Options for patients with irritable bowel syndrome: contrasting traditional and novel serotonergic therapies

This article reviews the efficacy and tolerability of traditional therapies for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and concludes that they are limited by both poor efficacy and adverse effects. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter found mainly in the gut, appears to represent a link in IBS pathophysiological processes – altered gut motility, abnormal intestinal secretion and visceral hypersensitivity. Recently, available treatments for IBS have targeted...