Herbal STW 5 may relieve abdominal pain

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In an 8-week trial involving patients with functional dyspepsia -- continuous or recurrent abdominal pain of unknown cause -- the herbal preparation STW 5 improved symptoms and was well tolerated, researchers report in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

STW 5 is mainly comprised of fresh plant extract from Iberis amara, a hardy annual, also known as "candytuft," that blooms throughout the summer in temperate climates.

They note that STW 5, has been shown to influence intestinal sensitivity and motion. The preparation also inhibits inflammation, acid secretion, oxidation, and has properties that protect the stomach.

These characteristics make STW 5 a suitable treatment option for patients with functional dyspepsia, which may be caused by any number of conditions, Dr. Ulrike von Arnim of Otto-von-Guericke-Universitat in Magdeburg, Germany, and colleagues, point out.

In their study, the investigators treated 315 patients with functional dyspepsia with either STW 5 or placebo, 20 drops 3 times daily, and assessed symptoms on day 0 and at 2, 4, and 8 weeks.

STW 5 was significantly better than placebo in relieving dyspeptic symptoms after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment, the team reports. When the patients were rated using the Gastrointestinal Symptom Score, the STW 5 group improved by 6.9 points, whereas the placebo group improved by 5.9 points, a statistically significant difference.

The presence or absence of Helicobacter pylori, a stomach bacterium associated with ulcer formation, did not influence the results.

Mirroring previous trials, STW 5 was well tolerated, with no serious adverse events reported.

Until the availability of more potent and targeted therapies for functional dyspepsia, STW 5, which has a good safety profile and has already been used extensively, remains a reasonable option for treating functional dyspepsia, von Arnim and colleagues conclude.