Amitiza drug: Uses, indications and notes when using

Constipation is a common disease in digestive tract diseases. The disease often brings a lot of trouble as well as discomfort to the patient. In addition to changing diet and exercise, medications to treat constipation are also widely used, including Amitiza. So what is Amitiza?

What is the effect of Amitiza? Amitiza is used to treat constipation, including chronic idiopathic constipation and irritable bowel syndrome with constipation. In which, chronic idiopathic constipation occurs but the cause is unknown and is not related to diet, some other diseases or drugs.
What is the active ingredient of Amitiza? The active ingredient Lubiprostone in Amitiza, in addition to the usual treatment of constipation, is also used for patients with constipation when using opioid pain relievers to treat other conditions, except cancer.
Constipation treatment drug Amitiza also helps improve symptoms such as bloating, abdominal discomfort, support stool formation, reduce the need to strain and reduce discomfort when defecating. Lubiprostone belongs to a group of drugs with the function of activating chlorine channels. Thereby, the effect of Amitiza increases the amount of fluid in the intestinal lumen and supports the easier passage of stool.

Amitiza is used by mouth with food and water according to the instructions of the doctor. This medication is usually used twice a day. When using, the patient should swallow the tablet whole, do not break or chew the tablet.
The dose of Amitiza depends on the degree of constipation and the patient's ability to respond to the drug. Patients need to use Amitiza constipation medicine regularly to achieve the highest effectiveness. To avoid missing doses, you should take them at the same times each day.
Talk to your doctor if your constipation doesn't improve or gets worse or if you need prolonged use of Amitiza.

Possible side effects when using Amitiza include:
Nausea, vomiting; loose stools; Flatulence; Dry mouth ; Runny nose, cough; Fever; Headache, joint pain, back pain; Difficulty sleeping.

If any of these symptoms persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist immediately. In fact, many patients use the constipation medicine Amitiza without any serious side effects. However, although rare, serious side effects such as swelling of the limbs, mental and mood changes can occur.
Amitiza can cause low blood pressure and fainting. Patients with diarrhea and vomiting are susceptible to these side effects. Stop taking the medicine immediately and contact your prescribing doctor if you experience signs of fainting, dizziness, diarrhea, or severe vomiting.
Lubiprostone can cause shortness of breath and chest tightness within 30-60 minutes after the first dose (very rare). These signs are usually not serious and resolve on their own within 3 hours. In particular, when using the next dose, there is still the possibility of this unwanted effect. However, it will be difficult for patients to distinguish which signs are side effects of the drug, which are symptoms of another serious disease (also causing shortness of breath, chest tightness...). In this case, the patient should seek medical help as soon as possible.
Rarely, the constipation medicine Amitiza can cause a serious allergic reaction. However, if a person has any of the following signs of an allergic reaction, they should call their doctor immediately: rash, itching, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat, dizziness, trouble breathing.
Not every patient who takes Amitiza will experience these side effects. Some subjects may have other signs. Therefore, contact your doctor or pharmacist if you have any unwanted side effects after taking this medicine.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to the lubiprostone active ingredient in Amitiza. At the same time, before using this medicine for constipation, the patient needs to talk to his doctor or pharmacist about his medical history, especially gastrointestinal diseases (such as intestinal obstruction syndrome, diarrhea, etc.) severe bleeding), liver disease.
Before surgery, inform the doctor about the products you are using including prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs and herbal products... including this group of drugs.
Pregnant women with constipation should only use Amitiza constipation medicine in case of necessity. Users need to be aware of the risks and benefits to be achieved with the prescribing physician.
MORE: Is it safe to take stool softeners to treat constipation during pregnancy?
Lubiprostone's ability to pass into breast milk has not been confirmed but it can still cause unwanted effects (such as causing diarrhea) in nursing infants, patients should consult a doctor before Take this medicine before breast-feeding.

Drug interactions can change how a drug works or increase the risk of serious side effects. Tell your doctor about all medications you are taking, such as prescription and non-prescription drugs and herbal products.
Without a doctor's prescription, the patient must not arbitrarily use, stop or change the dose of any medicine, including Amitiza constipation medicine.

When using an overdose, the patient may have signs such as fainting, flushing, paleness, loss of appetite, sweating. Call the nearest ambulance immediately if the patient overdoses and faints or has trouble breathing.
Amitiza medicine is a medicine to treat constipation, improper use can leave serious side effects. Therefore, patients should strictly follow the instructions of the doctor or the user manual. In case the use of drugs is not effective, patients need to go to medical centers to examine, find out the cause and have appropriate treatment.
With many years of experience in the examination and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, now, Vinmec International General Hospital has become one of the major health care centers, capable of examining, screening and treatment of many specialized diseases. Therefore, if the use of drugs to treat constipation does not bring results or worsens symptoms, you can go to Vinmec International General Hospital for examination and receive support and advice from doctors.

Reference source: webmd.com