Prolonged stationary colonic motility recording in seven patients with severe constipation secondary to antidepressants

The aim of this study was to determine whether the colonic motor profile of seven patients with constipation secondary to antidepressants differed fro m the motility of seven patients with idiopathic constipation and seven hea lthy volunteers. All constipated patients had very severe constipation. Col onic manometric recordings were performed for 24 h. The number of high ampl itude propagating contractions (HAPC) was lower in the two groups of consti pated patients than in controls. No HAPC were observed in 5/7 patients with constipation secondary to antidepressants and in 1/7 patients with idiopat hic constipation. The overall area under the curve (AUC) in the left colon was lower in the two constipated patient groups than in controls. AUC incre ased after a 1000-kcal standard meal given at noon in controls but not in t he two groups of constipated patients. In conclusion, in patients with cons tipation secondary to antidepressants, the overall AUC was as poor as in pa tients with idiopathic constipation, and no colonic response to eating was observed. Moreover, the number of HAPC was more markedly decreased in patie nts with constipation secondary to antidepressants than in patients with id iopathic constipation.