Treatment of Climacteric Symptoms with Herbal Formulas of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Abstract

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is not successful or is contraindicated for the treatment of climacteric symptoms in some patients. To investigate whether certain herbal formulas of traditional Chinese medicine (Kampo in Japanese) could be used as an alternative treatment, a longitudinal ‘before and after’ comparative study was carried out in 18 Japanese women, and the results were compared with those of 16 women who underwent HRT. Kampo improved all the climacteric symptoms. In contrast, improvement of cold limbs, sleeping disorders, shoulder stiffness/lumbago, and fatigue in the HRT group was either not significant or of limited extent. In addition, the serum level of estradiol in postmenopausal women was raised by the combined use of two Kampo formulas. These results suggest that Kampo may be considered an alternative to HRT for the treatment of climacteric symptoms, but vigorous monitoring for potential side effects of increased estrogen levels in some postmenopausal patients is needed.

Clinical trial of treatment with saikokaryukotsuboreito for eugonadal patients with late-inset hypogonadism-related symptoms

“…Regarding kampo it was reported that saikokeishikankyoto was effective for depression in peri-and post-menopausal women [27]. It was also reported that keishibukuryogan, tokishyakuyakusan and kamishoyosan improved climacteric symptoms [28]. Furthermore, kamishoyosan was proved to possess an antidepressant-like effect at a behavioural and molecular level in rats [29].…”

A herbal-drug interaction study of keishi-bukuryo-gan, a traditional herbal preparation used for menopausal symptoms, in healthy female volunteers

“…Therefore, we are tempted to assume that keishi‐bukuryo‐gan may have an impact on the disposition of endogenous and/or exogenous oestrogens. A previous study reported that there was no significant change in the endogenous serum estradiol levels after long‐term treatment with keishi‐bukuryo‐gan in six postmenopausal female patients [7] . However, there are no available data on whether there is an improved efficacy and/or adverse events in relation to the interaction between keishi‐bukuryo‐gan and exogenous oestrogens, such as hormone replacement therapy.…”

“…Many female patients are now using herbal medicines to relieve menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweating [3,6] . In Japan, keishi‐bukuryo‐gan (Chinese name: Gui‐Zhi‐Fu‐Ling‐Wan) is one of the most frequently used Kampo medicines and it is widely accepted in Japan as an effective alternative treatment for hypermenorrhoea, dysmenorrhoea and menopausal symptoms [7,8] . The pharmacologically active ingredients of keishi‐bukuryo‐gan are shown in Table 1.…”

A Case Report of Hemiparesis in a Patient with an Intracerebral Hemorrhage at the Basal Ganglia, Thalamus, and Internal Capsule Treated with a Combination of Traditional Korean Medicine and Western Medicine

“…It is often used for gynecological diseases [19,20]. There are some reports on climacteric symptoms [21] and improvement of luteal insufficiency [22]. These reports are interesting, as TS has been reported to improve memory disturbance in menopausal rats [7].…”