Amitiza, why take with meals?

[PenelopeAnn]

Just curious why the bottle and my GI doc both say to take it with meals. Is it to prevent a side effect, such as nausea, or does it have something to do with how the medication works?

[sparkle40]

I wasn't told to do that.  But I usually try to take it with my meal.  Memory is bad and I take it when I can remember it.

[caw1200]

My doctor just started me on Amitiza last week following a colonoscopy that was fine. I also have had 2 CT scans; one without contrast and the other with contIrast and nothing showed up there. I had and still have a pain in my right lower abdomen. This AM the nausea was so bad I called the GI group and was told to stop taking the Amitiza for a few weeks and that the most common side effect of the drug is extreme nausea and it should ALWAYS be taken on a full stomach.

In it's place she put me on 3 Metamucil tablets each morning and 1 Colace, then 1 Colace at night. We are trying this for 2/3 weeks and then maybe ease back in to the Amitiza.