EXCLUSIVE: Constipation pill that VIBRATES as it moves through the body could be remedy for America’s laxative shortage – and it’s already approved by the FDA

An easy-to-swallow vibrating capsule that offers relief from chronic constipation could offer a solution to America’s laxative shortage.

The gadget, called Vibrant, helps move things along in the body by sending out pulses to stimulate natural movements in the gut.

As small as popular fish oil supplements, the device is swallowed with water and moves along the digestive tract. Vibrant contains a tiny microchip programmed to start vibrating about 14 hours after it is swallowed, when the pill will have reached the large intestine.

Traditional treatment for constipation usually involves laxatives – drugs that work either by stimulating muscles in the gut or increasing the amount of water in the bowel to soften stools and aid the digestive process. 

These are not cures for constipation or designed for long-term use, which can actually cause other health problems.

Additionally, their overuse among Americans has led to recent shortage.

Vibrant was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the fall of 2022 for the treatment of chronic constipation without a known cause, specifically in adults who have not experienced relief of their bowel symptoms by using laxative therapies for at least one month.

The capsule was available for doctors to prescribe to patients in the spring, with patients taking the capsule around bedtime every evening. 

A month’s supply costs between $69 and $89, depending on a person’s medical benefits and the manufacturer, Vibrant Gastro, is working with insurance companies to get its treatment covered.

Vibrant Gastro has emphasized the capsule is not a drug, but a small device that mechanically helps bowels work normally using micro-vibrations. 

Before the Vibrant capsule is swallowed, it is inserted into a base unit that programs it to activate at a set time the following day.

It is then swallowed with an eight-ounce glass of water. The vibrating capsule sends out timed, pulsed micro-vibrations inside the colon to stimulate the colon walls and get things moving on a consistent basis and predictable timing, so users aren’t surprised by a sudden bowel movement.

In clinical trials, just 1.2 percent of patients experienced diarrhea, a common and unplanned side effect of laxative use.

Developed by an Israeli manufacturer, the capsule is tracked in the patient’s body via a smartphone app, which records its progress and the number of bowel movements produced. 

Chronic constipation affects one in five people and is most prevalent in women ages 40 and older. Rates are 30 percent higher in people of color

Each capsule lasts a day and is later passed out of the body naturally and disposed of down the toilet.

In a previous clinical trial, some users said they could feel the capsule’s vibrations during the cycles, but no side effects were reported. 

The trial results suggested Vibrant can double the number of weekly bowel movements in constipation sufferers.

Chronic constipation affects one in five people and is most prevalent in women ages 40 and older. Rates are 30 percent higher in people of color. 

Common causes include not eating enough fruits and vegetables, which contain fiber, and not drinking enough water. Lack of exercise, stress and side effects of some medications can also be to blame.

Doctors sometimes recommend fiber supplements to help treat constipation, which add bulk to stools and make them easier to pass, but these can cause pain from excess gas and bloating.   

When a fiber-rich diet doesn’t work and people turn to laxatives, which can be easy to overuse and rely on. Users then end up dealing with the side effects, including sudden-onset diarrhea. 

Other effects of laxative overuse include kidney damage, dehydration, abdominal pain, electrolyte imbalance and laxative dependence, meaning a person will no longer be able to have a bowel movement without laxatives. 

Vibrant Gastro’s CEO, John Schellhorn, told DailyMail.com the company has seen a substantial number of inquiries from physicians for the capsule, as more and more people seem willing to talk to their doctors about the condition.

Constipation has long been considered a ‘silent symptom’ rarely brought up for fear of embarrassment, Mr Schellhorn said, but increased openness, including the rise of #GutTok – a hashtag on TikTok under which users discuss their gut health – has helped shine a light on the problem.

In addition to improving people’s gut health, Vibrant could also address the high demand for laxatives, which is driving a shortage. 

In the US, demand is beginning to outstrip supply for polyethylene glycol 3350, the generic name for laxatives like Miralax and Glycolax.

An aging population with more digestive problems is partly to blame, together with the fact most Americans generally do not eat enough fiber, a substance that makes stools easier to pass. 

Lingering effects of the pandemic, which caused people’s healthy diets to fall by the wayside and saw Americans exercising less — all of which contribute to bowel dysfunction — might also be at play.

Remote and hybrid work could also be to blame, as more people now follow these work schedules, which lead to irregular mealtimes and bathroom times.