title: Treating pediatric psychogenic dizziness with a Japanese herbal medicine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  No conventional pharmacotherapy is available for the treatment of psychogenic dizziness in pediatric patients. Adults with psychogenic dizziness are treated with psychiatric medicines as the standard treatment. In children, this treatment is not widely accepted because of the potential for adverse reactions. Instead, Kampo, an alternative medicine, is probably the best choice of treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report herein three of four cases of pediatric psychogenic dizziness successfully treated with Yoku-kan-san-ka-chimpi-hange (YKCH), a traditional Japanese Kampo medicine known to ameliorate psychiatric symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  YKCH was prescribed to four patients (two boys and two girls) with psychiatric dizziness whose ages ranged from 11 to 15 years. Four weeks after the initiation of treatment, clinical improvement was assessed by the Clinical Global impression-Improvement scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In three of the four patients, the drug showed some significant effects. The remaining patient could not continue the medication. It is reasonable to assume that YKCH was effective because of its serotonergic mechanism and the improvement of sleep in our patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This report is the first to describe the beneficial effects of YKCH in the treatment of pediatric psychogenic dizziness. We conclude that administration of YKCH may be a suitable complementary therapy for pediatric psychogenic dizziness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hino Municipal Hospital, Hino, Tokyo, Japan. amifumi@bc5.so-http://net.ne.jp
authors.forename: Fumiyuki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morimoto
authors.forename: Hidenobu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Taiji
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsutumi
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogawa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D004244:Dizziness / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020835:Medicine, Kampo; D008517:Phytotherapy; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; C524644:Yi-Gan San