Bloating or dyspepsia is a stomach function disorder that occurs mainly after meals. Researchers show that an old antidepressant, prescribed in low doses, can reduce symptoms.
Eating can become hell. People with functional dyspepsia experience it on a daily basis. They are prone to digestive disorders during or after meals, often accompanied by nausea, diarrhea or vomiting.
Some drugs can reduce or even eliminate symptoms, but they are not effective in all patients, and they are sometimes poorly tolerated. Researchers show that using an old low-dose antidepressant would be effective. Their results were published in the medical journal The Lancet.
Sometimes ineffective treatments
The causes of dyspepsia remain a mystery in some people, for others the disease is often linked to poor diet, stress or chronic diseases. When the symptoms do not pass, it is necessary to consult a doctor, who usually prescribes “prokinetic” drugs.
In some patients, treatments based on prokinetics and antisecretory drugs, those generally administered, do not work. Researchers are interested in alternative solutions to relieve these patients.
Some side effects
In this study, 107 patients with dyspepsia between the ages of 18 and 80 were followed for twelve weeks. Some of them took a placebo, others received a low-dose antidepressant, imipramine. Throughout the study, participants answered questionnaires about their symptoms.
35 of the 55 patients who received imipramine reported no longer having symptoms of dyspepsia after twelve weeks of treatment, compared with 19 of the 52 who took the placebo. A dozen patients experienced side effects: dry mouth, constipation, insomnia or drowsiness. For the researchers, these results are encouraging.
Low-dose antidepressants may be a remedy for dyspepsia in patients for whom other treatments are ineffective. Between 20 and 40% of adults are affected by dyspepsia.
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