response of irritable bowel syndrome [diarrheic type] to oral disodium cromoglycate treatment

ABSTRACT

Several studies on the usefulness of oral disodium cromoglycate [DSCG] in the treatment of systemic adverse reaction to foods have been performed, with less attention to gastroenterological symptoms. In the present study, we selected 41 patients with diarrheic-type irritable bowel syndrome which improved after an elimination diet and worsened after a challenge with specific food [s]. All patients were then tested for 48 commercial alimentary antigens by skin prick test [SPT] and underwent 8 wk of oral DSCG [500 mg three times a day], and the results were evaluated by means of a semiquantitative subjective and objective score. We observed an improvement of the symptoms in 65.9% of the 30 SPT-positive patients, whereas only 45.5% of the 11 SPT-negative patients showed a positive response to DSCG [p < 0.05]. These data confirm the protective role of DSCG in food-dependent diarrheic-type irritable bowel syndrome with food allergy features