Complete Recovery from Generalized Anxiety Disorder Through Anchusan / 日本東洋医学雑誌

ABSTRACT

We had a female patient who had stagnation of qi and recovered not only by adjusting qi but also by warming interior cold. A 67-year-old woman visited our clinic for generalized anxiety disorder and whole body overstrain on the basis of domestic problems. She had taken anxiolytic, which brought about some relief. She also suffered from uterine cancer, and had operation of uterine resection. After operation, she took radiation therapy, which caused ileus. Although she took daikenchuto, ileus sometimes recurred. At first, we diagnosed her condition as stagnation of liver qi and deficiency of liver blood according to Kampo medical findings, and prescribed yokukansankachimpihange. However, she felt little effectiveness. We focused on her condition as spleen-stomach deficiency cold, and switched to anchusan, which gradually improved her symptom and led to discontinuation of daikenchuto and anxiolytic. She continued to take it for 7 years, and gradually reduced. She stopped taking medication 2 years later, and has had no recurrence ever since. It suggests that anchusan was effective in warming her latent severe interior cold. We should consider anchusan as a therapeutic candidate for stagnation of qi and interior cold, although it is well known Kampo medicine that is suitable for stomach pain.