Effectiveness a herbal medicine (Sipjeondaebo-tang) on adults with chronic fatigue syndrome: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Abstract

Background Sipjeondaebo-tang (SJDBT, Shi-quan-da-bu-tang in Chinese) is a widely prescribed herbal medicine in traditional Korean medicine. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of SJDBT for treating chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Methods Ninety-six eligible participants were randomly allocated to either the SJDBT or placebo groups in a 1:1 ratio. Nine grams of SJDBT or placebo granules were administered to the patients for 8 weeks. The primary outcome was the response rate, defined as the proportion of participants with a score of 76 or higher in the Checklist Individual Strength assessment. Other measurements for fatigue severity, quality of life, and qi/blood/yin/yang deficiency were included. Safety was assessed throughout the trial. Results At week 8, the response rate did not significantly differ between the groups (SJDBT: 35.4%; placebo: 54.2%; P = 0.101, effect size [95% confidence interval] = 0.021 [-0.177, 0.218]). However, the scores of the visual analogue scale ( P = 0.001, -0.327 [-0.506, -0.128]), Fatigue Severity Scale ( P = 0.020, 0.480 [0.066, 0.889]), and Chalder fatigue scale ( P = 0.004, -0.292 [-0.479, -0.101]) for the SJDBT group showed significant improvements in fatigue severity at the endpoint. Quality of life was not significantly different. Furthermore, SJDBT significantly ameliorated the severity of qi deficiency compared to that in the placebo group. No serious adverse events were observed. Conclusion This trial failed to show a significant improvement in fatigue severity, as assessed by the CIS-deprived response rate. It merely showed that SJDBT could alleviate the severity of fatigue and qi deficiency in patients with CFS. However, the further study is needed to confirm the details.

Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…In addition, alternative medicine (e.g., meditation and relaxation response, warm baths, massages, stretching, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, chiropractic, yoga, and Tai Chi), nutritional support therapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, physiotherapy, and nerve blocks have all been proposed, but the evidence regarding these treatments is limited and their efficacy is uncertain (Bested and Marshall, 2015;Noor et al, 2021). Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been widely used to treat CFS in China and other parts of the world, such as South Korea and Japan Joung et al, 2019;Shin et al, 2021). First, according to the dialectical treatment theory of traditional Chinese medicine, specific formulas consisting of different Chinese herbs are used to treat CFS patients with different symptoms.…”

“…Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been widely used to treat CFS in China and other parts of the world, such as South Korea and Japan ( Wang et al, 2014 ; Joung et al, 2019 ; Shin et al, 2021 ). First, according to the dialectical treatment theory of traditional Chinese medicine, specific formulas consisting of different Chinese herbs are used to treat CFS patients with different symptoms.…”

A Systematic Review of In Vivo Studies of the Efficacy of Herbal Medicines for Anti-Aging in the Last Five Years

“…Juzentaihoto is a complex herbal prescription that is mainly used for fatigue and loss of appetite. Recently, many studies on cancer have been conducted [ 66 , 67 ]. Therefore, if body function is weakened, it is possible to recover this function through the use of Juzentaihoto and to pursue its anti-aging effects.…”

Ginsenoside Rg1 can reverse fatigue behavior in CFS rats by regulating EGFR and affecting Taurine and Mannose 6-phosphate metabolism

“…Current treatment guidelines for CFS mainly include cognitive behavioral therapy, graded exercise program and symptomatic therapy ( Sapra and Bhandari, 2022 ), with limited clinical efficacy ( Fang et al, 2022 ). In China, herbal medicine is widely used to treat CFS ( Joung et al, 2019 ; Shin et al, 2021 ), with a previous meta-analysis showing TCM is safe and effective for CFS treatment ( Zhang et al, 2022 ), which has sparked interest in its application ( Wang et al, 2014 ; Dai et al, 2019 ; Zhang et al, 2020 ; Yang et al, 2022 ).…”