A case of lrritable Bowel Syndrome with Recurrent and Severe Abdominal Pain Successfully Treated with Saiko-sokan-to / 日本東洋医学雑誌

A patient with gas symptom-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) who complained of recurrent severe abdominal pain was successfully treated with Saiko-sokan-to.<br>The patient was a 31-year-old male. Beginning in November, 1994, he repeatedly visited the emergency clinic with severe abdominal pain and abdominal distension. He was hospitalized three times, but no organic disorder was found. He usually had alternating constipation and diarrhea. He was diagnosed as gas symptom-predominant IBS because he mainly complained of gas symptoms such as abdominal distension, borborygmus and flatus together with abdominal pain. He was also suspected of having splenic flexure syndrome because his abdominal roentgenography revealed apparent intestinal gas at the splenic flexure. After treatment with Igakutoshi Saiko-sokan-to was begun in June 1996, his abdominal pain disappeared. Furthermore, emotional instability, lightheadedness, and skin troubles were also alleviated.<br>Saiko-sokan-to is indicated for patients having Sigyaku-san syo with severe Ki-depression, and appears to be a useful agent for gas symptom-predominant IBS.

Cases Study of Saiko-sokan-to / 日本東洋医学雑誌

Saiko-sokan-to has been traditionally used for the amelioration of symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia, Shigyaku-san-sho (sho = pattern of symptoms determined by Kampo diagnosis) with left hypochondralgia and Shigyaku-san-sho with a feeling of obstruction in the costal region. However, there are still aspects that remain to be elucidated concerning the indications for this formula.<br>This study involved 7 cases with stiff shoulders, headaches, abdominal distension, meteorism and flushing which responded to Saiko-sokan-to. The experience of these cases suggests that conditions indicating Saiko-sokan-to have the following features: (1) there is resistance or tenderness upon pressure in the subcostal region (traditionally referred to as Kyokyokuman), (2) there is resistance or tenderness upon pressure in the epigastric region (traditionally referred to as Shinkahiko), (3) there are signs of Ki-depression, (4) for severe “blood stagnation” syndrome (traditionally called oketsu), Ikkando Saiko-sokan-to was found to be more effective than Igakutoshi Saiko-sokan-to.