Approaching patients with irritable bowel syndrome

Treatment of functional gastrointestinal disorders remains difficult with many very different approaches showing similar response rates, regardless of whether they target luminal contents (e.g., presumed bacterial overgrowth), signaling within the gut wall (e.g., serotonin agonists or antagonists) or processing in the brain (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy). Discrepancies between recent clinical trials and a meta-analysis have forced us to re-examine the use of antidepressants. Other studies have looked beyond the traditional drug therapies and have suggested other options such as dietary interventions and communication strategies that address relevant disease mechanisms and enable us to understand patient concerns, with the ultimate goal being to individualize and thus improve treatment outcomes.