A Randomized Controlled Study Of Electroacupuncture In The Treatment Of Antidepressant Drug-induced Constipation

ObjectiveIn this study,we observed the effectiveness,safety and satisfaction of electroacupuncture in improving the clinical symptoms of constipation in patients with antidepressant druginduced constipation through a randomized controlled trial to explore whether electroacupuncture can be used as a treatment method for antidepressant drug-induced constipation,so as to provide a reference for the selection of clinical treatment options for patients with antidepressant drug-induced constipation.MethodsIn this study,70 patients who met the requirements were randomly divided into a test group and a control group by the random number table method.In the control group,35 cases were treated with general treatment and glycerol enema if necessary;in the experimental group,35 cases were treated with electroacupuncture on the basis of general treatment in the control group,and both groups were treated 5 times a week for 1 week,with a total of 2 courses of treatment and 2 weeks of follow-up.The number of complete voluntary bowel movements per week,the degree of difficulty in defecation,stool properties,the number of cases and number of patients with glycerin enemas in the anus,adverse reactions,and satisfaction were used as observation indexes to observe the changes before and after treatment,and to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy,safety,and patient satisfaction of electroacupuncture in the treatment of antidepressant constipation.Results1.Baseline situationSubjects in both groups were consistent at baseline with respect to gender,age,duration of antidepressant medication,weekly CSBM,dyspareunia scores,and Bristol stool trait scores.2.Results after treatment(1)Weekly CSBM:After treatment,weekly CSBM increased in both groups compared with pre-treatment,and both were statistically significant(P<0.05).During the follow-up period,the weekly CSBM in the test group decreased compared with that after treatment(P<0.01),but was still higher than that before treatment(P<0.01),suggesting a certain persistence of efficacy.When compared between groups,the weekly CSBM was significantly higher in the test group than in the control group(P<0.01).In terms of increasing the frequency of bowel movements,both electroacupuncture and general treatment were effective,and electroacupuncture had better short-term and long-term efficacy.(2)Defecation difficulty score:After 1 week of treatment,there was no statistical difference in the degree of difficulty in defecation score in the control group compared with that before treatment(P>0.05),while it decreased in the test group compared with that before treatment(P<0.01).The degree of difficulty in defecation scores were lower in both groups at the end of treatment compared to before treatment(P<0.01).The degree of difficulty in defecation scores increased in both groups during the follow-up period compared with the end of treatment(P<0.05),but remained lower than before treatment(P<0.05),suggesting a certain persistence of efficacy.When comparing between groups,the degree of defecation difficulty scores were lower in the test group than in the control group(P<0.01).Both electroacupuncture and general treatment were effective in reducing the degree of bowel difficulty,with electroacupuncture having a faster onset of action and better shortterm and long-term efficacy.(3)Bristol stool character score:Bristol stool trait scores increased in both groups after treatment compared to before treatment(P<0.05).Bristol stool trait scores were lower in the trial group during the follow-up period compared with the end of treatment(P<0.01),but still higher than before treatment(P<0.01),suggesting some persistence of efficacy.When comparing between groups,Bristol stool trait scores were higher in the test group than in the control group(P<0.01).In terms of improving stool properties,electroacupuncture treatment has better short-term and long-term efficacy than general treatment.(4)Number and frequency of glycerol enemas in the anus:During the treatment period,number and frequency of glycerol enemas in the anus was used in the test group and nasalized was less than in the control group(P<0.01).The results suggest that electroacupuncture treatment is more likely to reduce the use of glycerol enemas in patients treated for constipation than general treatment.(5)Safety evaluation: 92.31% of the subjects in this study had a safety evaluation of grade 1,7.69% had a safety evaluation of grade 2,and no other safety problems occurred,and the overall safety of the subjects in this study was high.(6)Patient satisfaction scores: patient satisfaction scores were lower in the trial group than in the control group during the treatment and follow-up periods(P<0.01).The results showed that the patients in the test group were more satisfied with the treatment plan than the control group.Conclusions1.Both electroacupuncture and general therapy are effective in increasing the frequency of bowel movements,reducing the degree of difficulty in defecation and improving stool properties in patients with antidepressant constipation.2.Electroacupuncture is more effective in reducing the degree of difficulty in defecation.Electroacupuncture was superior to general treatment in terms of increasing the number of complete voluntary bowel movements per week,reducing the degree of difficulty in defecation,improving stool characteristics,and reducing the use of glycerol enemas,with better short-term and long-term efficacy.3.The efficacy,safety and patient satisfaction of electroacupuncture in the treatment of antidepressant constipation are precise and worthy of clinical implementation and application.