Hay fever medicine mitigates symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome — 5 observations

Researchers from KU Leuven in Belgium conducted a study to find the cause of abdominal pain in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Based on the study’s findings, researchers found ebastine, already used to treat hay fever, could reduce the pain.

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Here are five observations:

1. Prior to the study, researchers knew IBS patients’ bowels had larger quantities of the substance histamine. However, they could not yet make the link with histamine and hypersensitivity.

2. The study enabled researchers to show how histamine impacted the pain receptor TRPV1. They found histamine interferes the histamine 1 receptor, which is located on nerves that contain TRPV1.

3. Through the study, researchers learned blocking the histamine 1 receptor stopped the sensitizing effect of histamine on TRPV1.

4. Based on these findings, researchers created a pilot study in IBA to learn about the effect of a substance that blocks the histamine 1 receptor on the nerve to ensure TRPV1 sensitivity doesn’t increase.

5. Researchers found the substance, ebastine, reduced abdominal pain in IBS patients. Researcher plan to conduct a follow-up study on the effect ebastine has on 200 IBS patients.

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