Melatonin improves abdominal pain in people with IBS

According to Harvard Medical School an estimated 24 million people in the United States suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS. Irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder that interferes with the normal functions of the large intestine. It is characterized by a group of symptoms – cramps, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea.

Sleep disturbance is common in patients with IBS occurring in 26 to 55% of patients. Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland and is involved in the sleep-wake cycle. Studies have shown that melatonin decreases the number of times people wake up in the night, increases total sleep time, and enhances sleep quality.

Apart from the pineal gland, the digestive system is another large source of melatonin. Reports have shown that melatonin is involved in the regulation and movement of food through the digestive system.

Based on this information study authors theorized that melatonin may be useful in the treatment of IBS. The study of 40 IBS patients appears in the October 2005 issue in the leading gastroenterology journal, Gut. Participants in the study were supplied with either a placebo or 3 milligrams (mg) of melatonin at bedtime for two weeks.

The authors found that sleep did not improve using melatonin. However, the authors did find that melatonin did significantly reduce abdominal pain in these IBS patients. Abdominal pain in the melatonin group fell by 58% and by 18% in the placebo group. Total bowel symptom score fell by 24% in the melatonin group and by 13% in the placebo group.

The authors conclude that, the results from the present study showed that administration of melatonin 3 mg at bedtime for two weeks significantly attenuated abdominal pain while enhancing rectal pain threshold. These changes occurred despite the absence of improvement in sleep disturbance or psychological stress. Our findings suggest that the beneficial effects of melatonin on abdominal pain in IBS patients with sleep disturbance are independent of its action on sleep disturbances or psychological profile.

Source: RefillPill.com Editors' Choice