Abdominal pain, indigestion, anorexia, nausea and vomiting

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Pharmacology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Non-specific abdominal complaints are a frequent reason for medical visits.
• Adverse drug reactions involving the gastrointestinal system account for a significant portion of reported side effects.
• Attributing abdominal symptoms to specific drugs is challenging due to multifactorial causes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the causes and diagnosis of drug-induced abdominal complaints.
• To highlight the challenges in identifying specific drug etiologies for gastrointestinal symptoms.
• To discuss common drug classes associated with abdominal discomfort.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of drug-induced gastrointestinal adverse effects.
• Analysis of diagnostic challenges in attributing symptoms to medications.
• Categorization of common pharmacological causes of abdominal complaints.

Main Results:

• Gastrointestinal symptoms are common adverse drug reactions, ranging from 10% to 33% of reported cases.
• Nausea and vomiting have specific scales for drug differentiation, particularly in cytostatic therapy.
• Commonly suspected drug classes include anticholinergics, antibiotics, potassium supplements, and NSAIDs.

Conclusions:

• Identifying drug-induced gastrointestinal symptoms is complex due to multiple contributing factors.
• A systematic approach is needed to differentiate drug effects from other causes of abdominal disorders.
• While some symptoms like emesis can be indicative, most gastrointestinal complaints are not pathognomonic of drug effects.