On Linzess For A Week, Not "working" - Help! (Page 2)
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Hi all! I'm new here, but not new to constipation... However, I only got my first *prescription* medication to treat it a week ago when my new PCP finally related enough to my digestive woes and the frustration that comes from years of living through the futile cycle of Miralax, MoM bombs, evil teas, and throwing my hands in the air.

She gave me samples of Linzess (low and high dose) and thoroughly educated me on how to take it properly, along with a fair warning to remain near the bathroom those first few days. Honestly, I was pumped! And I know beyond a shadow of a doubt I've taken, and stored, this medicine correctly because I was all in on making this work, as gruesome as those first days might be.

But alas, radio silence. I started with the low dose a week ago (a Wednesday) this morning. Nothing. Except a feeling like my GI tract is turning to stone. NOT cramping, not "abs of steel." Not gas. Something closer to petrification. Thursday wasn't any better. Switched to the higher dose on Friday. Nothing-- except the "hardening" is getting harder/ harder to bare and I swear I've gained 5 visible pounds of lumpy, gross fat. (That's noticeable on me and really kicking me when I'm down. I'm only slightly ashamed to say that I care a lot about my appearance and work very hard to look good! Not cool, Linzess!) Repeated this on Saturday, Sunday, Monday. NOTHING. Except those cool side effects!

By yesterday morning I'd had enough. I decided not to take the Linzess at all and I didn't take it today either. No relief yet, nor even from the painful side effects. If anything, I feel like I have more of a calcified sensation in my middle GI tract than ever. This is not my typical constipation-related pain and/or area of distension.

My PCP told me that Linzess doesn't work on the bloodstream, so I'm wondering, does it just work straight in your gut? This possibility has me concerned that if you have to "pass" Linzess in order to pass it out of your body, I'm not going to be able to get it out of me... at least in theory. I know in actuality there's not going to be a toxic waste site declared in my GI tract just because the dam is backed up with Linzess pills.

Has anyone else experienced this? I feel like the only person who isn't ripping the toilet seat off six times a day!

If nothing else, any advice if this has happened with another failed constipation medicine? We are WAY past the general constipation that brought me to Linzess in the first place (in other words, thank you kindly, but warm water with lemon or chomping down on some garlic isn't exactly the words I'm looking for!).

And not to mooch too, too much, but if anyone wants to throw out a pow-er-ful, lasting, constipation rx (or not rx)... that didn't make them gain weight-- that's some BS, Linzess!-- I'm all ears. Thank you all so, so much!

-Kathryn

PS, I am a 30 year old female, in peak physical shape, I maintain a healthy diet (especially in light of lifelong constipation issues), drink PLENTY of water, exercise daily, no thyroid, autoimmune, inflammation imbalances, etc.

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I've had constipation issues my whole Life I'm 46. I tried activia fiber pills fiber bars miralax stool softeners etc I drink a lot of water. My doctor finally said let's try linzess I also was excited as weird as that seems. I am no different taking it than not still going to the bathroom like once a week. I'm very bloated I had a colonoscopy everything is normal with that I don't no what else to do. Any suggestions would be helpful I think I will be calling the dr back.

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I am 63 years old and have been constipated since I was a very young child, so almost all my life. I have been in the emergency room numerous times because of it and had to be cleaned out as early as the age of nine. Had many tests done to find out what the problem was but never came up with an exact answer. Been put on lots of things to supposedly help which didn't. The last was Miralax to be taken each time I ate anything and it still didn't work. Through the years my colon was checked out to see if I had any problems and the one thing they found out was that it was very slow in motility. My doctor finally suggested I see someone for massage therapy for constipation. I found it was the only thing that helped. I can now give myself this massage whenever needed and I no longer have a problem. I don't know why I was put through everything that I was before hand when this was available and is non-invasive and so easy to do. You can look it up on the web. Just punch in 'massages for constipation'. However I would ask your doctor to send you to a therapist to get the exact way to perform the massages. Good luck to all.

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I take the high doze and found out from experience it only works when I take Miralax with it. I take the it as soon as I get up wait approx 40 minutes I eat something and then immediately take Miralax usually within the hour it works. Not everyday but most days it does work.

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I must be a lucky guy (except I have had ibs for 11 months now out of nowhere). My gastro prescribed me the 290 pill late last year.. I have 3 months worth of scripts already filled that are 8 months old sitting in a drawer. I have only had to take approx 1/15 of a capsule for it to work. Seriously. I open up a capsule and empty the barely any contents into a small restaurant condiment cup like the small ones that a side of barbecue sauce comes in. I dip the tip of my pinky in it and have about 10 tiny salt sized beads on it. Actually the beads are 1/3 the size of a grain of salt. I then put them on my tongue and take with a cup of water. I go within 1 hour. It's literally 1/15 of a capsule and I take it maybe twice a week. That little bit works for me. I have had a 30 day script so far last me 6 months and I still have about 23 of the 30 capsules left as well as the 2 other filled bottles. My suggestion to all saying it doesn't work, take a stool softener for 3 days first then start taking the linzess. Linzess flushes water into your large intestine immediately but if you are already stopped up, it would be like trying to push a rock though a tube.

Miralax is the best or the generic Kirkland. It takes about 3 days for miralax to soften you up. Then 1/15 or so of a Linzess cap may be all you need after, like me. You may still need a whole pill or a half depending on your weight and how bad your ibs is, but experiment with it. Linzess isn't a laxative. It doesn't make your intestines contract. It takes water from your body and flushes it into your large intestine pretty much immediately. It does not affect your stomach contents. But it will affect your small intestine that is trying to get nutrients that just left your stomach. The reason why they say not to eat first and take on an empty stomach is because the stuff works in an hour or 2 and if you take on full stomach it will take longer for it to get to your large intestine to do its thing and also possibly try and force the food being digested in your small intestine out too fast. I don't know how anyone can say this stuff makes you gain weight. It makes you lose weight by forcing food out before its fully digested and that includes forcing the nutrients out as well. I guess my ibs isn't as bad as others but it made me quit my career.

If I don't take miralax every night at bedtime I will be rock hard the next day even if I drink coffee, apple juice, eat plums, raspberries and fiber one cereal. Nothing works for me as far as food. Miralax has helped a lot but sometimes it doesn't work because it doesn't make you go. It just softens up your insides. Linzess does make you go if you are soft inside. So try both. Miralax every night before bed. It will soften you up in 3 days as it just draws water to your large intestine and there is no gurgling or gassy feeling... At least there is none with me and almost all others. Then after 2-3 days take a Linzess or half. The Linzess is like a water dam letting go within an hour or 2 tops. It will force whatever you have out that is soft. If you are stopped up like petrified wood Linzess probably won't work well until you soften up your insides with a once a day softener. My gastro said miralax can be taken for life if need be since it's not a stimulant. And neither is the Linzess. I only weigh 158lbs so if you weigh a lot more than me you maybe need a whole capsule of Linzess. But for me a small portion of one works for me after having miralax in me for the past 6 months. I hope this helps someone out like it did me. I had to experiment every day for 8 months between miralax, dulcease or colace, milk of magnesia or a few sips of senna tea to get the right combination down. So far miralax and Linzess does the trick.

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I too started on Linzess almostb3 week ago. The 1st week it worked a little. I kept taking it & (290's)The effects for me is nausea after I eat. I was skeptical for a while but I take a Dulco Ease and a store brand stool softener & now am have much better results. I have lost weight since taking because I don't have the appetite I owed to have. I ate all the time. Hope this helps you because I was ready to quit too but I guess it just takes a while.

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I have been on Linzess 290mg for 1 week with no relief. Is there anything else I can take with it to help with elimination? Thank you.

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They say to take it in the morning on am empty stomache bc if you take it with food in there the diarrhea can get intense. But when I have a few days without a bowel movement I just take it an hour after dinner. Then I get prepared for diarrhea to start a few hours later. Try taking it with food but stay near a bathroom!! It is absorbed by the bowel rather than in the stomache..... that doesn't mean it's not getting broken down. It clears the body just fine by the bowel.

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I've only been taken it a week. I started with the 290 dose & sometimes it works sometimes it don't. I feel like you with this hardening in the middle of my lower stomach. I'm done with it. Like you said why take it if it doesn't work. I feel like a cow since I can't go.

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Linzess worked one time, I think. Started low dosage, after one week I started taking two. Can't take other medicine because I through up. Even when I take many hours apart. I currently take at 5 am so it's many hours before I eat. Still doesn't work. I go some once in two weeks. Going to try taking before I go to bed. I have had ibs problems most of life. I'm 60. The older I get the worse it gets. Have tried so many things, I don't know what to do next. Daughter has worse problems than I.

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I have Multiple Sclerosis--very low motility. Started on 145mg. Worked the first day.
Second day--no go. Third day--suppository.

So now I drink a lot of water with it--3 glasses at least. I also use a Fleet suppository to get things started. Works well after about 5 minutes. Try it!

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The same thing happen to me and I decided to use it at night and every morning when I wake up I go to the bathroom. Thank God

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I'm a retired nurse who is very big on holistic. My son is taking this stuff and I'm wondering if its going to work or not. In your case I recommend trying magnesium tabs at night. You can buy them over the counter and they are cheap. I would say start with 250mg or 500mg. Mag. makes you sleepy so don't do this during the day. At worst you get a good nights sleep, at best it may just pop your cork. Good Luck!

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Could you tell me when you drink your coffee, because, I don't know whether to drink my coffee before I take the pill and drink my bottle of water or after. I don't think I need to worry about that because, it looks like it's not going work anyway. Thank You

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There are some people whom have genetic predispositionso to things.

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Awesome, Ruthann. Having a doctor that works with you is half the battle.

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Thank You for answering. I called the Dr. and he is putting me on a stronger dose.

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No doubling an RX like this without your doc's permission. Read the insert or go online for it. I know you must need relief badly but don't take that chance.

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Linzess, is not working for me. I wonder if I could double my prescription and that will help. I am on 145mg. Thank You

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Hi, I'm also taking Linzess started out on low dose, now on 290 mcg every morning, I've been taking it for about 6 months, with no noticeable results, not even diarrhea, This medication is expensive, and it doesn't work, seems to be the case for most people, so I stop taking the crap 2 weeks ago, What I have found out on my own, because the Gastroenterology doc doesn't seem to know how to help me, so i tried something until I found out what works with me. What I discovered was Using MiraFIBER in 8 ounces of water, twice daily, and taking "Align Probiotics" (1) capsule daily in the morning, this seem to help me a lot, more than anything the gastro doc ever did, so if your having problems with hard painful stools, you might want to give this a try, I have also at the start of taking the MiraFIBER, mixed it with a little Miralax, just to get started, and things seem to get flowing naturally, and without the painful, and occasional bloody stools from having to strain, Let me know how this works for you, just take it as directed on the canister, Thanks, and good luck. Please note that taking the MiraFIBER at bedtime for your second dose seem to work really well.

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I had the same issue when first starting it. I take it with a full 16 oz glass of water, and drink it right down with the pill. Definitely a change for the better.

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