One-two punch knocks out irritable bowel syndrome: combo presents a valuable pathway for primary care management of IBS. (High-Fiber Diet, Paroxetine).

SEATTLE -- One in four patients with irritable bowel syndrome will experience marked improvement after bringing intake of dietary fiber closer to levels recommended for the general population.

Moreover, placing dietary non-responders on paroxetine while continuing the dietary intervention results in symptomatic improvement in nearly two-thirds of them, Dr. George L. Arnold reported at the annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology.

The benefits of these interventions are seen regardless of whether a patient has constipation-predominant or diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), said Dr. Arnold of the University of Pittsburgh. His …