Efficacy of Chuanxiong Ding Tong Herbal Formula Granule in the Treatment and Prophylactic of Migraine Patients: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Multicenter, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Abstract

Objective. To evaluate the efficacy of traditional Chinese herbal ChuanXiong Ding Tong herbal formula granule (CXDT-HFG) for migraine patients with “the Syndrome of Liver Wind and Blood Stasis.” Methods. 150 migraine patients were recruited and assigned randomly in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study to receive CXDT-HFG (n = 99) plus necessary analgesics, or placebo (n = 51) plus necessary analgesics for 16 weeks (12 weeks' intervention and 4 weeks' follow up). Outcome measures included migraine days, frequency of migraine attacks, analgesics consumption for acute treatment, and the proportion of responders as well as the visual analogue scale (VAS) scores and intensity for pain. Results. Compared with the placebo group, the CXDT-HFG group showed significant reduction in migraine days and attacks frequency at week 12 and follow-up period (P < 0.05) as well as in the reduction of VAS scores at follow-up period.There was significant difference in the proportion of responders between the two groups at follow-up period (P = 0.014). However there were no significant differences between the two groups in analgesics consumption (P > 0.05). Conclusion. CXDT-HFG was more effective than placebo in decreasing days of migraine attacks, frequency, VAS scores, and relieving pain intensity for migraine patients.

Tetramethylpyrazine: A promising drug for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension

“…TMP, which has also been synthesized, exerts vasodilative, anticoagulant, anti‐inflammatory and positive inotropic effects. TMP has been widely used for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases (Guo, Liu, & Shi, 2016), due to its long history of safe usage, high efficacy, low expense, few adverse effects, and easy oral administration (Bai et al, 2014; Chen & Chen, 1992; Fu et al, 2012; Shaw, Chen, & Tsai, 2013; Wang et al, 2013; Zeng et al, 2013; Zhu, Wang, & Qin, 2009). In the present context, the beneficial effects of TMP have been shown in hypoxia‐induced PH, as a pulmonary vasodilator and by normalizing the right ventricular hypertrophy and muscularization of pulmonary arterioles (Cai & Barer, 1989).…”

Headache Care in China

“…ChuanXiong Ding Tong herbal formula granules (CXDT‐HFGs) constitute a TCM used for migraine prophylaxis in patients with “syndrome of liver wind and blood stasis.” Therefore, only patients with both migraine and this syndrome were incorporated into the experimental group in the present study. CXDT‐HFG was more effective than placebo at reducing the number of days on which migraine attacks occurred, migraine frequency, and pain intensity over an initial 12‐week period and also after longer follow‐up . It also reduced VAS pain scores in the follow‐up period .…”

“…CXDT‐HFG was more effective than placebo at reducing the number of days on which migraine attacks occurred, migraine frequency, and pain intensity over an initial 12‐week period and also after longer follow‐up . It also reduced VAS pain scores in the follow‐up period . Similarly, Lu‐tong‐yin, BanxiaBaizhuTianma, and TaohongSiwu decoctions were effective for the treatment of “live‐yang hyperactivity syndrome,” “phlegm‐damp stagnating syndrome,” and “blood stasis syndrome” during the clinical treatment and prevention of migraines…”

“…Although the results showed that acupuncture was effective (compared with Western medicine (28 randomized, controlled trials [RCTs], Relative Risk (RR) = 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.16, 1.34], P < .00001), Chinese medicine (3 RCTs, RR = 1.29, 95% CI [1.14,1.45], P < .00001), and placebo acupuncture (3 RCTs, RR = 1.87, 95% CI [1.17, 2.98], P = .009), 75.8% of the trials (25/33) did not describe the method used to randomized the groups, and 90.9% (30/33) did not report whether the studies were blinded . As study design improved, several large RCTs were conducted, and the data were published in leading medical journals 36‐40. Acupuncture was clinically effective in terms of migraine prophylaxis, especially when Shaoyang‐specific points were targeted, but no effect was seen until 8 weeks after treatment .…”

Systems pharmacology to decipher the combinational anti-migraine effects of Tianshu formula

“…Fortunately, some herbal formulae like Tou Feng Yu Pill , Chuanxiong Ding Tong herbal formula granule (Fu et al, 2012) and Tianshu formula have been proved with powerful anti-migraine functions. For example, Tou Feng Yu Pill which is composed of Radix angelicae dahuricae, Rhizoma chuanxiong and Folium camelliae sinensis exerts remarkable therapeutic effects on migraine, and its possible mechanism may be through increasing the cerebral blood flow, relieving neurogenic inflammation, as well as regulating the neurotransmitters, vasoactive substances and neuropeptides, together with increasing the pain threshold .…”