Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2014:2014:519035.
doi: 10.1155/2014/519035. Epub 2014 Mar 20.

Beneficial effects of rikkunshito, a Japanese kampo medicine, on gastrointestinal dysfunction and anorexia in combination with Western drug: a systematic review

Sachiko Mogami  1 , Tomohisa Hattori  1
Affiliations
Review

Beneficial effects of rikkunshito, a Japanese kampo medicine, on gastrointestinal dysfunction and anorexia in combination with Western drug: a systematic review

Sachiko Mogami et al. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014.

Abstract

Background. Kampo medicines are traditional herbal medicines which have been approved for medicinal use by the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare and are currently being used more and more, often in combination with Western drugs. Thus, the need for investigation of interactions between Kampo medicines and Western drugs is now widely recognized. Aim. To summarize the effects and drug interactions of rikkunshito, a Kampo medicine often prescribed for upper gastrointestinal disorders and anorexia. Methods. Animal and human studies were systematically reviewed to identify published data on rikkunshito. Results describing its effects were abstracted, with an emphasis on drug interactions. Results and Discussion. Rikkunshito ameliorates anorexia induced by anticancer drugs, improves quality of life scores, and can even prolong survival compared with monotherapy. Rikkunshito combined with proton pump inhibitor therapy is shown to be useful in the treatment of PPI-refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease patients and patients with gastrointestinal symptoms after endoscopic submucosal dissection. Rikkunshito reduces antidepressant-induced adverse events and improves quality of life without influencing antidepressant effects. Conclusions. Rikkunshito shows ameliorative effects on adverse reactions induced by various Western drugs and can achieve better results (e.g., anticancer drugs and proton pump inhibitor) without influencing the efficacy and bioavailability of Western drugs.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Suzuki H, Inadomi JM, Hibi T. Japanese herbal medicine in functional gastrointestinal disorders. Neurogastroenterology and Motility. 2009;21(7):688–696. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Tominaga K, Arakawa T. Kampo medicines for gastrointestinal tract disorders: a review of basic science and clinical evidence and their future application. Journal of Gastroenterology. 2013;48(4):452–462. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Oka T, Okumi H, Nishida S, et al. Effects of Kampo on functional gastrointestinal disorders. Biopsychosocial Medicine. 2014;8, article 5 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Seike J, Sawada T, Kawakita N, et al. A new candidate supporting drug, Rikkunshito, for the QOL in advanced esophageal cancer patients with chemotherapy using docetaxel/5-FU/CDDP. International Journal of Surgical Oncology. 2011;2011:7 pages.715623 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ohno T, Yanai M, Ando H, et al. Rikkunshito, a traditional Japanese medicine, suppresses cisplatin-induced anorexia in humans. Clinical and Experimental Gastroenterology. 2011;4(1):291–296. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources