Irritable bowel syndrome is a common functional disorder of the gut. The cause is not known. Symptoms can be quite variable and include abdominal pain, bloating, and sometimes bouts of diarrhea and/or constipation. It causes a great deal of discomfort and distress, but it does not permanently harm the intestine and does not lead to a serious disease, such as cancer. There are numerous treatment options in functional gastrointestinal disorders acting peripherally by influencing motility and visceral sensitivity. However, older 5-HT4 receptor agonists had limited clinical success because they were associated with changes in the cardiac function. New generation 5-HT4 receptor agonists, 5-HT, antagonists or partial antagonists are promising approaches to treat gastrointestinal dysmotility, particularly colonic diseases. A further new approach is the activation of chloride cannels within the gastrointestinal wall by the prostaglandin E metabolite lubiprostone. In patients with chronic constipation, lubiprostone produced a bowel movement, with sustained improvement in frequency as well as other constipation symptoms. Ongoing clinical trials suggest that linaclotide, a first-in-class, 14-amino acid peptide guanylate cyclase C (GC-C) receptor agonist and intestinal secretagogue is also an effective treatment for chronic constipation. The pharmacological profile suggests that orally administered linaclotide may be capable of improving the abdominal symptoms and bowel habits of patients suffering from of constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome and chronic constipation. Data are emerging, but the efficacy and safety profile of these agents in the treatment irritable bowel disease appears encouraging. Further randomized controlled trials are warranted.