Prucalopride

[Gardenlover2020]

I’ve been taking Prucalopride for about 8 months now , it worked like magic initially, but over time I’ve had to take more , I’m now up to 4mg a day & I also take 2 Senna at bedtime & cosmocol as well , which I’ve been doing for the past 6 months . I have spoken to a gastroenterologist & he said the Prucalopride can be affected by IBS .

I’ve had ups & downs with the Prucalopride before but this time it seems to be worse & I’m struggling with incomplete bowel movements despite being on such a lot of laxatives .

I’m getting concerned & very anxious that things are slowing down completely, has anyone had the same experience with Prucalopride ?

I’d appreciate any help & advice please ☹️

[Gardenlover2020]

I forgot to add that I feel extremely uncomfortable & my stomach is gurgling horribly

[Hidden]

You didn’t say what your diagnosis is. Do you have slow transit constipation? Have you tried irrigation instead of all the drugs?

[Gardenlover2020 in reply to Hidden]

Hi ,

Thanks for your reply .

I wasn’t told what kind of constipation I had , the doctor just said I’d got IBS .

I’ve had a CT scan, also a colonoscopy but they both showed up nothing

I haven’t tried irrigation , but I need to do something as it’s getting worse day by day

[edwangy in reply to Gardenlover2020]

I'm no doctor but could it be that your body is bebinning to rely on the prucalopride to cause bowel movements? Maybe you should speak to your doctor and/or try and lower the dose gradually. If you are compacted, try a gelatin suppository

[Hidden]

I’m surprised they’ve prescribed prucalopride without a proper diagnosis and lack of a transit study and proctogram to check for a rectocele. Your body with get used to laxatives and will become ineffective eventually but I’m not sure about prucalopride long term. Have you been referred to a specialist? If not I would ask to be. Irrigation works but I would recommend you get help and advice for that before going ahead.

[Gardenlover2020 in reply to Hidden]

I do have a specialist & I have been trying to get off the stimulant laxatives, without much success , but the Prucalopride is supposed to be a long term medication, I don’t understand why it’s become so ineffective recently? Unless it’s due to me being so anxious, I really don’t know .

I gather from the specialist’s letter today that I gave slow transit constipation, but how he’s come to this conclusion, I’m unsure , as I’ve only spoken to him once .

I will ask about the tests you’ve kindly suggested , thank you

[Justbreathe55]

Hi as you know I've been on prucalopride for a few months now and like you they seem to be less affective as time goes on. Luckily I'm only taking 2mg and still have a bm everyday but it's not as productive as it was in the beginning. I'm worried it's going to stop working too. My but my consultant said I can go up to 4 on the days I'm struggling! He said I had slow transit to but I didn't have any specific tests for that only the tests to rule out other things! He seems to think the long term omeprazole I'm taking may be making my issues worse, so I'm trying to wean myself off them. Maybe the anxiety of the prucalopride not working is making your issues worse. It's a vicious circle isn't it? Maybe you could try and lower the dose then reintroduce it again. Did you get the horrendous headaches at the beginning? I really hope you find a long term solution.

[Gardenlover2020 in reply to Justbreathe55]

Hi

Just replied but it’s on my original post

[Orchid99 in reply to Justbreathe55]

Hi, you mentioned about the omeprazole possibly causing your constipation issues, I was taking omeprazole for over 6 yrs for gastritis, whilst taking them I had slight constipation but nothing major and could eat and drink what ever I wanted. I decided to wean of them in 2019 and noticed I was getting bad cramps with diarrhoea a few times a week, so i ended up having more investigations and had to completely stop the medication for a colonoscopy but did not take them again after that, but my cramps and diarrhoea attacks continued to get worse. I've since found out I have slow transit colon and the cramping diarrhoea attacks I get are overflow because my bowel is so slow. The strange thing is when I stopped trying to wean off the omeprazole before and kept the dose steady, my symptoms settled, I can't work it out as to why that would happen, not even the gastro has made a connection 🤷‍♀️

[Gardenlover2020]

Yes that’s what can happen with a Prucalopride, the consult told me it can loose its effectiveness & the gastroenterologist said it works in people with normal constipation but it’s a bit harder to evaluate in IBS-C people .

I started off on 2 but gradually increased , I’m not bothered by the fact that I take 4 , I am having a BM 🤞 it’s just not as good as it was and I made the mistake of adding stimulant laxatives which is the worst thing I could have done .

The consultant has told me I’ve got slow transit constipation, but like you I’ve had no tests & how he came to that conclusion after a 10 minute phone call I’ve no idea .

I think my anxiety has a lot to do with it , but it’s how to overcome that . I’m having CBT & I do mindfulness & deep breathing . The doctor has prescribed Citilopram ( antidepressants) today , but I’ve tried fluoxetine before & it made my stomach worse, so I don’t know how that will go ?

I haven’t had awful headaches , I do get headaches now & again but I’ve always suffered with them . They did improve hugely after I had Accupuncture , that could be worth you trying 😊

[Orchid99 in reply to Gardenlover2020]

Hi, how are you getting on with the citalopram, I have heard that ssri's are better for people with ibs c because they can help with motility?

[Gardenlover2020 in reply to Orchid99]

I took one tablet & the following day I was really really ill , vomiting & diarrhoea.

I must have had a severe reaction to it , so it didn’t work for me , but everyone is different & there are lots of different antidepressant to try , but it’s put me off trying again for a while