<b>Patient Taking Daikenchuto for More than 10 years Suffers from Excess H</b><b>eat</b> / 日本東洋医学雑誌

ABSTRACT

<p>A 54-year-old female had cesarean sections at ages 26 and 29, a left salpingophrectomy for left ovarian cyst at age 31, and a total abdominal hysterectomy for fibroids at age 41. After total abdominal hysterectomy, she had repeated bouts of ileus and started taking daikenchuto (DKT), which is commonly used to prevent ileus. At age 54, she visited our hospital when DKT failed to relieve her constipation and lower abdominal pain and had occasional heat flash above her neck. Tongue examination revealed pale red tongue and fissured tongue signs with yellow fur and dilation of the sublingual collateral vessels. Kampo diagnosis was blood stasis and excess heat, for which keishibukuryogan was prescribed to be taken daily and with which her symptoms dissipated after 7 days. Despite the popular use of DKT, its potential to cause excess heat after long-term use is not as well known. It is extremely important to warn clinicians who prescribe Kampo not to focus solely on a disease-to-prescription model but also to be learned of the discipline and to take measures to prevent adverse long-term effects and complications.</p>