# Hypnotherapy and dyspepsia



## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

Hypnotherapy Effective in Functional DyspepsiaLaurie Barclay, MDDec. 18, 2002 ï¿½ Hypnotherapy was better than medical or supportive care for the management of functional dyspepsia, according to the results of a randomized trial published in the December issue of Gastroenterology."Hypnotherapy is highly effective in the long-term management of functional dyspepsia," write Emma L. Calvert and colleagues from Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester, U.K. "Furthermore, the dramatic reduction in medication use and consultation rate provide major economic advantages."In this study, 126 patients with functional dyspepsia were randomized to hypnotherapy, supportive therapy plus placebo medication, or medical treatment for 16 weeks. Median improvement in short- term symptom scores after 16 weeks was 59% in the hypnotherapy group, 41% in the supportive group P = .01, and 33% in the medical group P = .057. Median improvement in quality of life was 42% in the hypnotherapy group, 10% in the supportive group P < .001, and 11% in the medical group P < .001.After 56 weeks, hypnotherapy significantly improved long-term symptoms median improvement, 73%compared with supportive therapy 34%; P < .02 or medical treatment 43%; P < .01. Quality of life improved significantly more with hypnotherapy median improvement, 44% than with medical treatment 20%; P < .001. Although median improvement in quality of life was 43% in the supportive therapy group, five of these patients began taking antidepressants during follow-up.None of the patients in the hypnotherapy group required medication use during follow-up, compared with 90% of patients in the medical group and 82% of patients in the supportive group P < .001 During follow-up, the median number of patient visits to their general practitioner or gastroenterologist was one in the hypnotherapy group, four in the supportive therapy group, and four in the medical treatment group P < .001.In an accompanying editorial, Olafur S. Palsson and William E. Whitehead from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill point out research questions that remain unanswered concerning hypnotherapy in functional gastrointestinal disorders. These include the unknown mechanism of action, lack of parallel comparisons with other psychological treatments, failure to test hypnotherapy combined with medications, and unknown efficacy of hypnotherapy when administered in an automated home-treatment format."Although some of the studies to date on hypnotherapy for functional gastrointestinal disorders have been small and lacking in methodological rigor, and many research questions remain unanswered, the cumulative and consistent evidence for efficacy of hypnotherapy for these disorders seems to warrant serious consideration of its use as a regular adjunct in primary care and gastroenterology treatment of patients with functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome," they write.Gastroenterology. 2002;123:1778-1785, 2132-2147Reviewed by Gary D. Vogin, MD


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