"Depression Rx Used for IBD Symptoms"

Tricyclic antidepressants improved lingering gastrointestinal symptoms in treated IBD patients

(dailyRx News) Successful treatment of bowel inflammation in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis can still sometimes result in an irritated bowel. Help for these symptoms may come from an unlikely source.

Treatments for the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis are aimed at reducing inflammation, which in turn reduces symptoms. Some IBD patients whose bowel inflammation has been decreased can still have persistent symptoms of bowel irritation.

Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) have been used to decrease some of the symptoms of another bowel disorder — irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

A research team conducted a study to determine whether TCAs would decrease bowel irritation symptoms that were seen in some patients following treatment of their IBD. Moderate improvement of bowel symptoms was seen in IBD patients. The improvement was as good as the response seen in the patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

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