my personal edition > irritable bowel syndrome > news
E-Mail this DGReview to a colleague
DGReview
Probiotic VSL#3 Could Relieve Some Irritable Bowel Abdominal Bloating
A DGReview of :"A randomized controlled trial of a probiotic, VSL#3, on gut transit and symptoms in diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome"
Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics
04/01/2003
By Elda Hauschildt
Probiotic formulation VSL#3 appears promising in relieving abdominal bloating in patients with diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Researchers from the Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation in Rochester, Minnesota, United States, found that the action was unrelated to alteration in gastrointestinal (GI) or colonic transit in a randomised, controlled trial with 25 diarrhoea-predominant IBS patients.
Following a 2-week run-in period, participants were randomly assigned to either VSL#3 or placebo twice daily for eight weeks. Patients underwent pre- and post-treatment measurement of GI transit. They also recorded bowel function and symptoms daily during the 10-week study.
No significant differences were observed between treatment groups pre- or post-therapy on measurements of GI transit, bowel function or satisfactory global symptoms.
The investigators say that further analysis indicated abdominal bloating was reduced in patients receiving VSL#3. This effect was not seen in patients receiving placebo.
"With the exception of changes in abdominal bloating, VSL#3 had no effect on other individual symptoms: abdominal pain, gas and urgency," they report.
All patients were able to tolerate the probiotic.
Alimentary Pharmacology 2003;17:7:895-904.
"A randomized controlled trial of a probiotic, VSL#3, on gut transit and symptoms in diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome"
All contents Copyright (c) 1995-2009 Doctor's Guide Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.
| 
