Two Cases of Abdominal Distension Successfully Treated with Tokishigyakukagoshuyushokyoto / 日本東洋医学雑誌

ABSTRACT

Abdominal distension is one of the common symptoms and can cause abdominal pain and anorexia, which may raise adverse effect on general well-being and quality of life. In Western medicine, there are specialized treatments for structural lesions associated with abdominal distension, but functional abdominal distension is often difficult to treat. There have been some reports of Kampo medicine for treatment of abdominal distension, but no case reports on tokishigyakukagoshuyushokyoto. We experienced two cases of abdominal distension successfully treated with tokishigyakukagoshuyushokyoto. Case 1 was 86-year-old woman who developed abdominal distension with frequent belching. Case 2 was 59-year-old man who developed abdominal distension associated with opioid. Regulating qi medicine was not effective for abdominal distension in both cases. Both cases had reversal coldness of the extremities, tympanic sounds of abdomen, coldness of abdomen, and inguinal tenderness and resistance. Therefore, we diagnosed them as tokishigyakukagoshuyushokyoto sho. After administration of tokishigyakukagoshuyushokyoto, in Case 1, the frequency of belching decreased and the appetite increased with the improvement of abdominal distension. In Case 2, increasing the dose of goshuyu in tokishigyakukagoshuyushokyoto relieved abdominal distension. Tokishigyakukagoshuyushokyoto can be effective for abdominal distension with interior cold pattern.