Re: Amitza?

[Guest guest]

Hi Amber,I've been on Amitiza since 5 months before I was on the diet (9 mos overall). It took months of getting used to - I got nausea and chest tightening and shortness of breath in the beginning - very common side effects. But they did go away after a while..I'm thinking maybe a couple months, but I don't remember. I am on the 8 mcg dosage. I have been doing 1x a day, though you are supposed to do it 2x a day. But after the constipation I got after being off of it for a week recently, I've gone up to 2x a day to get things going again. The one weird thing is, when changing my dosage or transitioning from going on and off, I get these weird stomach movements, like I can feel it extracting the water from my body.You should probably do the lower dose (the

8) first. If you have been diagnosed with IBS-C then you can get it from a doctor, but my insurance was being difficult with it for a while, and every time I go to the pharmacy they have to get the authorization from my doctor again. Anyways, for me, it definitely helped softening my stools but my BMs are still somewhat difficult. When I first started the medication, I was going every other day with a lot softer stools. My BMs have been all over the place on SCD, but I do go through very good periods when I'm going every day, and then all of the sudden there are two or three days where I'm constipated (I think its die off) and have to take the prune juice and then I go TOO much. I ran out of the Amitiza this week, and even the prune juice couldn't get me going - I could feel it very hard. Anyway, this proved to me that the amitiza was necessary for me I just hope that when I get consistent bowel movements that

don't cause any strain (my SCD dream) that I won't need to be on it anymore. I don't like the idea of being medicated for constipation, but if you need it, you need it. Let me know if you have any other questions.EllenTo: BTVC-SCD Sent: Sat, August 21, 2010 3:28:42 PMSubject: Amitza?

Hey guys,

I was wondering if anyone has tried amitza? I have been using miralax and supplementing magnesium but I am STILL having problems with C. I am incredibly frustrated. The SCD has done wonders for almost every problem I have except for digestive issues. It has improved somewhat but it definitely isn't fixed so I think I am going to have to turn to medicine for a while.

Thanks,

Amber

[Guest guest]

Amber

I

was on Amitiza for about 6 months a few years ago. It didn’t work

quite as well as low-dose Zelnorm, which I had been on since my diagnosis

nearly 7 years ago, but when the FDA pulled Zelnorm my doctor had me switch to

Amitiza, one dose a day. I was also on low-dose Miralax at the time; my

digestive motility is poor due to neuropathies and functional upper GI

disorders [sigh]. I found that Amitiza did help – until I developed

severe (and I mean severe!) systemic joint pain. When I stopped using

Amitiza, that symptom vanished. So I dropped that medication.

Fortunately

my gut ecology had improved enough by then that I could deal with my poor

digestive motility by using full-dose Miralax, supplementing magnesium and

eating prunes once or twice a week. I’ve considered purchasing

Zelnorm from overseas sources, or my gastroenterologist will go through the

process to get an exemption for me to use Zelnorm, but we will wait until (or

if) things get worse.

Hopefully

you won’t have the same kind of immune reaction to Amitiza that I experienced.

I’ve seen plenty of discussions from folks using Amitiza, and it really

helps them.

Kim M.

SCD 6 years

Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction 6+ years

neurological & spinal deterioration 3+ years

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I

was wondering if anyone has tried amitza? I have been using miralax and

supplementing magnesium but I am STILL having problems with C. I am incredibly

frustrated. The SCD has done wonders for almost every problem I have except for

digestive issues. It has improved somewhat but it definitely isn't fixed so I think

I am going to have to turn to medicine for a while.

Thanks,

Amber

[Guest guest]

Thanks guys,

I have Celiac, so I am still hoping that after a while on the diet my problems

will be gone. But I'm worried now that nothing but a prescription will do it.

I've been on miralax for about two weeks, so maybe I should wait longer to see

if that helps more? I'm afraid of all of the side effects of Amitza, it has such

mixed reviews. Does anyone have other suggestions?

[Guest guest]

Amitiza

might work well for you, so might be worth trying.

Are

you taking extra magnesium? That helps with constipation; I use it daily,

along with Miralax.

The

other things that help with constipation: drinking plenty of

fluids/water, getting extra vitamin C (which is why prunes or other fruits work

as laxatives), and getting plenty of fats. Also walking regularly, the

gentle exercise is beneficial for digestive motility.

For

those folks with a neurological connection to poor peristalsis, boosting

serotonin levels often helps. Many gastroenterologists prescribe

anti-anxiety medications for this reason, the type that boost serotonin levels.

I

have neuropathies that impact peristalsis, but my body prefers the opposite

type of anti-anxiety medications, those that increase GABA instead of serotonin.

Extra serotonin triggers severe Sphincter of Oddi spasms, my primary digestive

malfunction…. I do use an anti-anxiety med. on an as-needed basis,

since I developed major panic/anxiety attacks the day my digestive disorders

kicked in. My digestive motility usually improves for a day or two after taking

my once-a-week on average dose of Xanax. It really improves after I’ve

had to take Valium (another GABA booster) to get through a MRI [grin].

Kim M.

SCD 6 years

Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction 6+ years

neurological & spinal deterioration 3+ years

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I

have Celiac, so I am still hoping that after a while on the diet my problems

will be gone. But I'm worried now that nothing but a prescription will do it.

I've been on miralax for about two weeks, so maybe I should wait longer to see

if that helps more? I'm afraid of all of the side effects of Amitza, it has

such mixed reviews. Does anyone have other suggestions?