Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Mirtazapine speeds up stomach emptying and gut movement in dogs
By Yin, Jieyun et al.·Published in American journal of physiology. Gastrointestinal and liver physiology·2014·University of Texas Medical Branch, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prokinetic effects of mirtazapine on gastrointestinal transit.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of healthy dogs was given mirtazapine, a medication typically used as an antidepressant, to see if it could help with stomach and bowel movement issues. The results showed that mirtazapine sped up the emptying of the stomach and improved bowel movements in the colon, but it didn't have a significant effect on the small intestine. This suggests that mirtazapine could be beneficial for dogs experiencing slow stomach emptying or constipation. However, more research is needed to fully understand its effects on dogs with gastrointestinal problems.
People also search for: dog stomach emptying issues · mirtazapine for dog constipation · dog bowel movement problems
Abstract
Mirtazapine is a noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of mirtazapine on gastrointestinal motility in dogs, including solid gastric emptying, antral and small intestinal contractions, and small intestinal and colonic transit. Six dogs were implanted with two cannulas located at the duodenum and the ascending colon; another six dogs were implanted with gastric cannula 6 cm proximal to the pylorus. Mirtazapine 45 mg was administered orally 90 min before the study. We found that 1) Mirtazapine accelerated gastric emptying during the entire 3 h in normal dogs (P < 0.04) and accelerated delayed gastric emptying induced by rectal distention (P < 0.04). 2) Mirtazapine restored impaired gastric tone and accommodation induced by rectal distention (P < 0.05). 3) No significant changes were noted in small intestinal contractions or transit with mirtazapine (P > 0.1). 4) Mirtazapine accelerated colonic transit at 2 and 4 h but not 6 h. The geometric center was increased from 1.9 ± 0.6 to 3.0 ± 0.5 and 3.9 ± 0.5 to 4.7 ± 0.1 at 2 and 4 h respectively (P = 0.04 vs. corresponding control). In conclusion, mirtazapine improves gastric emptying in healthy dogs and normalizes rectal distention-induced delay in gastric emptying and accelerates colon but not small intestinal transit in healthy dogs. Clinical studies are warranted to assess the effects of mirtazapine on gastrointestinal motility and sensory functions in patients with functional gastrointestinal diseases.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24627566/