Irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic condition that many people live with for years. Treatment often consists of dietary changes, therapy, and medication.
As the condition often begins early in life, many patients use medication over extended periods.
According to a study from Cedars-Sinai, published in Communications Medicine and reported by SciTechDaily, previous research has primarily focused on short-term use.
As a result, there has been limited knowledge about the effects of long-term treatment.
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Several types of medication
The researchers analyzed data from more than 650,000 patients in the United States over nearly 20 years.
They examined various types of medication, including approved IBS drugs, antidepressants, and antidiarrheal agents.
The results show that some treatments are not associated with an increased risk.
However, there are differences in how safe the various types of medication are when used over longer periods.
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Potential risks and mortality
The study shows associations only and does not establish direct causation.
An increased risk may be linked to other health conditions in patients, such as cardiovascular disease or falls.
For individual patients, the risk remains low, but the findings highlight the need for more personalized treatment and better knowledge of long-term effects.
Long-term use of antidepressants among patients who also had IBS was associated with a 35 percent higher mortality rate.
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At the same time, certain antidiarrheal medications were linked to approximately twice the risk of death compared to patients who did not use them.
Sources: SciTechDaily and Communications Medicine.
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