Tianeptine vs amitriptyline for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea: A multicenter, open-label, non-inferiority, randomized controlled study

W. Sohn, O. Y. Lee, J. G. Kwon, K. S. Park, Y. J. Lim, T. H. Kim, S. W. Jung, J. I. Kim

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16 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background Tricyclic antidepressants have good efficacy in irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D), but their clinical use is limited by considerations of tolerability. Tianeptine, another antidepressant, acts as a selective serotonin reuptake enhancer. We compared tianeptine with amitriptyline for the treatment of patients with IBS-D. Methods We undertook a multicenter, randomized, open-label, non-inferiority clinical study that compared tianeptine with amitriptyline, each in combination with probiotics, for the treatment of IBS-D. Subjects were randomized to receive tianeptine (37.5mg)/probiotics (Bacillus subtilis + Streptococcus faecium) or amitriptyline (10mg)/probiotics (Bacillus subtilis + Streptococcus faecium) for 4weeks. A total of 228 patients were analyzed by the intention-to-treat approach. The primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of patients who had global relief of IBS symptoms at week 4. The secondary efficacy endpoints were intensity of abdominal pain/discomfort, stool frequency/consistency, quality of life, and overall satisfaction with treatment. Key Results At week 4, non-inferiority of the tianeptine group to the amitriptyline group (treatment difference -15.1%; 95% CI -26.6% to -3.8%) was shown, with 81.1% (99 of 122 patients) of the patients in the tianeptine group and 66.0% (70 of 106 patients) in the amitriptyline group reporting global relief of IBS symptoms. The secondary endpoints also demonstrated non-inferiority of the tianeptine group to the amitriptyline group. Adverse events such as dry mouth and constipation were significantly lower in the tianeptine group than the amitriptyline group (P<0.05). Conclusions & Inferences Tianeptine is not inferior to amitriptyline for treating IBS-D in terms of both efficacy and tolerability.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)860-e398
JournalNeurogastroenterology and Motility
Volume24
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2012

Keywords

  • Amitriptyline
  • Antidepressant
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Tianeptine

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