[wigglesmom]

I am considering stopping Linzess 290 due to the high cost and also because I feel that it takes me much longer to expel the watery stool it creates. I'm curious to hear people's experiences with it and especially those coming off it. Also interested in alternatives. I have tried or am taking Dr. Schulz Formula 1, Swiss Kriss, triphala, various forms of magnesium and Miralax (it makes me very gassy and bloated). I've been on Linzess for a couple years now and take it in the middle of the night so that it has done it's "work" by the time I wake up.

Thanks!

 

[annie7]

i had problems with linzess, too. the only way i could get it to work for me was to take it with food (not 30 minutes before eating as prescribed) and then i would have diarrhea off and on all day. if i didn't take it with food, it wouldn't work at all.

i supopose you've tried the lower doses of linzess....

there are a number of other constipation drugs available now. have you tried any of those? they are amitiza, trulance, ibsrela, zelnorm and motegrity. the last two meds--zelnorm and motegrity--are prokinetic drugs which induce peristalsis--much different than linzess, amitiza and trulance which add fluid to the colon. zelnorm worked a lot better for me than linzess or amitiza did.

also i had good luck with dulcolax and milk of magnesia. these two have to be taken at least an hour apart or you'll get cramping.

good luck. hope you can find something that works better for you .

 

[wigglesmom]

Thanks so much for the reply. I have tried Amitiza (did not help and gave me bad headaches) and Motegrity (AWFUL side effects and did nothing for me). Here are some questions if you don't mind:

- I know that I have taken Trulance but cannot remember what my experience was. I know that it must have not been helpful as I am no longer taken it. Do you know if this is the most similar to Linzess?

- Was Zelnorm the drug that was removed from the market a few years back and then came back on? I know that I have taken it but can't exactly remember my experience.

- Thank you for mentioning Ibsrela. I actually hadn't heard of it before. I am wondering if I should try it. Have you heard anything more about it?

I mostly want to come off Linzess because of the high cost. The Dulcolax/MOM combination sounds interesting. Was it as effective as some of these prescription drugs for you? I take natural laxatives daily and wonder if Dulcolax would cause more dependence. I have taken MOM with the natural laxatives, and it has works, but nothing clears me out as well as Linzess does.

 

[wigglesmom]

I now remember that I have actually not tried Trulance as it wasn't covered by my insurance. I believe Linzess and Trulance are relatively similar.

 

[annie7]

that's too bad motegrity didn't help you and that it gave you such bad side effects.

yes, zelnorm was removed from the market a while ago and now it's back and is considered to be safe to take unless you have cardiac isssues. it worked fairly well for me with no side effects.

yes, you should give ibsrela a try. it's fairly new and i haven't heard anything more about it.

both linzess and trulance have coupons available. maybe they will help you with with the cost:

https://www.linzess.com/patient-resources/save-on-linzess

https://www.trulance.com/savings

your doctor could give you samples of trulance to try. if it helps, he can send a prior authorization to your insurance compnay and they might agree to cover it because of the prior auth. that's what my doctor did for me with linzess. my insurance wouldn't cover it until my doc sent in the prior auth. i was lucky; my copay for linzess was only $30.00.

yes, linzess and trulance are relatively similar but i've read a few posts from people on another board that i read that said that trulance worked better for them than linzess. it's worth a try.

oh yes, the ducolax/MOM combo worked well for me---it was as effective as zelnorm. if you try this combo, just make sure and take them at least an hour apart or you'll get cramping.

my gastro docs told me that dulcolax was safe to take and would not cause dependence.

 

[wigglesmom]

Thanks for all of this information. Sadly, my doctor can't give me samples as he is at a teaching hospital, and they are prohibited from doing so. Even with the coupons, i wind up paying about $400 a month until I meet my deductible because of the way my insurance is set up. It takes many months to meet my deductible.

Ibsrela is not covered by my insurance, so that is a no go for now.

It's good to hear that the Dulcolax and MOM worked as well as Zelnorm for you. It's certainly a cheaper option. I have definitely tried both along with many other things, but I imagineI could try again.

Can you remind me of what your experience with Miralax was like? I haven't found it helpful yet.

Lastly, what is the other forum that you mentioned? I'd love to have a look there.

Thanks!

 

[annie7]

i'm so sorry that linzess is so expensive for you. i wish you had better insurance.

for some reason, MOM worked much better for me than miralax.

this is the other board i read--the AGMD motility disorders support board:

https://www.inspire.com/groups/agmd-gi-motility/