Adults with IBS-D, a disorder that results in stomach pain, cramps, or loose or watery stools, can be treated with eluxadoline. Eluxadoline belongs to a group of drugs known as mu-opioid receptor agonists. It reduces bowel movement in order to work.

Eluxadoline is available as an oral tablet. It is typically taken twice daily with food. Take eluxadoline every day at roughly the same time. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Utilize eluxadoline precisely as advised. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

The drug eluxadoline may cause addiction. Don’t take the medication in excess of what your doctor has suggested in terms of dosage, frequency, or duration.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before taking eluxadoline,

• If you have an allergy to eluxadoline, any other medications, or any of the ingredients in eluxadoline tablets, let your doctor and pharmacist know right away. For a list of the ingredients, consult the Medication Guide or speak with your pharmacist.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about any additional prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products you are now taking or intend to use. Incorporate any of the following: antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and clarithromycin (Biaxin, in Prevpac); alfentanil (Alfenta); alosetron (Lotronex); bupropion (Forfivo XL, Wellbutrin, Zyban, among others); anticholinergic drugs such as benztropine (Cogentin), dicyclomine (Bentyl), and diphenhydramine (Benadryl); eltrombopag (Promacta); ergot-type drugs such ergotamine tartrate (Ergomar, in Cafergot, in Migergot); dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45, Migranal); fentanyl (Abstral, Actiq, Duragesic, Sublimaze, among others); fluconazole (Diflucan); gemfibrozil (Lopid); HIV medications like atazanavir (Reyataz, in Evotaz), lopinavir (Kaletra), and ritonavir (Norvir, in Kaletra, in Viekira Pak); saquinavir (Invirase), tipranavir (Aptivus); immunosuppressive drugs such cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune), sirolimus (Rapamune), and tacrolimus (Astagraf, Envarsus XR, Prograf); opiate (narcotic) painkillers, paroxetine (Brisdelle, Paxil, Pexeva), pimozide (Orap), quinidine (in Nuedexta), rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane, in Rifamate, in Rifater), and rosuvastatin (Crestor). Your doctor might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects.
• You should be aware that while using eluxadoline, you may occasionally use loperamide (Imodium AD) to treat extremely bad diarrhea. Immediately stop taking loperamide if you have constipation.
• Inform your doctor if you get constipation now or frequently, if you consume significant amounts of alcohol (more than three drinks per day), if you do not have a gallbladder, or if you have previously consumed high amounts of alcohol. Additionally, let your doctor know if you currently or ever had a bile duct obstruction (a blockage in the tubes that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine), sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (a pain or jaundice-causing obstruction of bile or digestive juices flowing into the intestine), blockage in your intestines, pancreatitis (pancreatic swelling that does not go away), or liver disease. Most likely, your doctor will advise against taking eluxadoline.
• If you are breastfeeding a child or intend to become pregnant, let your doctor know. Call your doctor if you become pregnant while taking eluxadoline.
• Eluxadoline may cause you to get sleepy, especially if you have liver condition. Prior to understanding how this drug affects you, avoid using machinery or driving a car.
• If you frequently consume substantial amounts of alcohol in a short period of time or occasionally do so, let your doctor know. Inquire with your doctor if drinking alcohol is safe for you to do while taking eluxadoline. Alcohol consumption may make you more likely to get pancreatitis.

Keep eating normally unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.

As soon as you recall, take the missed dose with food. If the next dose is soon due, skip the missed one and carry on with your regular dosing plan. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

Eluxadoline’s negative effects could occur. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Nausea
• Vomiting

Some adverse effects can be very harmful. Call your doctor right away and stop taking eluxadoline if you have any of these signs:

• Back or shoulder pain that starts in the upper stomach but may also cause nausea and vomiting
• More than four days of prolonged diarrhea

Other negative effects of eluxadoline could exist. If you experience any strange issues while taking this medicine, contact your doctor right away.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch or by phone at 1-800-332-1088 if you have a serious side event.

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Keep it at room temperature and out of the bathroom and other places with excessive heat and moisture.

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilizing a medicine take-back program is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programs in your area, speak with your pharmacist or the garbage/recycling department in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back program, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilizing a medicine take-back program is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programs in your area, speak with your pharmacist or the garbage/recycling department in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back program, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Additionally, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Keep all of your doctor’s appointments.

No one else should take your medication. The drug eluxadoline is under control. Only a limited amount of refills are permitted for prescriptions; if you have any doubts, speak with your pharmacist.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.