SynthesisWorld journal of gastroenterology2009
Efficacy of tricyclic antidepressants in irritable bowel syndrome: a meta-analysis.
Synthesis in World journal of gastroenterology, 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 66 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
66 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 154 citations in OpenAlex.
- Change of antidepressant utilization in children, adolescents and young adults in Europe before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Efficacy of Amitriptyline in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Journal of neurogastroenterology and motility · 2025Pooled it
- Efficacy and Safety of Probiotics in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2020Pooled it
- Antidepressants in the Treatment of Functional Dyspepsia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.PloS one · 2016Pooled it
- Effectiveness of probiotics in irritable bowel syndrome: Updated systematic review with meta-analysis.World journal of gastroenterology · 2015Pooled it
- Herbal medicines for the management of irritable bowel syndrome: a comprehensive review.World journal of gastroenterology · 2012Pooled it
- Systematic review of modulators of benzodiazepine receptors in irritable bowel syndrome: is there hope?World journal of gastroenterology · 2011Pooled it
- Bulking agents, antispasmodics and antidepressants for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2011Pooled it
- A systematic review of efficacy and tolerability of mebeverine in irritable bowel syndrome.World journal of gastroenterology · 2010Pooled it
- Effect of low-dose amitriptyline on globus pharyngeus and its side effects.World journal of gastroenterology · 2013Trial
- Effect of amitriptyline on gastrointestinal function and brain-gut peptides: a double-blind trial.World journal of gastroenterology · 2013Trial
- Similar Symptoms, Distinct Syndromes: Multi-modal Approach to the Patient with an IBD-IBS Overlap.Digestive diseases and sciences · 2026Review
- IBS and SIBO: Gut Microbiota, Pathophysiology, and Non-Pharmacological Interventions.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Pathophysiological Mechanisms and Nonpharmacological Interventions in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Current Insights and Future Directions.Journal of nutrition and metabolism · 2026Review
- Drug Survival of Drugs Recommended for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Retrospective Observational Study.Neurogastroenterology and motility · 2025Observational
- Antidepressants for inflammatory bowel disease? Multimodal effects of amitriptyline in murine colitis.The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics · 2025Article
- Chronic Abdominal Pain in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Remission: A Continuing Challenge for Clinicians.Digestive diseases and sciences · 2024Review
- Multiple Aspects of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and the Role of the Immune System: An Overview of Systematic Reviews with a Focus on Polyphenols.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- Abdominal Pain in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: An Evidence-Based, Multidisciplinary Review.Crohn's & colitis 360 · 2023Article
- The neurobiology of irritable bowel syndrome.Molecular psychiatry · 2023Review
6 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) as a therapeutic option for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) through meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. For the years 1966 until September 2008, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for double-blind, placebo-controlled trials investigating the efficacy of TCAs in the management of IBS. Seven randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials met our criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. TCAs used in the treatment arm of these trials included amitriptyline, imipramine, desipramine, doxepin and trimipramine. The pooled relative risk for clinical improvement with TCA therapy was 1.93 (95% CI: 1.44 to 2.6, P < 0.0001). Effect size of TCAs versus placebo for mean change in abdominal pain score among the two studies was -44.15 (95% CI: -53.27 to -35.04, P < 0.0001). It is concluded that low dose TCAs exhibit clinically and statistically significant control of IBS symptoms.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.