Dr. Ogbru received his Doctorate in Pharmacy from the University of the Pacific School of Pharmacy in 1995. He completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency at the University of Arizona/University Medical Center in 1996. He was a Professor of Pharmacy Practice and a Regional Clerkship Coordinator for the University of the Pacific School of Pharmacy from 1996-99.
Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
DRUG CLASS AND MECHANISM: Lubiprostone is an oral medication used for
the treatment of idiopathic (i.e., due
to an unknown cause), chronic constipation. One of the common causes of chronic constipation is slow transit
of stool through the colon that allows too
much fluid to be removed from the stool, leading to hard or lumpy stools,
abdominal pain or discomfort, straining during bowel movements, and difficulty
passing stools. Signs and symptoms of chronic constipation can be reduced by
increasing fluid in the stool. Lubiprostone causes an increase in the secretion
of fluid into the intestines. The added fluid softens the stool and also may
speed up transit of stool in the colon. Lubiprostone was approved by the FDA in January, 2006.
GENERIC AVAILABLE: No.
PRESCRIPTION: Yes.
PREPARATIONS: Capsules: 24 mcg
STORAGE: Store at room
temperature, 15-30°C (59-86°F).
PRESCRIBED FOR: Lubiprostone
is used for treating idiopathic chronic constipation in adults. It should not be
prescribed to patients with a history of mechanical obstruction, e.g., due to narrowing of the intestines, because it
may promote obstruction.
DOSING: The recommended dose of lubiprostone is 24 mcg taken orally
twice daily with food.
DRUG INTERACTIONS: Lubiprostone has no known drug interactions.
PREGNANCY: Use of
lubiprostone in pregnant women
has not been
adequately evaluated.
NURSING MOTHERS: It is not known whether lubiprostone is excreted in
human milk.
SIDE EFFECTS: The most
common side effects of lubiprostone are nausea and diarrhea. Nausea was reduced
when lubiprostone was administered with food. Other side effects include
frequent bowel movements, fecal incontinence, decreased appetite and rash.
IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) is a common gastrointestinal disorder involving abnormal gut contractions (motility) characterized by abdominal pain,
bloating, mucous in stools, and irregular bowel habits with alternating diarrhea
and constipation, symptoms that tend to be chronic and to wax and wane over the
years. Treatment options include medication and lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise, and stress management to control symptoms. Also called spastic colitis, mucus colitis, nervous colon syndrome.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in children is a functional gastrointestinal disorder with symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea or constipation. The cause of IBS is unknown, however, certain foods, stress, anxiety, and depression may contribute to the symptoms of IBS. There is no cure for IBS in children; however, medications, dietary changes, and stress management may relieve symptoms.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common ailments of the
bowel (intestines) and affects an estimated 15% of people in the US. The term,
irritable bowel, is not a particularly accurate one since it implies that the bowel
is responding irritably to normal stimuli, and this may or may not be the case.
The several terms used for IBS, including spastic colon,
spastic colitis, and mucous
colitis, attest to the difficulty of getting a descriptive handle on the
ailment. Moreover, each of the other names is itself as problematic as the term
IBS.
IBS is best described as a functional disease. The concept of functional
disease is particularly useful when discussing diseases of the gastrointestinal
tract. The concept applies to the muscular organs of the gastrointestinal tract;
the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, gallbladder, and colon. What is meant
by the term, functional, is that either th...
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