Does a preexisting anxiety disorder predict response to paroxetine in irritable bowel syndrome?

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common disorder an patients seen by gastroenterologists. Twenty subjects with IBS diagnosed with the Rome a criteria were treated for 12 weeks with 200 mg/day of paroxetine (mean dose = 31 mg/day). At baseline, 10 patients had a lifetime history of an anxiety disorder, and 10 patients did not have such a history. Both groups had similar improvement in abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, incomplete emptying, and bloating/abdominal distension. Paroxetine was very well tolerated.