Spasmocanulase in irritable bowel syndrome

OBJECTIVES: Irritable bowel syndrome is a functional gastro intestinal disorder, with various symptomatology and difficult to treat using several medications. Spasmocanulase, which has an anti-spasmodic and anti-flatulence effect and contains several ingredients, was tried in patients with irritable bowel syndrome, who had been on other medications previously without improvement. METHODS: At the gastroenterology out-patient clinic, Armed Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 21 patients who were diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome for more than 2 years on treatment and did not benefit from these medications, received spasmocanulase one tablet 3 times a day and followed in the gastroenterology out-patient clinic, every 6 weeks for 6 months. Their previous medications were discontinued which, had been used for different durations and in different combinations included Mebeverine, Colpermin, Normacol, Importal, Librax. The main symptoms were different types of abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, constipation or both. RESULTS: There was improvement or disappearance of the symptoms in more than 50% of the patients who were not improved on previous medication used for more than 2 years. The overall improvement in symptoms ranged between 43-75% in these patients, when followed up in the clinic at 6 weeks and 3 months. Spasmocanulase caused improvement in abdominal pain, flatulence and bloating compared to their previous medications. Only 43% of patients with diarrhea, showed improvement on spasmocanulase. CONCLUSION: Although the number of patients, we studied is small, this study has shown that spasmocanulase is beneficial in improving symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.