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Health News Archive 100 - Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Melatonin Lessens Pain from Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Melatonin helps reduce abdominal pain associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), report researchers at the National University Hospital in Singapore.¹

Best known as a sleep-promoting neurohormone derived from the pineal gland, melatonin is also synthesized in the gastrointestinal tract, where concentrations may be as much as 100 times those in the blood.² In the gastrointestinal tract, melatonin supports stomach lining repair, prevents ulcerations, and increases microcirculation; researchers have speculated that melatonin may have promise in managing gastrointestinal tract disorders.²

In the recent Singapore study, 40 subjects (mean age 27 years) with both IBS and sleep disturbances were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The study group received 3 mg of melatonin at bedtime for two weeks, while the control group received placebo. Before beginning the study and upon its completion, each subject completed four questionnaires to assess bowel symptoms, psychological status, sleep quality, and level of daytime sleepiness. Each subject also underwent rectal pressure determination and a recorded overnight sleep study.¹

After just two weeks of supplementation, the melatonin-supplemented subjects experienced 58% less abdominal pain, compared to 18% in the placebo group. Such pain indicates gastrointestinal tract hypersensitivity and is the most frequent complaint of IBS sufferers. Other parameters of bowel dysfunction improved in the melatonin group, though this difference was not statistically significant. The two groups reported no differences regarding sleep parameters.¹ Melatonin thus shows promise in alleviating the gastrointestinal discomfort associated with IBS.

1. Song GH, Leng PH, Gwee KA, Moochhala SM, Ho KY. Melatonin improves abdominal pain in irritable bowel syndrome patients who have sleep disturbances: a randomized double blind placebo controlled study. Gut. 2005 May 24;54:1402-1407.

2. Bubenik GA. Gastrointestinal melatonin: localization, function, and clinical relevance. Dig Dis Sci. 2002 Oct;47(10):2336-48