A large study published in Communications Medicine found that common medications prescribed for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are associated with increased mortality risk. Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University analyzed the health records of 669,083 U.S. adults with IBS from 2005 to 2023. The study reported that antidepressants used for IBS were linked to a 35% higher risk of death compared to non-use. Opioid-based antidiarrheal drugs, including loperamide and diphenoxylate, carried approximately double the mortality risk, according to the report.
These medications are frequently prescribed for IBS. As noted in the book “Metabolism of Human Diseases,” treatment of IBS includes “antidepressants (e.g., the tricyclic amitriptyline or a serotonin reuptake inhibitor), which reduce pain and cramps” and “antimotility drugs (e.g., loperamide).” [1] The study’s findings raise questions about the long-term safety of these common treatments.
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