Constipation drug approved by FDA for irritable bowel syndrome

The US Food and Drug Administration approved a new drug on Thursday that treats certain types of irritable bowel syndrome in adults.

According to WebMD, Dr. Noel Lee and Dr. Arnold Wald of the University of Wisconsin said Linzess targets many of the symptoms of IBS with minimal side effects "nevertheless, it has proven effective in only a minority of patients."

But its popularity may come from the fact that it works with a "single daily dose."

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The Wall Street Journal reported patients take a capsule once a day on an empty stomach before eating.

This is good news to some 63 million Americans who suffer from constipation and an estimated 15 million people diagnosed with IBS, according to the National Institutes of Health, the Journal reported.

According to the study's authors the pill's main side effect, not surprisingly, is diarrhea.