| خلاصه مقاله | Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the world’s most common gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, and
current treatments do not meet patients’ demands. This study aimed to investigate melatonin’s therapeutic effects
on IBS score, GI symptoms, quality of life, and sleep parameters in both groups of IBS patients with and without sleep
disorders.
Methods In this randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled trial study, 136 patients with a diagnosis of IBS
based on ROME IV criteria were enrolled and then divided into two groups respecting having sleep disorders or not.
Patients of each group were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive melatonin 6 mg daily (3 mg fasting and 3 mg at
bedtime) for 2 months (8 weeks). Blocked randomization was used in this process. All patients were evaluated both at
the beginning and the end of the trial regarding IBS score, GI symptoms, quality of life, and sleep parameters through
valid questionnaires.
Results In both groups of patients with and without sleep disorders, a significant improvement was observed in
IBS score and GI symptoms, including the severity and the frequency of abdominal pain, the severity of abdominal
bloating, satisfaction with bowel habits, disease’s impact on patient’s life, and stool consistency; however, there was
no significant improvement in the frequency of defecations per week. In patients with sleep disorders, significant
improvement in sleep parameters, including subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency,
and daytime dysfunction, was observed, while in patients without sleep disorders, there was no significant improvement
in sleep parameters. In addition, quality-of-life improvement was observed in a significant number of melatonin
recipients compared to placebo in both groups of patients.
Conclusion Melatonin can be considered an effective treatment for improving IBS score, GI symptoms, and quality of
life in IBS patients with and without sleep disorders. It is also effective to improve sleep parameters in IBS patients with
sleep disorders |