[The use of psychotropic drugs for functional gastrointestinal disorders: are they beneficial?].

This article reviews the therapeutic role of psychotropic drugs in the treatment of functional gastrointestinal disorders based on the Japanese Diagnostic and Therapeutic Guidelines for Psychosomatic Disorders(2006). As an initial step, primary care physicians should establish a therapeutic relationship with their patients, provide instructions on diet or lifestyle modification, and treat them symptomatically. If these treatments are not satisfactory, as a next step, they should evaluate the patient's stressors, coping styles, and comorbid psychiatric disorders, especially anxiety disorders and depression, and prescribe psychotropic drugs such as antidepressants and anxiolytics. If these treatments are unsatisfactory, as a third step, physicians should refer their patients to psychosomatic medicine specialists to inquire about psychotherapy, hypnosis, fasting therapy, or relaxation training.