title: STW 5 (Iberogast®)--a safe and effective standard in the treatment of functional gastrointestinal disorders.
abstract: Functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are frequent disorders affecting quality of life. They often require long-term treatment. Abdominal symptoms of both disorders can overlap, making differential diagnosis and treatment challenging. The extracts of the herbal combination preparation STW 5 (Iberogast(®)) exert pharmacological effects in different gastrointestinal regions and can address symptoms of both FD and IBS. This review summarizes safety and efficacy data of 12 clinical trials using STW 5 in FD and IBS since 1990. Double-blind and randomized studies versus placebo or active control found statistically significant effects of STW 5 on patients' symptoms with a comparable efficacy to a standard prokinetic. Non-interventional and retrospective studies confirmed these effects. Various studies evaluated the tolerability profile of STW 5: the incidence of adverse drug reactions was 0.04%. The worldwide spontaneous reporting system confirmed this profile. STW 5 has a favorable tolerability which is relevant for long-term treatment.
authors.affiliation: Life Sciences Consultancy, Brunnthal-Hofolding, Germany.
authors.forename: Bertram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ottillinger
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Storr
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Malfertheiner
authors.forename: Hans-Dieter
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Allescher
mesh_terms: D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000188:drug therapy; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; C039964:iberogast