Table 2.
Outcomes of patients with functional constipation (FC)
| Baseline (N = 60) | Initial follow-up (N = 60) | Long-term follow-up (N = 15) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time after start linaclotide in months, median (IQR) | n/a | 2.5 (0.9–3.9) | 17 (15–25) |
| Used medication until follow-up, n (%) | n/a | 50 (83%) | 14 (93%) |
| Overall improvement of symptoms, n/N (%)a | n/a | 27/50 (54%) | 13/14 (93%) |
| Symptomsb | |||
| Constipation, n/N (%) | 40/48 (83%) | 17/32 (64%)* | 2/12 (17%) |
| BM frequency per week, median (IQR)c | 4 (2–7) | 7 (7–7)* | 7 (7–7) |
| Abdominal pain, n/N (%) | 23/38 (61%) | 14/30 (47%) | 5/12 (42%) |
| Fecal incontinence, n/N (%) | 14/38 (37%) | 11/30 (22%) | 0/10 (0%) |
| Painful/hard bowel movements, n/N (%) | 13/27 (22%) | 7/24 (14%) | 0/9 (0%) |
| Decision at follow-up encounter | n/a | ||
| Continue current dose of linaclotide, n (%) | 36 (60%) | 12 (80%) | |
| Increase linaclotide dose, n (%) | 7 (12%) | 2 (13%) | |
| Decrease linaclotide dose, n (%) | 1 (1.7%) | 0 (0%) | |
| Stop linaclotide, n (%) | 16 (27%) | n/a | |
| Because of side effects, n (%) | 11 (69%) | ||
| Because no effect on symptoms, n (%) | 5 (31%) | ||
| Because of switch to lubiprostone, n (%) | 1 (1.7%) |
*p Value < 0.05 compared with baseline
a Includes only patients who used medication until follow-up
b Includes only patients who used medication until follow-up and specifically reported details about the given symptom
c BM: bowel movement; n = 34, n = 23, n = 9, respectively