Treatment of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome with paroxetine.

Sir: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder. The disorder is characterized by chronic abdominal pain and altered bowel habits in the absence of any organic disorder. Treatment of IBS includes dietary modification, psychotherapies, and medications. Among medications, antidepressants may be beneficial in IBS. We report a case in which symptoms of diarrhea-predominant IBS improved with low-dose paroxetine, a widely used antidepressant.