The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7200 p751-757
1 June 2002

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SSRIs to treat irritable bowel?

Antidepressants could be used to treat irritable bowel syndrome. In a trial, 20 patients were given the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor paroxetine — 65 per cent reported improvement in abdominal pain, 55 per cent in pain frequency, 69 per cent improvement in constipation and 57 per cent improvment in diarrhoea. The data were presented at the American Psychiatric Association meeting in Philadelphia last week.