Lotronex for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Lotronex, the name brand for alosetron, was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in February 2000. After five deaths were reportedly caused by Lotronex within its first eight months on the market, GlaxoSmithKline, the creator of Lotronex, voluntarily pulled the drug from the market. In April 2002 an FDA committee recommended that Lotronex be put back on the market, but with much firmer prescribing restrictions.
Lotronex is only for women who have diarrhea-dominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

IBS

• IBS can come in three forms: diarrhea dominant, constipation dominant or a combination of both. Since IBS is a functional disease, which means that the intestines don't function properly, any outside stimulus can trigger a change or intensification of symptoms. So even though you may have diarrhea dominant IBS, taking a strong medication, like Lotronex, may cause you to develop constipation.

Lotronex

• According to the drug information provided by GlaxoSmithKline, Lotronex is a "potent and selective 5-HT3 receptor antagonist." It works by increasing the transit time of waste matter through the intestines. This gives the stool time to solidify and the intestines time to reabsorb a more appropriate amount of water than usual.
  It has only been proven effective in studies for use in women with diarrhea-dominant IBS. Men participated in the studies as well, but the drug wasn't as effective in them. Lotronex is also not recommended for females under the age of 18.

Benefits and Caution

• While Lotronex works very well for a specific subset of individuals, it can be dangerous and even cause death if taken incorrectly. It is meant only for use by women with severe diarrhea dominant IBS. If a person on Lotronex becomes constipated, they must discontinue use until they are no longer constipated. Women who also have Crohn's disease or diverticulitis should not take Lotronex.
  Bowel obstructions and ischemic colitis (a condition in which part of your colon becomes inflamed) have been reported with Lotronex use; both conditions can be fatal if left untreated.