A Study of the Effect of Hachimi-jio-gan on Painful Muscle Cramps (Komuragaeri).
10.3937/kampomed.45.151
- VernacularTitle:肝硬変に伴うこむら返りに対する八味地黄丸の有用性に関する検討
- Author:
Shigeyuki TAKAMORI
;
Takashi ANDO
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
liver cirrhosis;
muscle cramp;
Hachimi-jio-gan
- From:Kampo Medicine
1994;45(1):151-157
- CountryJapan
- Language:Japanese
-
Abstract:
A 48% incidence of muscle cramps was found in 150 patients with liver cirrhosis. A 76.7% incidence of muscle cramps was found in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis, which was statistically higher than a 36.4% incidence in patients with compensated liver cirrhosis.
In order to evaluate the effect of Hachimi-jio-gan on the treatment of muscle cramps in cirrhotic patients, 5g or 7.5g of Hachimi-jio-gan was administered orally to 31 cirrhotic patients (15 patients in the compensated stage and 16 patients in the decompensated stage), who had suffered from muscle cramps at a frequency of more than once a week. The frequency of muscle cramps was found to have decreased in all patients and to have completely disappeared in 19 patients (61.3% of 31 patients) following administration of Hachimi-jio-gan orally for 4 weeks.
The vibration perception threshold (VPT) was examined in 5 cirrhotic patients. The VPT improved in all patients in proportion to the decrease in the frequency of muscle cramps following administration of Hachimi-jio-gan orally.
The effect of Hachimi-jio-gan was compared to the effect of Gorei-san ane Shakuyaku-Kanzo-to on muscle cramps in 11 cirrhotic patients. The effective rates were 100%, 36.4% and 54.5% respectively. Judging from these results, Hachimi-jio-gan can be considered more effective in giving relief from muscle cramps. Hachimi-jio-gan was also effective in giving relief from muscle cramps in 6 cirrhotic patients in which Mecobalamin had no effect.
These results suggest that Hachimi-jio-gan is a useful drug for the treatment of muscle cramps in patients with liver cirrhosis.
