View the Comparison Chart: Safety of Drugs for IBS in Pregnancy and Lactation

View Figure: Treatments for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) in Adults

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder characterized by recurrent abdominal pain and altered bowel habits, often accompanied by bloating. IBS is classified by its predominant bowel symptom: constipation (IBS-C), diarrhea (IBS-D), mixed type (IBS-M), or unclassified (IBS-U). Since the exact cause of IBS is unknown, the goal of treatment is symptom control. Some over-the-counter (OTC) products and prescription drugs for IBS are listed in Tables 1-4. The safety of these drugs during pregnancy and lactation is described in Table 5 (online only).

The alkylating agent lurbinectedin (Zepzelca – Jazz) has received accelerated approval from the FDA for treatment of metastatic small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) in adults with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. Accelerated approval was based on the overall response rate and duration of response. About 13-15% of lung cancers are small-cell cancers. Most SCLCs occur in patients who are current or former smokers.

View the Comparison Chart: Some Drugs for Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea (IBS-D)

Onapgo (Supernus), a solution for continuous subcutaneous infusion containing the dopamine agonist apomorphine, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of motor fluctuations in adults with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). Subcutaneously injected apomorphine (Apokyn, and generics) has been available for intermittent use for years. Vyalev, a foscarbidopa/foslevodopa solution for subcutaneous infusion, was approved in 2024 for the same indication.