Indication: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Source: American Journal of Gastroenterology, July 24, 2006;101(7):1574.

Research:
According to the investigators in this study, there is no effective treatment for IBS, which is why some patients turn to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for possible cures. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, a total of 119 patients received either a standard TCM preparation containing 11 herbs or placebo for a total of eight weeks. After a two-week run-period, patients were followed for an additional eight weeks post-treatment. Primary outcome was patients’ global symptom assessment. Other outcome measures included individual IBS symptom scores and health-related quality of life.

Results:
There was no significant difference in the proportion of patients with global symptom improvement between the TCM and placebo groups at week eight (35% vs. 44%) and at week 16 (32% vs. 34%). Moreover, there was no difference in individual symptom scores and the quality-of-life assessment between the two groups at all time points. Since the use of this herbal formulation for diarrhea-predominant IBS did not lead to global symptom improvement, researchers believe further clinical studies may be necessary to characterize the role of TCM in the management of IBS.