Iberogast

Ingredients:
German chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) flower
Clown’s mustard (Iberis amara L.) plant
Angelica (Angelica archangelica L.) root and rhizome
Caraway (Carum carvi L.) fruit
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum [L.] Gaertn.) fruit
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) leaf
Celandine (Chelidonium majus L.) aerial part
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) root
Peppermint (Menthae × piperita L.) leaf




Iberogast™ is named for the herb Iberis amara L. (commonly
called bitter candytuft or clown’s mustard plant), the principal ingredient
in this formula containing a total of nine plant extracts.
Iberogast, also known as STW 5, is manufactured in Germany by
Steigerwald GmbH, and distributed in the United States by Enzymatic
Therapy.



Iberogast has been tested in several trials for its ability to benefit
dyspepsia. Symptoms of dyspepsia include belching, sour eructation,
frequent or excessive passage of gas, abdominal fullness, vague abdominal
pain, epigastric burning, nausea, and unsatisfactory evacuation.
Three different subtypes of functional dyspepsia have been described,
attributing the symptoms to ulcers, dysmotility, or some
unspecified cause. Symptoms can be rated according to the gastrointestinal
symptom (GIS) score, a sum of ten dyspepsia symptoms.



Dyspepsia (Indigestion)

We reviewed two trials that compared Iberogast with either metoclopramide
or cisapride in treatment for functional dyspepsia. A single-
blind, drug comparison trial included 77 patients with functional
dyspepsia given either Iberogast or metoclopramide (both 20 drops
three times daily) after meals for up to two weeks. As a result, an almost
parallel improvement in dyspepsia symptoms was observed in
both groups. A statistically significant change compared to baseline
was reached for symptoms (pressure/pain, nausea, belching, heartburn,
stomach cramps, vomiting, fullness, and lack of appetite) between
days three and seven (Nicolay, 1984). The trial did not score
well in the quality rating because it was single-blind (the two liquids
were different colors) and the randomization process was not adequately
described.