According to a survey, patients with symptoms associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation (IBS-C) or Chronic Idiopathic Constipation (CIC) tend to self-manage their condition with over-the-counter (OTC) medications, cycling through 4 to 5 products on average. Patients were triggered to leave the “self-care cycle” and seek medical care when OTC and diet/lifestyle changes did not improve symptoms.²
Getting sufferers to talk about their condition can be a challenge. Many patients with IBS-C or CIC find their condition embarrassing to talk about and may not think to bring up multiple symptoms. Because IBS‑C and CIC are multi‑symptom conditions, additional prompting may be required for patient assessment.3,4
Patients may describe their symptoms in many different ways. Here are a few terms that are important to listen for¹:
IBS-C and CIC are chronic conditions, which can cause your patients to suffer on a recurrent basis. While there is no cure for IBS‑C or CIC, patients often try to manage their symptoms by4-10:
Patients who are suffering from IBS-C or CIC would likely welcome an option that can help them proactively manage their symptoms.1
Based on a survey commissioned by Ironwood and AbbVie, over half of IBS-C sufferers, and more than 40% of CIC sufferers, sought medical care but often did not receive a prescription.2
One of the best ways to identify appropriate patients who can benefit from proactive treatment with LINZESS is to review examples of common patient profiles.1
Select a patient profile below to learn about their journey with IBS-C or CIC.
Suffering from IBS-C. Teacher’s aide, active cyclist
“I don’t know which is worse, my constipation or my belly pain.”
Abdominal pain score: 4
Scale 0‐10
CSBMs/week:
1‐2
Suffering from IBS-C. Public relations executive, mother of 2, enjoys walking
“I feel like I have tried everything…but I still have symptoms.”
Abdominal pain score: 8
Scale 0‐10
CSBMs/week:
0‐1
Suffering from CIC. Transportation dispatcher, home chef, grandfather of 2
“I’ve tried laxatives…I just wish there was something else I could try.”
CSBMs/week:
Scale 0‐1
SBMs/week:
2
Suffering from CIC. Office manager, active social life, avid traveler
“Even when I’m able to go, I never feel like I’m finished.”
CSBMs/week:
0-1
SBMs/week:
4
*Not actual patients. For illustrative purposes only.