New Therapies in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: What Works and When

Authors and Disclosures

Orla Craig

Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust, St James University Hospital, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

Correspondence to
Orla Craig, MD, Bexley Wing, Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust, St James University Hospital, Beckett Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS9 7TF, England. Tel: +44 113 2068531; e-mail: orla.craig@nhs.net

Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.

Sidebar

Key Points

• Antispasmodics, laxatives, antidiarrhoeals and antidepressants together with dietary and lifestyle changes have for many years been the mainstay of treatment for IBS.

• A number of new treatments have come to the market in recent years for the treatment of IBS largely aimed at normalizing bowel pattern.

• There is good evidence to support the use of antispasmodics, antidepressants and dietary manipulation in IBS.

• Although new pharmacological agents are efficacious, they benefit a minority of patients.

• New pharmacological treatments can be considered in IBS based on predominant bowel symptoms whenever more traditional treatments have failed.