Pharmacological Treatment for Functional Dyspepsia and Irritable Bowel Syndrome : Current Standards and Promising Therapies

Abstract

Functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are functional diseases without identified organic cause and intruduced as part of the Rome III criteria published in 2006. Because of non‐organic diseases, pharmacological treatment (not invasive surgical treatment) is the preferred therapy for such diseases. Meanwhile, evidence‐based clinical practice guidelines for FD and IBS have been published in Japan. However, no definite therapeutic strategy for FD and IBS has yet been established. To understand more appropriate treatments according to the respective pathophysiology, this review introduces the several pharmacological treatments including current standards and proposes future promising therapies based on these guidelines. First, this review covered clinical evidence for standard and recommended drugs such as acid suppressants, prokinetics, probiotics, and bulking polymers for the management of FD and IBS. Next, this review progressed to propose future promising treatments for their managements. A comprehensive understanding of relevant therapeutic regimens and pharmacological treatment using drug candidates including future promising drugs is required for the optimal and more effective treatment of FD and IBS.