IBS-C
Resources

Title Screen with IBSRELA Indication and Boxed Warning

ON SCREEN/SUPER: Suzanne
Retired nurse, patient with IBS-C

Suzanne VO:

Hi my name is Suzanne. I’m a retired nurse from Michigan. I’m here today to tell you a little bit about my experience living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation, or IBS-C. I’m joined by Susan, my nurse practitioner who works with me to manage my IBS-C, and whom I can’t say enough wonderful things about. Susan has been my savior, and I feel very fortunate to have her. She understands me and my condition—and has been committed to working with me to find the IBS-C treatment that works for me.

IBS-C very much impacted my ability to live my life. I used to go 14-15 days without a bowel movement—and I had terrible cramping and bloating. I remember my clothes were so tight. I love to go camping with my husband—and now that we are retired, we have plenty of time to do so. But I never wanted to leave the house just in case I got the urge to go to the bathroom. And the abdominal pain and bloating were so bad—I really didn’t feel like doing much of anything.

I took an over-the-counter medication for a while but it didn’t work for me. I would still go a week or more without a bowel movement–and still had terrible abdominal pain and bloating. I tried a prescription medication for IBS-C—but it didn’t work for me either. Before I saw Susan, I was feeling discouraged.

Video transitions to Susan

ON SCREEN/SUPER: Susan Wolgamott, DNP
Susan is a compensated advisor to Ardelyx.

Susan VO:

Hi, my name is Susan. I am a nurse practitioner in Michigan. I have so many patients like Suzanne, who are suffering because of their IBS-C. I think as healthcare providers, we sometimes forget the impact that conditions like IBS-C have on our patients. This is not just a nuisance disorder — it is a condition that can have a very negative impact on patients’ quality of life.

Because there are many potential underlying causes of IBS-C, there is no one-size-fits-all treatment approach. It’s a lot of trial and error to find the right medication for each individual patient. It’s important that patients understand that. That’s why I let my patients know that we have different medications to treat IBS-C.

I also talk to my patients about the importance of good two-way communication, because this is a collaborative, joint decision-making process. I make sure my patients know that we will work together to find the treatment that is right for each of them.

And there’s nothing more satisfying than finding the right treatment for a patient. For Suzanne, it was IBSRELA, which works differently than other IBS-C prescription medications. And I think that if a patient is on a medication that isn’t working for them or giving them symptom relief they are looking for, it makes sense to try something different. While IBSRELA was right for Suzanne, some patients experience side effects with IBSRELA, like diarrhea, swelling or a feeling of fullness in the abdomen, gas, or dizziness.

ON SCREEN/SUPER: The most common side effects of IBSRELA include diarrhea, swelling or a feeling of fullness in the abdomen, gas, or dizziness.

Suzanne VO:

Since starting IBSRELA about a year ago, my symptoms have improved. I no longer feel the bloating or pain like I did before. I go to the bathroom more regularly, which I haven’t been able to do in many years. This has been my experience with IBSRELA and other people may have different experiences. Because my symptoms are better managed, I am able to go camping with my husband and spend time with my grandkids. My husband and I both lost our first spouses early—we know that life is short. We want to be able to do the things that bring us joy. I am so grateful that Susan was committed to helping me find a treatment that was right for me.

ON SCREEN/SUPER: Individual results and experiences may vary.

Susan VO:

It gives me joy to help patients like Suzanne. I think the key is good communication between patients and healthcare providers. I feel it is my responsibility to let my patients know that there are different options available, and to offer them different treatment options.

When I suggested trying IBSRELA to Suzanne, I didn’t know if it was going to work for her, but she and I agreed that it would be worth trying. And I am so glad we did!

ON SCREEN/SUPER: Jaime Ackerman, PA-C
Jaime is a compensated advisor to Ardelyx.

Hi, I’m Jaime Ackerman and I’m a PA in Atlanta and have been working in GI for 20 years.

I see many adult patients with IBS-C in my practice — approximately 5 per day. My patients often tell me that the symptoms of IBS-C — constipation and pain and bloating — make them miserable — and that they have to plan their life around their IBS-C. I want to do everything I can to help them find relief. The introduction of IBSRELA for the treatment of adults with IBS-C has been exciting for me. Having a medication with a different mechanism of action and the first in its class, has given me more options to offer my patients, and importantly, different classes of medications for my patients.

ON SCREEN/SUPER: The most common side effects of IBSRELA include diarrhea, which can sometimes be severe, swelling or a feeling of fullness in the abdomen, gas, or dizziness.

I let patients know that I will do everything I can to get them better. I want my patients to feel confident that I can help them, which is why it’s important to let patients know there are different medications available and that we will keep trying different things until we find what’s right for them. But I don’t want them think we are just throwing medications at them–I want them to know that we have a strategy, a plan. So, explaining that there are different classes of medications and that if a medication in one class doesn’t work, we will go to another class, helps give patients confidence and hope.

The first step in treating IBS-C is asking the right questions. You don’t know the answer if you don’t ask the question. And the way we ask questions is important. If we just ask a patient if their symptoms have improved, we don’t get at how much their symptoms have improved– the question doesn’t differentiate between a little improvement and a lot of improvement. So instead of asking has your bloating improved, I ask are you still having any bloating? If the answer is yes, I dig in to find out more – how often are they having bloating, how much of an impact it is having on their quality of life. So, instead of asking if their symptoms have improved, I ask if they are still having symptoms. That is my starting point and helps me make sure I don’t miss patients who may be a little better, but still suffering from symptoms. And it’s important to know this, because with more treatment options available, if a patient is still having symptoms, I want us to consider trying a medication that works differently, that is part of a different class, because my goal is to help my patients get as much symptom relief as possible.