Viberzi for Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea User Reviews (Page 5)

• Min...
• July 25, 2016

"Took this drug 4 days, on the 4th day, I became ill. Pain in the abdominal area felt like I was having a heart attack or severe indigestion. The pain was terrible for an hour. Took a tramadol to ease the pain. Entire body felt weak and achy. After a few hours, I was able to get out of bed and continue my day, but felt like I had been run over by a truck. I do not have a gallbladder, and the bowel movements, while not watery, while on Viberzi, were scant, and I had terrible gas and gas pains. Off the med today. IBS-D is back. The watery bile in BMs is back. I'll take that over the bad pains and feeling bad."

• GJ2...
• September 12, 2017

"This drug has done wonders for my IBS-D. I've suffered for 25 years and was skeptical this would help. I was at my wit's end and was withdrawing from everyone. Now, I go on my way and do not have to find the bathroom everywhere I go, just in case. Everyone should give it a try as it may work for you despite negative reviews. Every body is different, so it's worth trying it for yourself. Best of luck!"

• L i...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 20, 2017

"I took Viberzi for about a week, and then I had acute pancreatitis for three weeks. I have my gallbladder, I don't drink, and aside from IBS-D, I don't really have health issues. This is a dangerous drug."

• Bee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 4, 2016

"Have suffered from IBS-D for approximately 23 years. The only medication that gives me relief from my symptoms has been Imodium, 1-2 tabs per day. I tried Viberzi for just three days because my symptoms became so frequent from not using the Imodium that I wasn't able to leave the house for more than an hour or two. I hope Viberzi works better for other people who try it. Very disappointing for me, to say the least. I gave it three out of ten because it did firm up the first BM of the day and had no noticeable side effects."

• Anonymous
• August 1, 2019

"I have had IBS-D for the last 30 years. It has controlled every aspect of my life. Extreme diarrhea and horrible stomach cramps daily. Started Viberzi about a month ago, it's like a miracle drug. I have had some constipation, and when I take the pill, I feel like I'm a little drunk. I also had a weird feeling the two times I had alcohol. About an hour after I finished a drink, I was unable to swallow. It was like the muscles in my throat quit working. It went away, but really freaked me out."

• alt...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 11, 2019

"I have been dealing with IBS-D for 8 years. It has not been so severe that I couldn't work or go out, but I always carried toilet paper with me, especially on walks. Viberzi 100 mg only once every other day has been a miracle! I no longer feel like I can't control what's coming, and the severe cramping I would have is gone! I have not had side effects that I am aware of as I take it at night after dinner instead of in the morning after breakfast. I did try to drop down to 75 mg, and the cramping became so severe that I ended up in the ER thinking I had appendicitis after just two 75 mg doses. Back on 100 mg and doing just fine. So far, just taking samples, waiting for insurance to approve it."

• Klb...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 26, 2017

"Started this five months ago, and in the first week, I was totally fine. It stopped all symptoms. Felt great. Ate what I wanted. After being diagnosed over 20 years ago and managed well with diet for most of the past years. A year ago, I was back to 8 trips to the bathroom with immediate diarrhea daily, at least 4-5 days per week. Viberzi was amazing. Went to the pharmacy this week to pick up a refill. Had a note to call the doctor. Had to take me off immediately. Has been blacklisted for patients without a gallbladder. Doc wanted me on Lotronex. Has also been blacklisted for tissue death in the intestines! I stopped medication on Thursday, and I have had an immediate resumption of diarrhea. Can't leave the house. Have to travel to a conference for work all week."

• Kat...
• August 18, 2016

"Some background of drugs/supplements I have been on, and what works and doesn't work for me. Bentyl - useless, Librax - useless, Lomotil works but does not prevent diarrhea. Zoloft helps anxiety associated with IBS but not diarrhea. Kava helps anxiety associated with IBS. Kratom helps IBS tremendously but is expensive. I have only been on Viberzi for 3 weeks. It has been a lifesaver. Pretty much down to 1 BM a day. Helps with pain, which Lomotil did not. I still have gas. Do NOT drink with alcohol. I had 1 drink, and I felt like I was going to die. You can't take it while you're pregnant because not enough studies have been done. I had to wait 3 days for insurance to approve it, but I'm glad I have it. No generic available."

• NCM...
• August 28, 2016

"I got Viberzi and took 2 pills a day, 75 mg. I took them for 2 weeks and had to stop. I couldn't have a bowel movement. I woke up one Sunday morning at 4 a.m., and my stomach felt like a volcano. Finally, I had a bowel movement, and it felt like I lost 20 pounds. It didn't work for me because you cannot go that long without a bowel movement. I got this medicine for IBS and diarrhea. It stopped the diarrhea and stopped all bowel movements. I literally thought I was going to die because my stomach was hurting so bad. I was hoping this medicine would work, but it didn't."

• Tyl...
• July 15, 2016

"Viberzi is working great for me. All medications can have adverse side effects, as well as the potential to lose some effectiveness over time if taken frequently. For these reasons, as well as taking care of my body in general, I try to stick to the low FODMAP diet designed for IBS, as those are the foods my body can process well. I do not have to take a pill every day, only on days when I splurge on something I know has the potential to make me sick or if I find myself in a situation where I don't have any low FODMAP food options. I don't use the medication as a crutch to start eating anything and everything I want."

• che...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 13, 2019

"Though the drug stopped the issue of me going to the bathroom 8 times a day, the negative or side effect is that it gave me constipation, and I would bleed each time I wiped. For this, I stopped using the drug, and I was only taking 75 mg a day."

• 64r...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 11, 2017

"I'm baffled by reports of this not working. I tried Xifaxin and was flushed out for 10 days, worse than before. Then, on the first day of taking Viberzi, it stopped (35 yrs IBS-D tried everything & only Lotrexone worked prior to black box). It worked with the FIRST pill for me. I might suggest doing as I did, which was starting on 75 mg 2x a day, then on the 2nd week to 100 mg 2/day. I also did extensive research, and while I can eat whatever I want, one MUST not drink, and if you do, maybe 1 beer or 1 wine once or twice a week due to liver enzyme and prostate side effect possibility, so NOT for heavy drinkers! That said, I have been on it for 3 months now and have had JUST TWO upset stomachs. THIS IS NORMAL & I'm glad that Rx allows bad food or virus to come through. VIBERZI #1!"

• Kri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 7, 2016

"After having my gallbladder removed 2 years ago, I have been battling IBS-D. I have been on Welchol for about 2 years, and it's okay, not great, but okay. I was taking 1 a day, but I think it needs to be upped to 2. My doctor gave me Viberzi to try, I put it off for a while, then finally took it. Days 1-2 were great. Days 3-4 went downhill fast. By day 5, I was staying within 5 feet of the bathroom. I didn't realize one of the side effects was dizziness (since I have vertigo, I figured my allergies were acting up), weakness, and major gas. I had to stop taking it so I could actually go to work. I think I'll buy stock in Imodium. I am very disappointed this didn't work, so many people worse off than I am did well on it. It's so frustrating."

• SRi...
• March 6, 2017

"For me, this medication did absolutely nothing. Went back to my usual 2 daily Imodium after one miserable week of 'going' almost nonstop. BUT even though it was useless for me, I say try it out, we are all different. Best wishes to us all."

• Joy...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 4, 2017

"Went to my doctor in tears, diarrhea was so bad, it was up to 30 or more times a day. Stomach pain, everything I ate made me sick. My doctor gave me the FODMAP diet to follow and to go gluten-free, he also prescribed Viberzi. I took the first tablet that evening (100 mg) twice a day. In less than 24 hours, my diarrhea had stopped and the pain was gone. I feel strictly following the FODMAP diet along with Viberzi did the trick. I've been taking Viberzi for a month and a half. I had one bout of severe diarrhea when I ate a biscuit, and boy did I feel the pain. It took 24 hours for it to stop. I'm one of those people who just can't eat gluten."

• Bar...
• November 18, 2016

"Glad to find this forum. I have long stretches with constipation and then explosions, no control and very embarrassing 'accidents.' At my wit's end, my doc is great about letting me try new meds, so I've just started this one. Also started a new probiotic--previously, a probiotic made a big difference, and I hadn't had the accidents until recently. Two episodes this week alone. I understand why people stay home, because I work, and it's not functional to have to change my clothes and clean the restroom on the job. I've started keeping a change of clothes in the car. I will come back here and report on the outcomes of taking Viberzi."

• The...
• October 11, 2016

"I'm giving this medicine a 9 out of 10. And if it wasn't for the severe stomach pain, I would give it a 10. For the past seven years, I have experienced IBS-D. In the past 5 years, it has gotten so bad where I choose to stay home rather than face the consequences that come with traveling outside of my home. I have had my gallbladder checked, a colonoscopy, an UGI (scope), biopsies, ultrasound, CAT scan, and numerous blood work tests for parasites, not to mention all of the embarrassing stool samples given throughout the years. It's safe to say it's been a dark road with no light at the end. This medicine makes it a little better and manageable. Hoping the cramps will stop."

• Wil...
• December 8, 2016

"This drug has worked tremendously for me. I take it 2x a day with food, and it has almost ended my rushing to the bathroom. I can go about my life without always knowing where the bathroom is. It has some bloating and gas side effects, but it cut my IBS-D down to shreds. I used to go 8-10 times a day, and now I have a much more normal schedule. Cannot praise this drug enough!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 22, 2017

"4 months with Viberzi, and I am really happy. I just feel bad sometimes when I eat too much junk food, but it's nothing compared to before. For me, it's very helpful, no side effects at all, just the first days."

• GIm...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 30, 2016

"As of today, I can safely say that Viberzi has totally stopped working. I'm going back on two weeks of Xifaxan generic (rifaximin) 550 mg three times a day. It has not been easy with Viberzi, as others on here have said... I had incredibly painful cramps at first. The gastro said it'd be OK to experiment with dosage. I eventually got to a good place of 100 mg in the morning and 50 mg at night. It mostly worked for two months, but now it's done. So I'm sad. I hope the rifaximin will work now that I have been off of it for several months."

• Sar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 4, 2019

"I've had IBS-D for a little over a year after taking antibiotics for a sore throat. Went to a colon doc and even had a colonoscopy, everything checked out okay. I've been using Imodium without much success, so my PCP RX'd 75mg Viberzi 2X a day. The first few days it worked somewhat, I had solid stool followed by a little soft. After a few days, I went back to diarrhea. I even tried to increase my dosage by taking 1.5 pills twice a day. Absolutely no difference. My doc said treating IBS is by trial and error, so I'm curious to see what she will have me try next. What is so unbelievable to me is the cost of this drug. Narcotic pain pills, which Viberzi mimics the side effect of constipation, are pennies compared to the outrageous charge for this drug!"

• Kat...
• September 21, 2016

"I have been on this medicine for almost 2 weeks, and I finally have my life back. The only thing I am noticing is I can't eat as much, which is a good thing. I also have some itching on my arms, but not sure if it's from the Viberzi."

• ALT...
• September 30, 2016

"Female over 30 here. I have had IBS-D for about 3 years since I had my gallbladder removed. I've only been taking Viberzi for a couple of days so far, and while I started getting abdominal cramps day two, they're not awful and something I hope will not get worse, but I'm having maybe 2 BM's a day and not running to the toilet every time food touches my lips. It's such a relief to not have bathroom issues every time I eat anything. I'm praying this keeps working and the cramps go away with time."

• Jma...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 5, 2020

"I've had ulcerative colitis for almost 20 years now. Attacks can be really bad for me, even dangerous sometimes, landing me in the hospital. Though my attacks only happen 2-4 times a year, they will put me on my back for 1-2 weeks. My doctor prescribed Viberzi. The first attack I felt come on, I took a 70 mg pill, and it stopped the attack entirely. I was so grateful. It prevented me from having any bouts for about a year and a half. The last 3 times, it hasn't prevented the attack from happening, but it's made recovery time 2-3 days instead of 7-10 and eliminated the intense pain I used to have. The only hesitation I have is knowing about the side effects. I worry about stuff like that. But I haven't had any that I've noticed. It's been a life changer for me, too! I actually carry a little vial with an emergency pill in it, so it's always on me."

• Gab...
• September 28, 2016

"I have been dealing with IBS-D since I was about 13 years old - I am now 25. The uncontrollable cramping and diarrhea gave me no quality of life. I wouldn't leave my house or do anything. What kind of life is that for a young adult? Back in December 2015, my doctor told me about Viberzi. This has been a GODSEND medicine. I have my life back!! The second week I started taking it, though, I woke up in excruciating pain. I went to the ER, and I had a spasm of the sphincter of Oddi. I stopped Viberzi for a few days, then went on the 75 mg, and I take it once a day. I FINALLY can live a normal life and not worry every 5 seconds about where the bathroom is."