Belladonna Alkaloids and Phenobarbital Use in the Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Review

Abstract

The etiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is still not well-understood even with recent advances in treatments for IBS with constipation (IBS-C) and IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D). Irritable bowel syndrome is a multifaceted condition characterized by abdominal pain and altered bowel habits. Consequently, no single treatment sufficiently manages IBS in a majority of patients. One option for treatment of IBS is to use a combination of different drugs or an all-in-one combination drug to help treat multiple aspects of the syndrome. Combination drugs which affect the brain-gut connection as well as an anticholinergic mechanism are standard-of-care for the treatment of IBS. They represent viable alternatives to newly approved agents. Even though drugs such as a combination of belladonna alkaloids/phenobarbital or Donnatal ® , are used safely and effectively to manage IBS, their history of clinical investigation and results are not well-recognized by the field of gastroenterology given the lack of recent studies. This review is meant to update the field on the breadth of studies conducted on this combination drug for IBS.

Successful management of severe generalized tetanus in a 23‐year man with phenobarbital adjuvant: A case report

“…It enhances the effects of GABA by facilitating the passage of chlorine ions (Cl) through Cl channels in GABA receptors. Therefore, it appears that phenobarbital may be able to reverse the inhibitory effects of tetanospasmin on the GABA receptor 9,10 …”

“…Therefore, it appears that phenobarbital may be able to reverse the inhibitory effects of tetanospasmin on the GABA receptor. 9,10 In this paper, we introduce a case of severe generalized tetanus with respiratory failure, whose spasm did not improve with full doses of benzodiazepines and muscle relaxant agents, nevertheless he was finally recovered with phenobarbital.…”