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Antibiotics increase functional abdominal symptoms.
1Department of General Practice and Primary Care, St George's Hospital Medical School, London, United Kingdom.
The American Journal of Gastroenterology
|January 26, 2002
Summary
A course of antibiotics significantly increases the risk of developing new functional bowel symptoms. Patients prescribed antibiotics were over three times more likely to report increased bowel complaints four months later.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Microbiome Research
- Public Health
Background:
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is often associated with prior antibiotic use.
- Antibiotics can disrupt the gut microbiome, potentially influencing gastrointestinal health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if antibiotic prescriptions are a risk factor for increased functional bowel complaints.
- To assess the impact of antibiotics on gastrointestinal symptoms over a four-month period in a general population.
Main Methods:
- A prospective case-control study was conducted in South London general practices.
- Participants (aged 16-49) were divided into antibiotic (n=58) and control (n=65) groups.
- Demographic, gastrointestinal, and psychological data were collected via questionnaires at baseline and four months.
Main Results:
- 48% of antibiotic recipients reported new/increased functional bowel symptoms versus 22% of controls (OR=3.14).
- 24% of antibiotic recipients reported two or more new/increased symptoms versus 6% of controls (OR=4.79).
- These findings were statistically significant (p<0.02).
Conclusions:
- Antibiotic use is associated with a significantly higher likelihood of developing functional bowel symptoms.
- Individuals prescribed antibiotics are more than three times as likely to experience increased bowel complaints four months post-treatment.
- This highlights a potential link between antibiotic exposure and the onset or exacerbation of functional gastrointestinal disorders.