Table 3.
| Predominant Symptom | Treatment |
|---|---|
| Constipation | Stool softeners |
| Bulking agents | |
| Psyllium (Metamucil and others) | |
| Methylcellulose (Citrucel) | |
| Polycarbophil (FiberCon) | |
| Laxatives | |
| Osmotic | |
| Stimulant | |
| Lubiprostone (IBS-C) (Amitiza) | |
|
| |
| Diarrhea | Antidiarrheal agents |
| Loperamide (Imodium A-D) | |
| Diphenoxylate–atropine (Lomotil) | |
| Alosetron (IBS-D) (Lotronex) | |
|
| |
| Abdominal Pain and Discomfort | Antispasmodics |
| Dicyclomine (Bentyl) | |
| Hyoscyamine (Levsin and others) | |
| Peppermint oil | |
| TCAsa | |
| Amitriptyline | |
| Desipramine (Norpramin) | |
| Doxepin (Silenor and others) | |
| SSRIsa | |
| Fluoxetine (Prozac and others) | |
| Paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva) | |
| Citalopram (Celexa) | |
IBS = irritable bowel syndrome; SSRI = selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor; TCA = tricyclic antidepressant.
a
Use for this purpose is off label.