Two Cases of Anorexia Nervosa and Depressive Neurosis that Improved with Rikkunshi-to / 日本東洋医学雑誌

ABSTRACT

We encountered a 24-year-old female patient with anorexia nervosa and a 25-year-old male patient with depressive neurosis, both of whom failed to respond to an antidepressant or an antianxiety drug but improved significantly with Rikkunshi-to (Tsumura's extract granules) given three times a day between meals in a daily dose of 7.5g.<br>In order to determine the effect of this Kampo formulation, we evaluated their mental condition weekly using the HDRS, BDI, and MAS scales. Although the MAS, which assesses anxiety, did not change very much, the HDRS and BDI, which assess depression, improved significantly. The evaluation was indicative of problems in personality formation originating from the patients' complicated life history. We had the impression that while in both cases Rikkunshi-to was ineffective in relieving anxiety related to personality factors, it was effective with depressive symptoms (anorexia, fatigue, malaise, insomnia etc.) occurring secondarily to anxiety.