• Agnieszka Kułak-Bejda, Grzegorz Bejda, and Napoleon Waszkiewicz.
• Medical University of Białystok, Department of Psychiatry, Białystok, Poland. Electronic address: agnieszka.kulak.bejda@gmail.com.
• Pharmacol Rep. 2017 Dec 1; 69 (6): 1366-1379.

BackgroundAccording to the multifactorial etiology of Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), psychological factors play an important role. It is possible that antidepressant therapy may be more effective for patients with IBS. The aim of this study was a systematic review of the best available antidepressant therapies for IBS.MethodsThe databases Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register for randomized controlled trials were searched for studies published before September 2016. Meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, controlled trials, uncontrolled trials, cohort studies, and open-label studies were analyzed.ResultsOf 513 articles, 29 fulfilled the inclusion criteria: 6 meta-analyses, 18 randomized controlled trials, and 5 studies without randomization. In these studies, the efficacy of tricyclics, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors, were analyzed in IBS. Different interventions were used, though in most studies their effect on global symptom relief in IBS as a primary outcome was investigated. Generally, patients' tolerance of the therapies was good. Only severe adverse events were observed as a result of the nature of the drug.ConclusionsGenerally, antidepressants improved IBS symptoms. In comparison with placebo, tricyclic therapy for IBS was more effective than selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Antidepressants might be an alternative therapy for patients suffering from IBS, especially diarrhea-predominant IBS.Copyright © 2017 Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.

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