Treatment Options for Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome & Comorbid Depression

• Irritable bowel syndrome & depression are common comorbidities, however there is a wide variability regarding the appropriate treatment regimens for these patients. • IBS is classified as a functional bowel disease in which patients suffer from recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort associated with alterations in bowel habits. • While the cause of IBS is multifactorial, studies have revealed that the dysfunction of the brain-gut pathways are a culprit to disease appearance and progression, as seen in the biopsychosocial model of IBS. This model proposes that abdominal symptoms secondarily impact anxiety & depression symptoms and that psychological factors influence physiologic aspects such as motor functions, sensory threshold & stress reactivity of the gut through the vagal & sympathetic afferents. • Due to the complexity of the causal mechanisms that produce symptoms of IBS with depression, there is some uncertainty regarding the best treatment regimen for these patients. • Commonly, patients are advised to increase physical activity, reduce stress & implement dietary modifications. Pharmacotherapy may be advised for some, depending on their symptoms, & may include antidepressants, antispasmodics or laxatives. • There is not a standardized method of treating IBS with comorbid depression, therefore symptom management must be performed on a patient-by-patient basis.https://commons.und.edu/pas-grad-posters/1047/thumbnail.jp