ABSTRACT
BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: This study was performed prospectively to evaluate the short - term effect of cisapride tartrate on the frequency and the degree of symptoms in patients with functional dyspepsia and functional constipation. METHODS: One-hundred thirty-two patients with a mean age of 44.7 years in men and 43.1 years in women, who presented with symptoms of both functional dyspepsia and functional constipation were recruited, and the frequency and the degree of symptoms corresponding to functional dyspepsia and functional constipation were assessed by an interview in 10 hospitals respectively. In an open, multicenter trial, 132 patients received 10 mg of cisapride tartrate three times a day (TID) for 8 weeks. Patients wrote a defecation diary for 8 weeks and checked symptom scores, which represented the degree of symptoms of dyspepsia and constipation, at the 4th and 8th week. RESULTS: The frequently reported symptoms of functional dyspepsia were epigastric fullness (2.34+/-0.80), bloating (2.05+/-0.82), early satiety (1.67+/-0.99), anorexia (1.04+/-0.95) and nausea (0.94+/-0.93). The mean defecation frequency per week was 3.07+/-2.35 and patients showed subjective symptom scores as follows; 97.0+/-25.26 % in the rate of sense of incomplete evacuation, 1.85+/-0.73 in the hardness of stool and 1.62+/-0.57 in difficulty to pass stool. After adminstration of cisapride tartrate in the case of functional dyspepsia, 66.1% of patients at the 4th week and 81.5 % of patients at the 8th week showed good or excellent improvements. In the case of functional constipation, 82.7% of patients also showed good or excellent improvements. Overall improvements of symptoms in both functional dyspepsia and functional constipation were 78.2% at the 8th week. CONCLUSION: Cisapride tartrate reduced the frequency and the degree of symptoms in functional dyspepsia and functional constipation without significant adverse effects. Functional dyspepsia and functional constipation without significant adverse effects.