Zelnorm?
#76096 - 06/03/04 08:41 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
Is Zelnorm safe for men. I severe bloating with diarrhea. Doctor said to try for 2 weeks. What did the FDA issue an article about Zelnorm? Is it safe to take. Read an article about people becoming hospitalized due to Zelnorm?
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? SORRY I AM ANGRY BECAUSE THESE DOCTORS ARE MAKING ME SO MAD. WHY DO I KNOW MORE THAN THEM SHEEEEEESH! Sorry for the caps! Anyway someone asked this earlier - their doctor had prescribed it for IBS-A. Firstly it should NEVER EVER be prescribed for someone with diarrhea AT ALL. It is for constipation predominant people only, and has only been proven to work in women. It is not approved for men as studies have not been conducted to test it on men yet.
But anyway, the FDA's warning was that Zelnorm can cause severe diarrhea - and thats for people who may already have SEVERE C!!! I cannot believe how inept so many doctors seem to be...I wonder if they are truly clueless or just want to prescribe medicine for the sake of it???? argh!!  
Anyway this is the warning ZELNORM WARNING!!!
Also here is a blurb from the zelnorm.com site:
Why can men not take Zelnorm?
Zelnorm received FDA approval based on the results of two clinical studies, each lasting 12 weeks in duration. Both studies involved primarily women patients.
Browse the site, search for past posts. Their are some great ideas for reducing the exact symptoms you have....and keep up the diet 
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
at heather@helpforibs.com I'll post it for you!
- Heather
--------------------
Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Thanks Heather, I'm sending it to you now 
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Just thought I'd share my zelnorm tale:
I'm a severe IBS-C sufferer, and very thankful that doctors can prescribe zelnorm to men. Apparently, in the trials, no difference was found in function of the drug, between men and women. In the study I read about, there was aproximately 2700 women involved and 80 men. Not enough for approval, I suppose.
I responded in just over a week. yes, I had a few days of diarrhea, but after the pain I'd been through, it was the most wonderful diarrhea ever. Much nicer than the 20+ bathroom breaks involved with taking Klean Prep PEG solution. Now I pretty much feel normal, and am watching my diet. Before I started the drug, it didn't matter what I ate, nothing would go through properly, even the safest of foods.
So obviously, IBS-A's should stay away - not ibs-C men; (it worked wonderfully for me). Are the doctors improperly prescribing this family practioners or GIs? I would try to get advice from a Gastroenterologist. It took me a while to get a hold of one, but I was helped enormously when I did. I know it works for me, as I missed a day once, and the pain came back quickly.
Are there any men who've got such favorable results? please respond.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
Re: Zelnorm?
#77171 - 06/08/04 10:36 AM
|
|
|
|
Shanna
Reged: 11/15/03
Posts: 471
Loc: Atlanta, GA, USA
|
|
|
Zelnorm is for the treatment of women, NOT men.
--------------------
"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." -- e e cummings
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Shanna, it was only APPROVED for women. That doesn't mean it doesn't work in men. Atenolol was only APPROVED for high blood pressure. That doesn't mean it doesn't work to prevent migraines.
--------------------
Laura
Keep it simple!
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
yup, its just the lack of male participants in the study...they can't approve something with such a small group of people, which is unfortunate....
why don't they do some more studies/research  hmmm?
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
IF you already have D, DONT take it. That's my advice. I'm not a man...:) but...
I am IBS-D, and I think my doc just ran out of options for me - switching me from anti-dirrahea meds (which made me C), so then he'd give me something to make me go...giving me D....finally he put me on Zelnorm, saying it'll definately help....OMG, it was the worst thing ever. 2 days on it and I couldn't take it....it is only for IBS-C. So I would stay away.
The worst part is - I called the doc the 2nd day and told him I was miserable, had D a million times, etc etc...and he said, 'you need to give it time'. I told him that on the package it says, "DO NOT TAKE IF YOU HAVE DIRRAHEA CURRENTLY"...and he said, 'oh - it'll do the opposite affect on you since you have dirrahea, it'll help, don't worry'. Needless to say, I'll never call that idiot, I mean doctor again.
--------------------
~Cara~
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
it may work comparably for them as for women, but it may not. It might have side effects for men that it didn't for women, or might just be ineffective in men - they simply don't know.
I'm starting to hear so many bad experiences from women about Zelnorm I'd be extremely reluctant to even try it if I were a man. I'd want some hard evidence that it's effective, not to mention safe - and right now they don't have that. 
- H
--------------------
Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
--------------------
Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
I am not a man, but I was on Zelnorm for about a month. It took a couple of weeks for it to get into my system, but when it did I was almost normal. The GI that prescribed it for me decided to not do any tests, i.e., CT-scan, blood work or checking of stool for something other than IBS. I went to another GI and he did all the tests and placed me on Lexapro and Miralax. My stool is not the same as it was with the IBS, I am going to try to get my new GI to place me back on it. It really helped me out.
Lene
--------------------
God never promised life would be easy, but he did promise to provide a way out!
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
I was on Zelnorm from January until May. The first week was nothing but severe diarrhea. After that I was mainly diarrhea. In May I had a very stressful period and the violent diarrhea returned. My family doctor took me off of the Zelnorm and two weeks later I saw a GI. He put me on Rubinol Forte and Benefiber. That was almost one week ago. After a few days of constipation, I am happy to report that I am almost totally normal. I have had regular bowel movements every day since Saturday. I haven't had that in the past eight years. I've been on so many medications over the years, I think that you just have to find what works for you and stick with it. Even after one or two years of success, a medication would suddendly stop working. Who knows?
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Quote:
I was on Zelnorm from January until May. The first week was nothing but severe diarrhea. After that I was mainly diarrhea. In May I had a very stressful period and the violent diarrhea returned. My family doctor took me off of the Zelnorm and two weeks later I saw a GI. He put me on Rubinol Forte and Benefiber. That was almost one week ago. After a few days of constipation, I am happy to report that I am almost totally normal. I have had regular bowel movements every day since Saturday. I haven't had that in the past eight years. I've been on so many medications over the years, I think that you just have to find what works for you and stick with it. Even after one or two years of success, a medication would suddendly stop working. Who knows?
What's Rubinol Forte?
I take Zelnorm, but only half the dose cause it was making me SO hungry and gain weight. It sucks cause it was working great aside from that side effect, now taking half the dose it only works a little(have to take other stuff to go too).
--------------------
IBS-C
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
Re: Zelnorm?
#77625 - 06/09/04 01:22 PM
|
|
|
|
|
Shanna
Reged: 11/15/03
Posts: 471
Loc: Atlanta, GA, USA
|
|
|
yes. it is only approved for women.
--------------------
"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." -- e e cummings
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Heather-- I am am in agreement with your statements... right now Zelnorm is a cointoss... for some it works, for others it doesn't... and for a small minority, it is harmful. Personally, I found Zelnorm to be ineffective. It was not bothersome in anyway, but simply did not aleviate my symptoms. Furthermore, I gather that it was approved for woman and not men for a reason... if I were a male, I would be extremely cautious about taking a long-term medication not approved for my gender. Particularly one that affects seratonin levels. Welp, that's my twenty cents! 
--------------------
"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." -- e e cummings
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
I'm just finishing my 3rd month of it now. Up until I'd started, I'd been through about a month of moderate to severe pain, and over month of being unable to stand from it. I'd been prescribed dicetel and had no success with that, and I went through quite a few hospital visits for the pain.
It seems to be working incredibly. I notice the difference when I forget to take it before a meal too. (much better 20min before) and actually, some of the major risks that have been submitted to repeal the fda approval don't apply to men. I don't know why seratonin would be a cause for concern (any more for me), as it's present in both men and women, brain and gut.
I certainly hope more studies are being done, because I'd hate to think that a man would be denied access to this drug. I would be on the floor moaning in pain right now without it, and would have been for 4 months straight.
They got just as favorable results from the male test group. And if you read the study, no reasons can be found for a difference.
Perhaps the reason this drug doesn't work for some is because irritable bowel is simply a far larger bracket of very similar disorders; all requiring unique treatment. Even within the type C, there could be more than one cause for the results. Need for further classification? Well... when someone figures it out a bit more at least, I'm guessing.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Hey there,
I've been on Zelnorm for about a month now, seems to be helping me...but my doc wants me to stop taking it after the max # of months (3 or 4 i believe) so I'm not looking forward to that!!! What about your doc, what did he/she recommend? Also, when you take it do you take it with a glass of water, and do you notice a difference if you do or don't? Thanks
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
My doctor said that I may have to take it forever, though I have heard that some people just use it to get over an attack. I seem to always be in one, no matter how safe I play it with diet.
I always take it with water, sometimes more sometimes less. I'm betting water just affects the absorption speed. I can't tell the difference myself, it's mostly just whether I get a head start on the meal or not. That's probably a good question for a pharmacy tech, or doctor. I'll ask next time I see him. Do you notice any differences?
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Here is a link to a page that explains the Rubinol Forte: http://health.yahoo.com/health/drug/202049/overview It is my current miracle drug. All of my prescriptions seem to work fine with few side effects (except for Zelnorm) for about one year before the effectiveness wears off. Does anyone else have this problem?
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
Posts
