Psychopharmacological Treatment and Psychological Interventions in Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Table 1

Current psychotropic drugs used for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.

Classes of drugs	Mechanism of action	Therapeutic issues
Antidepressants (SSRIs, TCADs, SNRIs)	Neurotransmitters reuptake inhibitors	Reduction of abdominal pain; limited data about safety and tolerability
Benzodiazepines	Enhancement of GABA inhibitory effect	Limited use; risk of tolerance and rebound withdrawal; lack of reliable antidepressant efficacy
Atypical Antipsychotics (Quetiapine)	Receptorial antagonism with dopaminergic (D2) and serotoninergic (5-HT2) receptors	Possible use only in patients with severe psychiatric comorbidities; lacking data and evidence about efficacy and safety in irritable bowel syndrome

SSRIs: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. TCADs: trycyclic antidepresants. SNRIs: serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. 5-HT: 5-hydroxytriptamine.