Hay fever medicine reduces symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome

Public Release: 14-Jan-2016
Hay fever medicine reduces symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome
KU Leuven

Researchers from KU Leuven, Belgium, have identified the cause of abdominal pain in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). As a result, they were able to select a medicine that could reduce or end that pain. This medicine is already used to treat hay fever.

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This substance, ebastine, is already used in hay fever medication. Patients who were treated with ebastine for 12 weeks had significantly less abdominal pain than patients from the control group. A follow-up study will test the effect of ebastine on 200 IBS patients.

Irritable bowel syndrome is a condition that affects 10-15% of the population. Treatment is currently limited to normalising the defecation pattern. It cannot reduce or end the abdominal pain experienced by IBS patients. The results of this study may help change that.