Table 3.
Outcomes of patients with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C)
| Baseline (N = 33) | First follow-up (N = 33) | Long-term follow-up (N = 8) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time after start linaclotide in months, median (IQR) | n/a | 2.4 (0.9–4.0) | 17 (14-20) |
| Used medication until follow-up, n (%) | n/a | 24 (73) | 7 (88%) |
| Overall improvement of symptoms, n/N (%)a | n/a | 14/24 (58) | 6/7 (86%) |
| Symptomsb | |||
| Constipation, n/N (%) | 27/28 (96) | 10/18 (56) | 1/5 (20%) |
| BM frequency per week, median (IQR)c | 3 (2–7) | 5 (2–7) | 7 (3-7) |
| Abdominal pain, n/N (%) | 26/28 (93) | 12/15 (80) | 4/7 (57%) |
| Fecal incontinence, n/N (%) | 2/22 (9) | 0/13 (0) | 0/6 (0%) |
| Painful/hard bowel movements, n/N (%) | 12/18 (67) | 2/9 (22) | 0/5 (0%) |
| Decision at follow-up encounter | n/a | ||
| Continue current dose of linaclotide, n (%) | 19 (58) | 5 (71%) | |
| Increase linaclotide dose, n (%) | 4 (12) | 2 (29%) | |
| Decrease linaclotide dose, n (%) | 0 (0) | 0 (0%) | |
| Stop linaclotide, n (%) | 10 (30) | n/a | |
| Because of side effects, n (%) | 9 (90) | ||
| Because of no effect on symptoms, n (%) | 0 (0) | ||
| Because of insurance denial, n (%) | 1 (3) |
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 = 18, n = 12, n = 6, respectively