Effect of Ispaghula and Oxyphenonium Bromide on the Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome - A Comparative Study

Abstract

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic continuous or remittent gastrointestinal illness characterized by
frequent unexplained symptoms that include abdominal pain, bloating, and bowel disturbance, in our country, no study
has been conducted using the Ispaghula husk and oxyphenonium bromide for the treatment of IBS patients. Objectives:
To compare the efficacy of treatment with Ispaghula husk and Oxyphenonium bromide. Methods: Total sixty patients
diagnosed clinically as irritable bowel syndrome irrespective of subtype who fulfilled the Rome II criteria were included
equally into two groups-Group-I (Ispaghula group) & Group-II (Oxyphenonium group). In Group-I patients were given
30gm of Ispaghula husk at night daily and in Group-II patients were given 5mg of oxyphenonium bromide. After six
weeks the clinical parameters of both the groups recorded in the case record forms were taken for analysis. Results: The
mean age of the patients in the Group- I were 33.4±11.9 yrs and that of the patients in the Group-II were 31.0±17.5 yrs.
Male and female ratio in group I was 14:1 and in group II was 23:7. Most of the patients were recorded in the age group
of 26-30 in both groups. Symptom free patients were graded in 16.7% patients in Group-I and in 20% patients in Group-
II. No improvement was occurred in 16.7% patients in Group-I and in 10% patients in Group-II. Conclusions: Ispaghula
husk shows the better efficacy to improve the symptoms of IBS like abdominal pain or discomfort and sense of well being
than Oxyphenonium bromide. Oxephenonium bromide shows the better efficacy to decrease the stool frequency from
base line than Ispaghula husk.

DOI: 10.3329/bsmmuj.v3i1.5506

BSMMU J 2010; 3(1): 3-8