-Case Reports-

Efficacy of Mirtazapine on Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Anxiety and Depression: A Case Study

Fumiaki Akama, Katsunaka Mikami, Natsuru Watanabe, Keitaro Kimoto, Kenji Yamamoto and Hideo Matsumoto

Department of Psychiatry, Tokai University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disease in which gastrointestinal symptoms-primarily abdominal pain or discomfort and abnormal bowel movements persist chronically. For patients with IBS, mental illness, especially depression and/or anxiety, leads to a further lower quality of life. The purpose of this case study was to investigate the effects of mirtazapine (MIR) on mental health and IBS symptoms in a case of IBS accompanied by anxiety and a depressive state. This case report suggests that MIR is efficacious for the treatment of IBS with predominant diarrhea accompanied by depression and anxiety.

J Nippon Med Sch 2018; 85: 330-333

Keywords
irritable bowel syndrome, antidepressant, depression, anxiety, diarrhea, gut-brain axis

Correspondence to
Katsunaka Mikami, Department of Psychiatry, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1143, Japan
mikami@is.icc.u-tokai.ac.jp

Received, February 20, 2018
Accepted, May 2, 2018