FRIDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) citalopram may improve symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome, according to the results of a small, controlled crossover study published in the August issue of the journal Gut.
Jan Tack, M.D., of the University Hospital Gasthuisberg in Leuven, Belgium, and colleagues compared six weeks of treatment with citalopram (at doses of 20 mg for three weeks and 40 mg for three weeks) with placebo among 23 non-depressed irritable bowel syndrome patients. The SSRI significantly improved abdominal pain, bloating, the impact of symptoms on daily life and overall well-being, compared with placebo after three and six weeks of treatment.
Changes came on rapidly, and were independent of the effects on anxiety, depression and colonic sensorimotor function. The SSRI showed only a modest effect on stool pattern. "Citalopram is a potentially valuable addition to our therapeutic options in irritable bowel syndrome," the study authors conclude.
Exactly how SSRIs improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome is not fully understood, writes Francis Creed, M.D., of the University of Manchester in the U.K., in an accompanying commentary, but the antidepressant effect is important for depressed patients. He also notes that cost-effectiveness data point toward the use of SSRIs in patients who have failed usual care.
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