However , benefit was limited to antipsychotics and tricyclic antidepressants .
Conclusions Psychotropic drugs may be an effective treatment for FD , but the effect appears to be limited to antipsychotics and tricyclic antidepressants with fewer trials for other agents , meaning that firm conclusions for efficacy can not be made .
Objective Functional dyspepsia ( FD ) is a chronic gastroduodenal disorder .
Individuals with FD demonstrate visceral hypersensitivity , abnormal central pain processing , and low mood , but it is unclear whether psychotropic drugs are an effective treatment for the condition .
Effect of the antidepressant venlafaxine in functional dyspepsia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
BACKGROUND & AIMS Antidepressants could be effective in the treatment of functional gastrointestinal disorders through their anticholinergic and pain-modulating effects . Previous studies with these drugs lacked sufficient power and were predominantly conducted in patients with irritable bowel syndrome . This study aim ed to assess the effectiveness of the serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor venlafaxine in patients with functional dyspepsia . METHODS This was a multi-center , r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled trial . Participants had persistent dyspeptic symptoms and underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in a secondary care hospital to exclude organic abnormalities . They were r and omly assigned to receive 8 weeks of treatment with either venlafaxine XR ( 2 weeks 75 mg once daily , 4 weeks 150 mg once daily , and 2 weeks 75 mg once daily ) or placebo .  Symptoms , health-related quality of life , anxiety , and depression were assessed before and at 4 , 8 , 12 , and 20 weeks after inclusion . RESULTS One hundred sixty patients were r and omized ; 56 % and 73 % of participants completed treatment with venlafaxine or placebo , respectively , according to protocol . There was no difference in proportions of symptom-free patients after 8 weeks of treatment or at 20 weeks after inclusion , with venlafaxine in comparison to placebo ( 37 % and 39 % , respectively ; odds ratio [ OR ] , 0.8 ; 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] , 0.3 - 2.1 ; and 42 % and 41 % , respectively ; OR , 3.1 ; 95 % CI , 0.9 - 12.6 ) . Per- protocol analysis did not reveal any differences between venlafaxine and placebo either ( 38 % and 39 % symptom-free , respectively ; OR , 1.0 ; 95 % CI , 0.4 - 2.4 at 8 weeks ) . CONCLUSIONS Treatment with the selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor venlafaxine is not more effective than placebo in patients with functional dyspepsia
However , benefit was limited to antipsychotics and tricyclic antidepressants .
Conclusions Psychotropic drugs may be an effective treatment for FD , but the effect appears to be limited to antipsychotics and tricyclic antidepressants with fewer trials for other agents , meaning that firm conclusions for efficacy can not be made .
Objective Functional dyspepsia ( FD ) is a chronic gastroduodenal disorder .
Individuals with FD demonstrate visceral hypersensitivity , abnormal central pain processing , and low mood , but it is unclear whether psychotropic drugs are an effective treatment for the condition .