My experience with irritable bowel syndrome and depression
One patient recounts his experience: “I started suffering from IBS at a young age, and the symptoms got worse over time. The physical pain wasn’t the only challenge, but the constant feeling of helplessness and anxiety made things even more difficult. I felt frustrated and depressed because I couldn’t predict when an attack would happen, which affected my social and professional life.”
Another experience narrated by a middle-aged woman, she says: “IBS made me feel isolated, as I was afraid to go out or participate in social activities for fear of having an attack. This feeling of isolation worsened my psychological state and increased depression. I began to notice that the symptoms got worse whenever I felt stressed or anxious, which created a vicious cycle of psychological and physical pain.”
Through these experiences, it becomes clear that the relationship between IBS and depression is a complex and intertwined one. The physical symptoms of IBS can lead to a deterioration in the psychological state, and vice versa, as depression and anxiety can exacerbate the physical symptoms.
What is the relationship between irritable bowel syndrome and depression?
Although there is no direct link between IBS and depression or vice versa, the effects of IBS may contribute to feelings that mimic depression. Some of these effects include experiencing stomach pain, constipation, or diarrhea, which can limit people’s ability to participate in social events or get together with friends for fear of making their health unstable.
This social isolation may reduce the enjoyment of activities they once enjoyed, making them feel sad and depressed. Anxiety and stress also play a role in triggering IBS symptoms, and increased emotional stress can worsen these symptoms. In addition, changing your diet to relieve IBS symptoms may negatively affect your mood.
Psychiatric medications that can be used to treat irritable bowel syndrome
There are a number of drug treatments that are used to improve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, including some medications that regulate the patient's mood and psychological state.
1. Tricyclic antidepressants
Tricyclic antidepressants are important for pain relief and treatment of irritable bowel syndrome symptoms, but their use should be limited to moderate to severe cases.
2. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
SSRIs often show limited effectiveness in relieving physical pain when compared to tricyclic antidepressants.
However, these inhibitors contribute significantly to improving the quality of life of patients by reducing the symptoms of IBS, especially those associated with stress, anxiety and depression. They can also be combined with other types of painkillers to increase their effectiveness in relieving pain. They are also an effective option for treating IBS, mainly among those with constipation associated with anxiety.
3. Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors
Research on the effect of serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors on IBS is still insufficient to determine their effectiveness conclusively. However, preliminary studies have shown that these drugs may contribute positively to treating some symptoms of IBS, such as relieving pain associated with intestinal cramps and reducing the feeling of pain when the colon is swollen.
4. Atypical antipsychotics
There is no research yet to evaluate how effective atypical antipsychotics are in treating symptoms of IBS. Quetiapine is expected to help reduce symptoms of IBS, as it can help reduce anxiety levels and improve sleep quality, in addition to its possible pain-relieving effect.
