Gastrointestinal symptoms are among the most common side effects of drugs. There is a broad spectrum of symptoms. Patients often report upper abdominal pain, an early sense of satiety, epigastric discomfort or pain in the upper abdomen or behind the breastbone, flatulence, diarrhoea or constipation. Some of these symptoms are attributed to the stomach or upper abdomen by the patient and/or the physician. "Stomach pain", pain in the epigastric region, occurs in most cases in combination with other symptoms such as a feeling of pressure in the upper abdomen or bloating, early satiety, nausea or vomiting--a combination called dyspepsia. Given the high frequency of these symptoms in the general population and the large number of medications many patients are taking, it can be very difficult in a given patient to differentiate between drug-induced side effects and spontaneously occurring symptoms.
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