How do you spell relief?

Relief is defined as ≥ 3 spontaneous bowel movements (SBMs) per week.
Promotional slogan, amitiza.com

Don't get me wrong, I'm not making light of the importance of SBMs. Bad bowel days may not be as obvious a setback as bad hair days, but they are, nevertheless, real show-stoppers. I do wonder though how much these drug companies spend on marketing and name selection, and whether or not these are dollars well-spent.

Ad campaigns aside, a new solution to a chronic lack of SBMs is always welcome. Amitiza joins Zelnorm in a tight little market clogged with far more patients than solutions. As opposed to Zelnorm, however, Amitiza does not work on the nerve supply to the gut, but rather on plumping up those stools with more water.

Amitiza, also known by its generic name lubiprostone, is a selective type 2 chloride channel activator. What do active chloride channels mean to you? More intestinal secretions, accelerated movement of digesting food remnants through the small intestines and colon, and, best of all, 1.9 more SBMs each week.

How good is that? I don't know yet, but the drug company is trolling out food and information on Amitiza for me this summer. Now who else but doctors would be willing to discuss this sort of thing over lunch?

All I have to do is mention the word 'diarrhea' to my son at the dinner table to make him push away his plate. (Just trying to fill the fam in on my exciting day at the office.) While the reluctant teen is working as our office 'file technician' this summer, I don't suppose he'll attend this particular luncheon, even for the free food.