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Irritable bowel syndrome

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Current Treatment Options in Gastroenterology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Opinion statement

  • Because treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients can be frustrating to the clinician and patient as well, the physician should strive to gain the patient’s confidence with a concise, appropriate work-up and by offering reassurance and education that IBS is a functional disorder without significant long-term health risks.

  • First-line treatment should be aimed at treating the most bothersome symptom.

  • Tricyclic antidepressants are superior to placebo in reducing abdominal pain scores, as well as improving global symptom severity [1••].

  • Loperamide is superior to placebo in managing IBS-associated diarrhea [2••].

  • Whereas fiber has a role in treating constipation, its value for IBS or, specifically, in the relief of abdominal pain or diarrhea associated with IBS is controversial [2••].

  • Although certain antispasmodics have demonstrated superiority over placebo in managing abdominal pain, none of these agents are available in the United States [3••].

  • Probiotic therapy using Lactobacillus plantarum has demonstrated superiority to placebo in improving pain, regulating bowel habits, and decreasing flatulence [4].

  • As studied in a recent placebo-controlled prospective study, Chinese herbal medicines significantly improved bowel symptom scores and global symptom profile, and reduced IBS-related quality of life impairment [5].

  • Some of the most promising emerging therapies in IBS revolve around targeted pharmacotherapeutic modulation of serotonin receptors (ie, 5-HT3 and 5-HT4 subtypes), which are involved in sensory and motor functions of the gut. Other investigational agents that are also being explored include cholecystokinin antagonists, α2-adrenergic agonists (eg, clonidine), serotonin reuptake inhibitors (eg, citalopram), and neurokinin antagonists [6].

  • IBS is best understood through the biopsychosocial paradigm, and therefore, its effective management requires a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach based on patient education and reassurance, enhanced by diet recommendations and lifestyle modifications, and complemented by pharmacotherapy and psychosocial intervention in more severe cases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UCLA/CURE Neuroenteric Disease Program, 11301 Wilshire Blvd Bldg 115, Room 213, 90073, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Joel A. Sach MD & Lin Chang MD

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  1. Joel A. Sach MD
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Sach, J.A., Chang, L. Irritable bowel syndrome. Curr Treat Options Gastro 5, 267–278 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11938-002-0049-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11938-002-0049-3

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