Trulance and Abdominal Pain: What Users Say

• Dan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 27, 2019

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "Basically, hit and miss with variable results and variable adverse events. I am taking it for hard stool and occasional low (but sometimes severe) abdominal pain/distention. I am taking one pill daily on an empty stomach with H2O each morning. I have uncovered a pattern now where if I have not had a BM the day before, the next day will be explosive. Following 4 hours of diarrhea, I get migraine symptoms (courtesy of dehydration... who knows), chills, and back pain. I wonder if anyone has had good luck with halving the dose or taking only a couple of times a week. I would think that the manufacturer has now had enough adverse events reporting that the FDA would require a labeling change. I'm surprised there is no titration recommended based on 'results'. My advice before your doctor pursues a lengthy prior authorization procedure only to have you waste (pardon the pun) money on a drug you don't use is to get samples first to see if you even tolerate the drug."

• gin...
• January 13, 2021

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation "This medicine is supposed to be taken every day. With the approval from my doctor, I take it twice a week. This medicine typically takes anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours to kick in. Get up at 4 AM and take it with a full glass of water. I work at 9 AM from home, so my bowel movements are typically done then. Be prepared to be at home for 4-6 hours. Occasionally, I do have abdominal pain from the medicine. Starts with some solid poo and then changes to diarrhea. I typically go diarrhea around 5-7 times that morning. My side effects on good days are just diarrhea. HOWEVER, I have a bad day at least every other week where the medicine makes me so sick and weak. It makes my chest feel really weak and my body. I typically stay somewhat dizzy throughout the day and can get headaches. Regardless of these episodes, for me, the medicine is still worth it to not be living in constant horrific pain from bowel movements and constipation."

• Kar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 16, 2017

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "Just switched to Trulance 3 weeks ago. First 3 days and nothing changed, and then it magically started working. I was on Linzess for the past 14 months, but I was continuing to have such unbearable diarrhea and abdominal pain. This drug isn't perfect, but pain has subsided considerably and diarrhea is almost nonexistent. Keeping the faith that it continues to do well."

• Sam...
• August 23, 2017

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "After suffering for 2 years of bloating, I had been using Miralax, which works slowly every day. Then the doctor said to try this. Within 10 minutes, I was in the bathroom on and off for 2 hours while it was cleaning my system out. I had no bloating and no abdominal pain. I took the second dose today, and it did the same thing. In 10 minutes, rolling thunder started in my stomach and cleaned out everything. I will try in a few more days, then will ask the doctor. So far, no more pain, but I feel like it's an F-18 fighter sound going through my stomach for a few hours after taking this. Thank goodness I tried it after work when I was home. Lol."

• Hop...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 4, 2019

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "Have been suffering from chronic constipation for years and recently developed abdominal pain that I’ve gone so far as to have a colonoscopy to explain, but it remains unexplainable. The doctor put me on Trulance after an Amitiza attempt. It helps my pain tremendously when so far nothing else even touches it. It doesn’t, however, do much for my constipation. If it did, it’d be my miracle drug!"

• Con...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 20, 2018

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "Just started off by taking half a pill, not knowing how I would react. Glad I didn't take a full tablet....lots of abdominal/bowel pain, sharp.....and hardly going so far, just a little. And took it about 3 hours ago."

• Ale...
• April 19, 2018

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I used to have to push very hard to be able to poop. It would take me 20-30 minutes just sitting there and making a huge effort. I started developing severe abdominal pain to the point I couldn’t even walk. Several times I dropped on the floor, unable to walk. I thought the pain was related to my IUD device, so I removed it, hoping it would help. It was on that visit that my gynecologist recommended that if the pain didn’t go away, it was possible I had chronic idiopathic constipation and that a new treatment called Trulance was available. The pain didn’t go away, so I decided to try some over-the-counter laxatives, but they would make me get diarrhea. So finally, I changed my diet, and I noticed that as long as I didn’t eat any processed foods, I would be okay, but as soon as I ate anything ‘unhealthy,’ I would get cramps again."

• NTH...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 28, 2023

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "I take Motegrity daily and just started Trulance every other day. I have a bowel movement within an hour of taking the Trulance. I was using Amitiza and Motegrity, but it was slow to work. I also tried Linzess in the past, which made me super nauseous and abdominal pain. I am getting some diarrhea from the Trulance, but I’m hoping my body gets more used to it with time."

• Hap...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 19, 2022

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation "Having LUQ pain for three years. Colonoscopy in CT showed nothing, hence, blamed on IBS – C. Linzess was tried, but I ended up in the ER twice with an allergic reaction – severe headache, abdominal pain, and intractable nausea and vomiting. Trulance was tried, and so far, it seems to be working well. Usually, between 2-4 hours, I have several BMs, including but not always diarrhea. After about four hours, everything is fine. I still take MiraLAX a couple of times a week and drink plenty of water. I have also tried a half a pill (one and a half milligrams) with OK results, but less consistent results. My only complaint is the cost, and that’s absolutely obscene ($1600 for 90 pills)."

• Tri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 28, 2022

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation "I have been taking Linzess 290 mcg capsules since 2017 for IBS-C. Also taking up to 1,200 mg (Colace) per day. Sometimes would need 20 mg of Dicyclomine for abdominal cramps. I stopped taking Linzess on Sept 9, 2022; started Trulance the next day. Had two normal BMs that day. Began having incredible lower abdominal pain the next day. Constipation continued. The abdominal pain continued nonstop for days. Day 9, I had diarrhea six times in 45 minutes. Day 15, stopped taking Trulance. Day 18, I tried it again, no change in cramps. Day 19, had a fever of 100 in the evening, feeling sick. Day 20, feeling better, took two laxatives plus MiraLAX. Some residual abdominal soreness. Will not be trying Trulance again, will probably go back to Linzess."

• Lia...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 26, 2017

For Chronic Idiopathic Constipation "Works great! I can take it whenever I want during the day, no diarrhea and no abdominal pain."