<b>Two Cases of Stress-induced Chronic Cough Successfully Treated with H</b><b>achimijiogan</b> / 日本東洋医学雑誌

<p>In Kampo, respiratory symptoms are treated with prescriptions related not only to “lung”, but also other parenchymatous viscera. We report 2 patients whose stress-induced chronic cough was ameliorated by <i>hachimijiogan</i>. Case 1 was a 25-year-old female who was working under stressful circumstances at her company and reported an oppressive feeling in the chest. She was initially prescribed <i>hangekobokuto </i>because of a feeling that something was stuck in the pit of her stomach on abdominal examination, but her cough did not get better. As she also noted a dull feeling in her back ; she was switched to <i>hachimigan</i>, and her cough disappeared. Case 2 was 42-year-old female who suffered from depression, sore throat and an obstructive feeling in the throat ; she had been receiving infertility treatment for several years. <i>Hangekobokuto </i>and <i>bakumondoto </i>showed insufficient effect on her persistent cough. Her coughing stopped when she was prescribed <i>hachimigan </i>for back pain. Neither of these patients showed lack of resistance of the lower abdomen on abdominal examination.<br>Chronic <i>ki </i>(qi) stagnation under stressful conditions may cause <i>ki </i>deficiency, especially kidney deficiency. The symptom of stress-induced cough in our cases was considered to be due to kidney deficiency, and therefore <i>hachimijiogan</i>, but not <i>hangekobokuto</i>, was effective. The short duration of the complaints and relatively young age (20-40's) of the patients may account for the absence of the typical abdominal sign of kidney deficiency. Back stiffness and pain may also be important signs for cough due to kidney deficiency.</p>

<b>A Case of Hachimigan Efficacy for Frequent Severe Constipation</b> / 日本東洋医学雑誌

This case involved an 86-year-old woman. She had suffered from vomiting, abdominal pain, distension and constipation, 3 times in 3 years.<br>Her constipation episodes were not complicated by ileus. There were no obstructive lesions on two colonoscopies.<br>She again suffered from same symptoms in March 2012. Abdominal radiography and CT scans showed significant gasses in her intestine along with a large volume of stool. The previous treatments had not been effective. So we switched to hachimigan with her. This Kampo medicine was very effective. Eight days after hachimigan administration start, all symptoms were relieved. Moreover, no constipation was observed in a 1 year course of hachimigan treatment. We thus conclude that hachimigan was very effective for this patient's constipation.

<b>A Case Report of Hot Flush Successfully Treated with Formulations </b><b>for Yin-syndrome</b> / 日本東洋医学雑誌

We report a case of hot flush successfully treated with formulations for yin-syndrome. A 56-year-old female patient experienced hot sensations and sweating on her face post menopause. Her hot flush was improved slightly with kamishoyosan and ryokeijutsukanto, but her symptoms were aggravated whenever she became tired. The patient was reevaluated and her prescription was changed to hachimigan, based on symptoms related to yin-syndrome and hypofunction, and a lack of resistance at the lower abdomen with the abdominal palpation. The patient appeared to respond favorably. However, the patient was easily fatigued and her symptoms returned when she felt tired. Ninjinto was added to the prescription based on the patient's “stuck feeling in pit of the stomach”. Her hot flush resolved and she no longer became tired easily. Although the use of formulations for yang-syndrome are known to be useful for the treatment of hot flush, formulations for yin-syndrome may be effective for the treatment of hot flush depending on the state of the patient.