples of linzess 75 mcg I'm hoping after reading. Your post that I won't have problems because of the lower dose, I have ibs but I have more constipation than diarrhea which is why I was put on it, but when I do have a flare (diarrhea) I'm down for the day and in pain but this is afterat least 4 days of not having a bum sometimes as long as 10 days and that's the problem. I'll give linzess a shot if it makes matters worse I'll just up my miralax and forget the linzess.

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Can i take linzess twice a day? I take it once a day, usually at bedtime and it usually works when I wake up. So I don't think I'd take it twice a day. I only take it as prescribed.

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My doc prescribed Linzess to be taken as needed. It works well this way, but does have uncomfortable side effects for me. I can have a gassy sore bloated tummy for days after taking it. I am down to the 74mg dose a couple of times a week.

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Re: Cathy (# 4)

I take my Linzess almost daily. I take it in the morning with Metamucil mixed with orange juice and some Miralax. No problems.

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Re: Johnny5 (# 1)

My question is i take linzess one ever other day so the day i don't take it can i take couple of the dulcolax soft chews?

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I take two Linzess 290 mcg, (I am 300 lbs & 6'5) as I always need more of every kind of medication because of my size. I take the meds and then have lunch 10 or 15 minutes after that. It works great, cleans me out with loose stool and several trips to the bathroom which I do not at all mind. I feel great all day and my severe IBSC is totally controlled. Been doing this for couple of years and every once and a while it will not work usually because I do not eat enough or eat enough for lunch. Yes I drink a lot of water and I have found it makes losing weight much more difficult, not sure why.

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