Trulance Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Trulance Tablet contains the active ingredient plecanatide, a guanylate cyclase-C agonist. It is a prescription tablet used in adults to treat chronic idiopathic constipation and irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C). It works by increasing fluid in the intestines to help soften stool and improve bowel movements. It is typically taken once daily as a 3 mg tablet.

What is Trulance Tablet

Trulance is a prescription tablet used in adults to treat certain types of constipation.

Trulance Tablet uses

• Chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC), a long-lasting constipation with no known cause
• Irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C)

Benefits of Trulance Tablet

• Constipation Relief: Helps increase intestinal fluid and improve bowel movements.
• IBS-C Support: Helps manage irritable bowel syndrome with constipation in adults.
• Stool Improvement: Helps improve stool frequency and consistency.
• Abdominal Symptom Support: May help reduce abdominal discomfort associated with IBS-C.

How Trulance Tablet works

Trulance works by activating a receptor in the intestines that increases fluid in the gut. This helps soften stool, speeds up how quickly food moves through the intestines, and makes bowel movements more comfortable.

Trulance Tablet dosage

Take once daily, with or without food. Swallow the tablet whole; do not chew or split it. If you cannot swallow the tablet whole, it can be crushed and mixed with applesauce or dissolved in water, then taken right away — do not save the mixture for later. It can also be given through a nasogastric or gastric feeding tube by mixing with water.

If you miss a dose, skip it and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses at the same time. Trulance is not for use in children younger than 6 years, and should be avoided in children and teens 6 to younger than 18 years.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablet (3 mg)

Side effects of Trulance Tablet

Common

• Diarrhea (usually mild, often starting within the first 4 weeks)
• Abdominal bloating or tenderness
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Infections such as the common cold or urinary tract infection
• Gas (flatulence)
• Sinusitis or upper respiratory tract infection

Serious

• Severe diarrhea that may lead to dehydration
• Serious dehydration in children, especially under age 6
• Severe allergic reaction with swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, or trouble breathing

Warnings and precautions

• Trulance should not be given to children younger than 6 years old because it may cause serious dehydration, and in animal studies it caused death in young mice.
• Trulance should be avoided in people aged 6 to younger than 18 years, since its safety hasn't been established in this age group.
• Do not take Trulance if you have a known or suspected blockage in your intestines.
• Accidental swallowing of this medicine by a young child could cause severe diarrhea and dehydration, so it should be stored securely out of reach of children.
• It isn't known for certain whether Trulance is safe to take during pregnancy. Talk with your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
• It isn't known whether Trulance passes into breast milk. Talk with your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you are breastfeeding.
• No routine dose adjustment is generally required based on kidney function.
• A small number of people in studies had increases in liver blood test results while taking this medicine.
• There is no known direct interaction between Trulance and alcohol, but drinking alcohol may worsen constipation or increase the risk of diarrhea while taking this medicine.

Storage

• Store at room temperature, 20 to 25°C (68 to 77°F); brief exposure to 15 to 30°C (59 to 86°F) is allowed.
• Keep in a dry place and protect from moisture.
• For bottles, keep the tablets in the original bottle. Do not remove the desiccant packet from the bottle.
• Do not subdivide or repackage the tablets.
• Keep the container tightly closed.
• Remove and discard the polyester coil after opening the bottle.
• Keep out of reach of children.
• Safely throw away Trulance that is out of date or no longer needed.

When to see a doctor

• Stop taking Trulance and contact your doctor right away if you develop severe diarrhea.
• Get emergency help right away if you have signs of a serious allergic reaction, such as hives, trouble breathing, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Call your doctor right away if you have unusual or severe stomach pain, diarrhea with weakness, dizziness, or fever, or notice bright red blood in your stool or black tarry stools.
• If someone, especially a young child, accidentally takes too much Trulance, seek emergency medical attention right away, since a child under 6 could become severely dehydrated.

Alternatives

• Linaclotide
• Lubiprostone
• Prucalopride