title: [Kidney-tonifying and dampness-expelling Chinese herbal medicine combined with doxazosin for the treatment of chronic epididymitis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the clinical effects of kidney-tonifying and dampness-expelling Chinese herbal medicine combined with doxazosin in the treatment of chronic epididymitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 64 patients with chronic epididymitis were equally randomized into a treatment and a control group, the former treated with kidney-tonifying and dampness-expelling Chinese herbal decoction combined with doxazosin, and the latter given doxazosin only, both for 4 weeks. The clinical symptoms were measured by Chronic Epididymitis Symptom Index (CESI), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) before and after the treatment, and the therapeutic effects were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 4 weeks of medication, the total mean scores on CESI, pain, and quality of life (QOL) were significantly decreased in both the treatment and the control groups (P < 0.05), even more significantly in the former than in the latter (P < 0.05), and so were the scores on SAS and SDS (P < 0.05), but with no significant differences between the two groups (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Either doxazosin alone or kidney-tonifying and dampness-expelling Chinese herbal decoction combined with doxazosin is obviously effective on chronic epididymitis, but the combined medication produces an even better efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Andrology, Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210046, China. ycun00@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Yu-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Guo-Shou
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Yu-Yang
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Xin-Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lian-Wen
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Bao-Fang
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017292:Doxazosin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004823:Epididymitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D017292:Doxazosin