Table 2.
Bowel function scores, symptom scores, and IBS quality of life scores after administration of study agents (8 weeks, intention-to-treat analysis).
| Variables | GJS+DUO (n = 13) |
GJS+DUO-P (n = 14) |
GJS-P+DUO (n = 14) |
GJS-P+DUO-P (n = 12) |
P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel function score | |||||
| Frequency | 14.31 (7.38) | 14.00 (8.93) | 12.25 (7.30) | 12.00 (4.97) | 0.806 |
| Consistency† | 1.19 (0.93) | 0.96 (0.65) | 1.15 (1.06) | 0.85 (0.69) | 0.862 |
| Ease of passage‡ | 1.21 (0.73) | 0.80 (0.61) | 1.32 (1.04) | 0.82 (0.73) | 0.108 |
| Symptom score (mm) | |||||
| Abdominal pain | 28.33 (20.60) | 27.97 (18.35) | 28.45 (18.55) | 24.61 (14.87) | 0.947 |
| Abdominal discomfort | 31.71 (19.44) | 29.93 (17.51) | 29.43 (19.78) | 27.39 (14.26) | 0.945 |
| Bloating | 26.08 (16.11) | 25.65 (15.10) | 31.81 (18.40) | 28.73 (13.83) | 0.752 |
| Flatulence | 25.67 (16.70) | 23.88 (16.07) | 28.27 (18.56) | 31.60 (16.66) | 0.689 |
| Urgency | 27.31 (21.53) | 26.00 (19.83) | 25.20 (15.23) | 27.13 (15.58) | 0.992 |
| Mucus in stool | 25.60 (23.75) | 21.81 (19.66) | 23.06 (16.70) | 28.18 (19.21) | 0.856 |
| Overall symptom | 32.37 (21.88) | 30.98 (17.43) | 31.55 (17.98) | 33.65 (14.63) | 0.985 |
| IBS quality of life | |||||
| Dysphoria | 8.92 (7.69) | 9.29 (7.69) | 10.08 (6.29) | 10.42 (6.57) | 0.948 |
| Interference with activity | 8.85 (7.45) | 7.00 (4.61) | 8.38 (5.01) | 7.92 (6.56) | 0.871 |
| Body image | 3.92 (3.59) | 2.57 (3.39) | 4.00 (2.90) | 2.92 (2.57) | 0.586 |
| Health worry | 3.62 (2.43) | 3.29 (2.09) | 3.85 (1.91) | 4.00 (2.26) | 0.848 |
| Food avoidance | 5.46 (2.50) | 5.50 (3.20) | 5.25 (2.49) | 4.17 (3.43) | 0.641 |
| Social reaction | 4.38 (4.75) | 3.50 (3.35) | 4.09 (3.08) | 3.92 (3.34) | 0.938 |
| Sexual | 1.46 (1.94) | 1.43 (1.95) | 1.58 (2.07) | 1.67 (1.61) | 0.988 |
| Relationship | 2.62 (2.79) | 2.29 (1.73) | 3.15 (2.30) | 2.42 (2.31) | 0.781 |
| Overall | 39.23 (30.43) | 34.86 (24.14) | 39.85 (22.97) | 37.42 (24.43) | 0.958 |
GJS: Gwakhyangjeonggisan, DUO: Duolac7S, GJS-P: placebo of Gwakhyangjeonggisan, DUO-P: placebo of Duolac7S.
All values were analyzed by Fisher's exact test for categorical variables and one-way ANOVA for continuous variables.
All scores are presented as mean (standard deviation).
†Used a scale of 1–7: 1, watery stool; 7, hard, lumpy stool (based on Bristol stool form scale).
‡Used a scale of 1–7: 1, fecal incontinence; 7, manual disimpaction.