Amitiza

Hello Gatorfrog,

First off, I hope you're doing better since the surgery. Sounds like that was painful enough without having to endure your other symptoms.

I too was prescribed Amitiza by my gastro, but have put off taking it due to the feedback I've read. I am not a proponent of taking medication, so I am seeing a nutritionist to try to determine if my GI distress can be resolved organically.

My condition is similar to yours, but with a couple of differences... for the past two years I have had excessive bloating as well as globus sensation. Originally, my gastro prescribed Clonazepam, which seemed to work for the globus, but after about seven months, it returned with a vengeance. The bloating never really went away, I was just living with it (or not) .

My nutritionist thinks I may have a gluten sensitivity in spite of testing negative for celiac. Subsequently, I have been taking digestive enzymes before each meal as well as eating a gluten-free diet. Unfortunately, none of this has had a major impact on my condition. I am still severely bloated, and while I do have a bowel movement every morning, it feels incomplete (and I have to drink coffee in order for this to occur at all).

Two years ago I had a colonoscopy, which was fine and then in August they did an upper GI endoscopy, also fine. It was after this last test that my doctor suggested the Amitiza. The funny thing is, he never mentioned IBS! He spoke about slow motility---food not digesting quickly enough, but never once addressed IBS or constipation as the root of my problem. I understand that doctors may elect to prescribe medications for "off the book" reasons, but again, with all the negative feedback, I'm just not sure about this one.

If others are reading this post, I too would appreciate any/all thoughts on the subject. While mine is not a particularly painful condition, it is quite debilitating to have to live this way non-stop.

Thank you, in advance, for any feedback!