A meta-analysis of the therapeutic effects of amitriptyline for treating irritable bowel syndrome

Abstract

Objective We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of amitriptyline as a therapeutic option for irritable bowel syn-drome (IBS) through a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Methods For the years from 1966 until May 2012, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for double-blind, placebo-controlled trials investigating the efficacy of amitriptyline in the management of IBS. Results Four randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials met our criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled relative risk for clinical improvement with amitriptyline therapy was 4.18 (95% CI: 2.00 to 8.77, p=0.0001). Conclusion It was thus concluded that amitriptyline exhibits a clinically and statistically significant control of IBS symptoms. © 2013 The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine.