1998 Volume 1998 Issue Supplement98 Pages 39-43
A retrospective study was performed to investigate the clinical usefulness of Sho-seiryu-to treating allergic rhinitis. An examination was also performed on the clnical background of those allergic rhinitis patients in whom Sho-seiryu-to was ineffective, as well as the countermeasures used. The subjects consisted of 16 allergic rhinitis patients (6 men and 10 women; mean age: 30.4years; Sho: 6 Jitsu,8 Chukan, and 2 Kyo). Of these 16 patients, Sho-seiryu-to was ineffective in 5patients (2 men and 3 women; mean age: 48; Sho: 1 Jitsu,3 Chukan, and 1 Kyo).
All of the patients were given 9 grams of Sho-seiryu-to extract granules, three times a day, for 2or 4 weeks. The degree of improvement in symptoms such as sneezing, watery nasal secretion, and nasal obstruction was then evaluated. The checklist for the five non-responsive cases included: (1)their age, Sho, and subjective symptoms other than those of allergic rhinitis; (2) past illnesses; (3)abnormal findings on an Oriental medicinal diagnosis; and (4) their treatment and progress following a single administration of Sho-seiryu-to.
The drug's efficacy rate against sneezing, watery nasal secretion and nasal obstruction was 62.5%,68.8%, and 56.3%, respectively (n = 16). As a side effect, one patient experienced gastrointestinal discomfort. After carefully re-examining the clinical background of those patients in whom Sho-seiryu-to was ineffective, the author found the following pathologies and switched to treatment regimens which better suited each case. Effective or better results were subsequently obtained on all cases. The details of the pathologies and treatments are as follows. Patient No.1: Hi-kyo: 7.5 grams of Hochu-ekki-to was administered three times a day for four weeks; Patient No.2: Jin-yo-kyo: 4.5 grams of Sho-seiryu-to and 7.5 grams of Hachimi-jio-gan were administered three times a day, respectively, for six weeks; Patient No.3: Hi-ki-kyo and Suidoku: 7.5 grams of Rikkunshi-to was administered three times a day for 8 weeks; Patient No.4: a combination of allergy and infection: 3.75 grams of Sho-saiko-to-ka-kikyo-sekko and 4.5 grams of Sho-seiryu-to were administered three times a day, respectively, for 4 weeks, and then 400 mg of curarithromycin was administered twice a day for one week; and Patient No.5: Oketsu and Suidoku: 5 grams of Keishi-bukuryo-gan and 3.75 grams of Kami-shoyo-san were administered three times a day, respectively, for eight weeks.
Sho-seiryu-to was seemed to be effective in treating allergic rhinitis. However, if the drug proved to be ineffective after 4 weeks of administration, then the pathology should be reevaluated and other drugs should be chosen more suited for the new pathology obtained. In this way, the symptoms can be expected to improve even in non-responsive cases.
