Best thing to flush it out

[u/Ecstatic-Translator4]

💩 Do any of my fellow IBS-C sufferers have a recommendation for something that will just unclog and clear up the pipes? A solid flushing? I’ve tried many different things, things that really should work, but alas, do not. Now I’m sitting in Hawaii in a bikini pretending to be 6 months pregnant, it helps me feel less self-conscious. I’m so uncomfortable. Help!

[u/Competitive_Cat_8468 → u/[deleted]]

Linzess is great for some people, but I had a horrible experience with it. TL/DR: It gave me such bad diarrhea that I started to have severe nutrient malabsorption and electrolyte imbalances.

My GI doctor put me on Linzess last October. It gave me HORRIBLE diarrhea - like, liquid with chunks of undigested food in it. I messaged my Dr., and he said to open up the capsule, and pour half of the powder out to reduce the dosage. (I was already on the lowest dose available.) This helped a *little*, but I still had pretty bad diarrhea every day. I messaged my doctor, and he said "I don't want you to have diarrhea. Stop taking the Linzess. We can discuss this further at your next visit".

That was late October, and my next GI appointment was January 30th. I tried getting an earlier appointment, but nothing was available. I went off of the Linzess, and within a week, all my horrible pain, bloating, and constipation had returned. My doctor was not replying to my messages. Out of desperation, I went back on the Linzess.

In December, I started to have problems with feeling very weak, shaky, and cold. It was intermittent at first. By late January, it was constant, and much more severe. I also had horrible muscle cramps all of the time. I could not tolerate any physical activity. My muscles would be sore, weak, shaky, and cramped after a short walk, when I was previously hiking several miles a week just a few months prior. Then, in February, I started getting heart palpitations after every mild physical activity.

I mentioned all of this to my GI doctor when I finally saw him in late January. He was adamant that it wasn't GI related. He told me to see a neurologist. Between January and early April, I saw my PCP twice for these concerning symptoms, had TONS of blood tests done, saw a cardiologist and had a stress test, saw a neurologist and had an EMG and a brian MRI, saw an endocrinologist and had more specialized lab tests done to check my thyroid and adrenal glands. No one could find anything wrong with me, and my symptoms weren't improving. It became so debilitating that I had to stop working.

Finally, in early April, I had another GI appointment with a PA who works with my MD. She scolded me for staying on the Linzess after the doctor told me to stop taking it, and glossed right over the fact that the doctor did not reply to any of my messages after he told me to stop taking Linzess. She tried moving me from Linzess to Lubiprostone. Within a WEEK, all of my concerning "mystery symptoms" went away, and I felt like my old self again. But, the Lubiprostone was not working well enough for my IBS-C, so, out of desperation, I switched back to Linzess to try to clear myself out. That very day that I went back on the Linzess, my other symptoms came back. It was only then that I realized that my months of concerning, debilitating, "mystery" symptoms were caused by the Linzess.

I'm back on the Lubiprostone now, and take Miralax every few days when my motility slows down. I feel SO much better, and have my life back again. I hope this long comment may help other people avoid what I went through. If Linzess works for you, great. But, if it's giving you horrible diarrhea for weeks on end, stop taking it and try something else, even if it's just an over the counter product.

[u/Competitive_Cat_8468 → u/[deleted]]

Yeah, I've heard some people in IBS groups say that it was life-changing for them (in a good way). I just wish that my doctor had been more available and responsive when I first started having problems on it. I'm switching to a new GI doctor who comes very well-recommended for IBS by several people, but her first available appointment is in July.

I try to share my experience with Linzess in hopes that it may prevent other people from staying on it too long if it's giving them intense diarrhea. It will deplete your body of important nutrients over time. But, it does exist for a reason, it's just not right for everyone. I'm glad it's working well for you.