title: Self-medication of irritable bowel syndrome and dyspepsia: How appropriate is it?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Self-medication is common among patients with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. This study was performed to evaluate self-medication among patients who fulfilled irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and dyspepsia diagnostic criteria and to investigate the appropriateness of self-medication with chemical and herbal drugs.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in outpatient's GI clinics at Shiraz from November 2011 to May 2012. A GI specialist visited the patients and recruited those who had IBS (base on Rome III adapted criteria) or functional dyspepsia. We surveyed self-medication among these patients, using a questionnaire containing specific questions about self-medication.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One thousand four hundred and forty-seven patients visited by the GI specialist during the study period. Seven hundred and forty-seven patients had the inclusion criteria, 337 of them fulfilled criteria for IBS, with IBS-mixed (52%) being the most prevalent subtype, and 410 patients had dyspepsia. Overall, 78.8% of the total participants had recently sought medical attention for their GI complaint. Twenty-eight percent of patients selected inappropriate medication for their GI complaints. The H2-blockers class were most common medicines reportedly used. We did not find any significant relationship between age, gender, level of education, marital status, and self-medication frequency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients who fulfilled criteria for IBS had a high tendency to self-treat their GI symptoms, use of acid-suppressive agents was common among patients. Around one-third of patients self-treated GI symptoms inappropriately. Consequently, the concept of self-medication among patients has to be revised. We recommend conduction of educational programs to improve self-medications selection and attitude among patients to reduce the burden on other health care resources.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterohepatology Research Center, Shiraz, Fasa, Iran; Department of Internal Medicine, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran.
authors.forename: Ramin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Niknam
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mousavi
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterohepatology Research Center, Shiraz, Fasa, Iran.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Safarpour
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Laleh
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mahmoudi
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Science Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Paria
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mahmoudi
keywords: Dyspepsia; Iran; irritable bowel syndrome; self-medication