Efficacy of antidepressants in irritable bowel syndrome: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis controlling for depression

Antidepressants may be effective for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, but some experts are sceptical, and effect of co-existent depression has not been controlled for in previous meta-analyses. We updated a previous systematic review to estimate their efficacy in the treatment of IBS and examine this issue. MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register were searched (up to November 2010) to identify randomised controlled …