Hyoscyamine and Constipation: What Users Say

• Rel...
• May 7, 2021

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome "I am one of those people who has to be in so much pain that I feel like I may need to be hospitalized before I take a medication I don’t know very well. I was prescribed this medication years ago. I’ve only taken it three or four times. And every time I took it, it made me feel better... took away the horrible pains and bloating and stomach spasms. It also helped release the tight intestinal muscles and relieved constipation (I was afraid it would exacerbate this from what I read on the internet but it did the opposite). Hopefully, I will stop hesitating and take this before I am in intolerable pain. Hope it helps anyone reading this. Going for abdominal/pelvic CT just to be safe but it’s probably garden variety IBS."

• Erw...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 10, 2018

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome "In 2000, I was initially diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. I was on one drug for 18 years and had three colonoscopies with three different GIs. About four years ago, I began vomiting and having diarrhea a lot during the summer. One year, it was about every other week. Just this past year, I began experiencing severe constipation too. I thought my UC was getting worse, or that I was not tolerating the heat well. Another symptom was profuse sweating. My new GI looked at my scope results and the recent history and determined that I was misdiagnosed. Instead of UC, it should have been IBS. He said the vomiting and sweating were related to the vagus nerve. I quit the UC drug and began hyoscyamine sublingual. So far, I have had good results. I am sometimes not sure if I should take it at the slightest hint of a stomach cramp, but I’m not taking chances. I go for a follow-up soon to see if the doctor’s new diagnosis is correct."

• Ste...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 23, 2025

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome "This drug has been life-changing for me. I was dealing with severe IBS-D for about 2 years. I was actually put on hyoscyamine sulfate early in the process, but was told by my PA (my G-I doc was semi-retired) the incorrect way to take it, so I gave up on it. When I finally started to take it correctly, it worked right away. However, as time went on, by taking it regularly, I would become severely constipated. It probably took me around a year to figure out the best way for my body to use this drug. And now, I feel I've gotten my life back. I had to learn how to regulate according to my body when to skip a dose (or even two), cut down a little time between doses, etc. For about a year, I didn't dare leave my house without a diaper on. Now, I haven't worn one in a long, long time."

• Anonymous
• August 23, 2009

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome "I've been using this medication for almost 5 years. I can't believe that this isn't prescribed more often than it is because it works! I had such pain with the spasms and mucus till I started using this. I do have to drink a lot more water because it makes me thirsty, and it can complicate constipation. However, my doctor allows me to take it on the onset of an episode instead of 3 or 4 times a day. I've been able to gain weight, and my energy has increased since using this medication. I really am happy with this medication and feel it has allowed me to live a much more normal life, almost pain-free. Of course, I've changed my diet and stay away from triggers too! Good luck, and I hope you have the results I've had."

• Jul...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 18, 2023

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome "I took hyoscyamine for 2 days. It didn't calm my spastic colon or take away the bloat. What it did was make me feel dizzy, almost in a hallucinating state. My heart was racing, my leg was twitching, and the spasms got worse. Oh, and constipation? I still can't poop. That drug slows your bowels and your salivary glands. I must say the worst side effect I got from this was ending up in the emergency room because my salivary glands swelled and hurt to touch. It's scary when a drug that is supposed to help causes serious side effects. I'd rather deal with the pain than end up looking like Shrek again."

• lin...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 12, 2022

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome "This was the worst drug for me. I ended up using it for a little over four years, thinking it was helping me and my severe IBS, but in reality, it was just slowing my GI tract down to a crawl. So much so, that my IBS worsened. I became reliant on suppositories and enemas to have a BM. The constipation, caused by hyoscyamine, caused bloating, nausea, and GERD, which had me taking more hyoscyamine, which just further worsened the issue. It was like a horrific death cycle I wasn’t able to break free of because I didn’t know the hyoscyamine was causing the problems. I lost so much weight and became so insanely sick. Unfortunately, trying to get off this drug was also awful. My GI system had become so reliant on it that it didn’t seem to know how to digest and work by itself. Still, I quit cold turkey, and after 3 or so months, I was thankfully able to get my body back to a reasonable place so I could find an IBS treatment that actually works. Stay away from this drug."

• Anonymous
• July 13, 2009

Hyoscyamine for Irritable Bowel Syndrome "I recently took this drug for 5 days and had complete relief from my irritable bowel syndrome. However, that said, the side effects were horrible. I was the 'poster child' for adverse reactions: arrhythmia, constipation, hallucinations. My brain felt like it was in slow motion while my body was moving at a rapid pace. I saw my doctor, who explained to me that each individual is different. I gave it a 5 because it did help my bowels feel fantastic."

• Lil...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 21, 2021

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome "I originally was prescribed this for a 'nervous stomach' due to diarrhea from severe anxiety. It works to control my bowels and stop the cramps. I have been on and off the meds for about 10 years, using it to help with flares - it is now known I have IBS. If I take it more than 3 days - 3 times a day as prescribed, I have severe constipation. I use it as needed, taking a single dose every day, and more if I have a flare, stopping for a few days only if I have harder stools."