Somatostatin Decreases Diarrhea in Patients with the Short-Bowel Syndrome

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Abstract
Four patients with chronic, watery diarrhea secondary to Crohn's disease and multiple small-bowel resections received a 24-hour infusion of somatostatin at the rate of 4 μg/ minute. Somatostatin induced a 35% decrease in stool weight (from 1892 ± 241 g/d to 1236 ± 254 g/d, P P <0.05). Fasting and postprandial glucose levels were increased by 25–40 mg/d. Our findings suggest somatostatin may prove useful in some patients with refractory diarrhea associated with Crohn's disease and the short-bowel syndrome.