The beneficial effects of the herbal medicine Free and Easy Wanderer Plus (FEWP) for mood disorders: Double-blind, placebo-controlled studies

Zhang, Zhang-Jin; Kang, Wan-Hu; Lu, Qiang; Tan, Qingrong

doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2006.08.002

Cited by 49 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The second commonly prescribed herbal formula, Jia-WeiXiao-Yao-San, has been used for thousand of years to treat women's disorder ranging from menstrual problems, infertility to menopausal syndromes (Scheid et al, 2009). In addition it has been reported as an effective treatment for premenstrual syndrome and various mood disorders, and possess anxiolytic effects (Kimura et al, 2007;Wang et al, 2009;Zhang et al, 2007). These effects of Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San are especially favorable as it has recently been demonstrated that women are prone to mood disorders and anxiety (Steel et al, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prescription patterns of Chinese herbal products for patients with uterine fibroid in Taiwan: A nationwide population-based study

Yen

Chen

Huang

et al. 2015

Journal of Ethnopharmacology

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prescription patterns of Chinese herbal products for patients with uterine fibroid in Taiwan: A nationwide population-based study

Yen

Chen

Huang

et al. 2015

Journal of Ethnopharmacology

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“…Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used for the treatment of depression (Li et al, 2008;Zhang et al, 2007). Several ancient herb formula prescriptions designated to treat depressive-like symptoms are still frequently prescribed in China either alone or with conventional antidepressants (Guo et al, 2009;Molina-Hernandez et al, 2008;Tesch, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Antidepressant-like effects of magnesium lithospermate B in a rat model of chronic unpredictable stress

Quan

Liu

Zhang

et al. 2015

Pharmaceutical Biology

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Materials and methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to the chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) protocol. Rats in the control group received no CUS during the whole experiment. In the model group, rats were exposed to CUS for 7 weeks. From the beginning of the 5th week, model group rats were randomly grouped and subjected to different treatments. In the experiment, control and model group rats were intraperitoneally (i.p.) injected with saline. MLB was dissolved in saline to give a final concentration, and the rats were injected (i.p.) with 15, 30, or 60 mg/kg MLB once a day for 3 weeks. Results: MLB administration significantly reduced: (1) the immobility time in the forced swimming test (19 s, p50.05); (2) the immobility time in the tail suspension test (76.3 s, p50.05); (3) the corticosterone (CORT) concentrations in the serum (21.7 nmol/L, p40.05); (4) the pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in the serum -TNF-a (92.1 pg/ml, p50.05), IL-1b (86.9 pg/ ml, p50.05), and IL-6 (93.8 pg/ml, p50.05); (5) pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in tissue -TNF-a (3.2 pg/mg protein, p50.05), IL-1b (1.5 pg/mg protein, p40.05), and IL-6 (6.3 pg/mg protein, p50.05); and (6) phospho-NF-kB (1.6, p50.05) and phospho-IkB-a (0.4, p50.05) expression in tissue. Discussion and conclusion: The results suggested that MLB might exert therapeutic actions on depression-like behavior and the HPA axis hyperactivity in CUS rats, and the mechanisms underlying the antidepressant-like effects of MLB might be mediated by regulation of the expression of NF-kB and IkB-a in rats.

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“…841-846) is a welcome addition and follows earlier positive studies of Free and Easy Wanderer Plus (FEWP) in bipolar and unipolar depression. 7 The authors report unambiguous advantages for FEWP and the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine over placebo in PSD. In addition, FEWP acted more rapidly than fluoxetine and, at endpoint, was superior to fluoxetine on daily activities, an effect that has been inconsistently seen in the PSD literature.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…8 In a prior trial of FEWP in non-stroke related depression, the dropout rate was over 30%. 7 In explaining their anomalous retention rate, the authors suggest the role played by massage as a means of attenuating nausea, which can certainly affect patient compliance. This creative approach in managing nausea deserves greater attention.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These are well documented, including for St. John's wort, 9 and there is some evidence that FEWP is an inducer of the cytochrome P450 3A4 isoenzyme, since it lowers plasma levels of carbamazepine by 43%. 7 Post-stroke patients are likely to be taking other medications, and there is the possibility that FEWP could reduce the efficacy (and sideeffects) of drugs metabolized via 3A4, a common pathway for drug metabolism, including for cardiovascular drugs such as calcium channel blockers and statin drugs.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Treatment of Post-Stroke Depression with Antidepressants

Davidson

Zhang

2008

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

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T he prevalence of depression following stroke varies between 14% and 19%, as compared to 10% in the general population. 1 Compelling reasons exist for effective treatment of depression in relationship to stroke. These include the fact that depression is a risk factor for stroke, and that post-stroke depression (PSD) is associated with higher mortality. 2,3 Antidepressant drugs have been shown repeatedly to result in better outcomes compared to placebo in PSD, including the critical finding of lowered mortality. 4,5 Early studies of tricyclic drugs demonstrated efficacy, but side effects and poor tolerance limited the use of these compounds. Such concerns have been lessened by newer generation drugs, although they are not without their shortcomings. For these and other reasons, many depressed people self-medicate with complementary and alternative types of treatment, among which herbal products are popular. 6 While there is a fair amount of information on the efficacy of St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum), less is known about other herbal products for depression. The report by Li and associates in this issue (pp. 841-846) is a welcome addition and follows earlier positive studies of Free and Easy Wanderer Plus (FEWP) in bipolar and unipolar depression. 7 The authors report unambiguous advantages for FEWP and the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine over placebo in PSD. In addition, FEWP acted more rapidly than fluoxetine and, at endpoint, was superior to fluoxetine on daily activities, an effect that has been inconsistently seen in the PSD literature. 8 Fifty percent of all placebo-controlled antidepressant trials in PSD have been conducted in Asia, primarily in China, and these contributions have advanced the field considerably. 8 This study of FEWP by Li and associates suggests a new and potentially helpful approach. Among its strengths was the inclusion of an active control, thereby establishing that the study population was indeed "antidepressant responsive." If this had been a two-arm comparison without placebo and there was no difference in outcome, we would be left to guess if FEWP was ineffective or if the sample was not preferentially drug responsive and therefore inappropriate to test the drug. The large, adequately powered sample was also impressive, making it one of the largest trials of its kind in PSD. The very high retention rate is also unusual. With only 4 premature dropouts (3%), this study stands apart from most others in this population, where attrition rates are typically between 10% and 35% among trials of conventional antidepressants. 8 In a prior trial of FEWP in non-stroke related depression, the dropout rate was over 30%. 7 In explaining their anomalous retention rate, the authors suggest the role played by massage as a means of attenuating nausea, which can certainly affect patient compliance. This creative approach in managing nausea deserves greater attention. Li and colleagues also suggest that the study sample might have been unusually motivated, although in ...

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The beneficial effects of the herbal medicine Free and Easy Wanderer Plus (FEWP) for mood disorders: Double-blind, placebo-controlled studies

Cited by 49 publications

References 30 publications

Prescription patterns of Chinese herbal products for patients with uterine fibroid in Taiwan: A nationwide population-based study

Prescription patterns of Chinese herbal products for patients with uterine fibroid in Taiwan: A nationwide population-based study

Antidepressant-like effects of magnesium lithospermate B in a rat model of chronic unpredictable stress

Treatment of Post-Stroke Depression with Antidepressants

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