title: Efficacy and side-effects of a semi-individualized Chinese herb mixture "Tiáo Gēng Tāng" for menopausal syndrome in China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chinese herbal medicine is an alternative therapy for menopausal problems and is widely practiced in China and many other Asian countries. However, efficacies and side-effects are rarely assessed according to the standards of evidence-based medicine.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a prospective observatory study following efficacy and side-effects of a semi-individualized Chinese herbal mixture "Tiáo Gēng Tāng (TGT)" in 30 patients for 3 months. Another group of 30 patients receiving hormone therapy with tibolone was included as a positive comparison. Common questionnaire-based measuring instruments were: modified Kupperman index, menopause rating scale, life quality and Chinese medical symptom scale (CMSS). Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol (E2) were determined before and three months after the treatments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant improvement was seen in overall scores of all the four measurements in both groups. For some symptoms, including dry mouth, tinnitus, poor appetite and constipation, TGT was more effective than tibolone. For psychosocial and sexual sub-scales of life quality, tibolone has a slightly higher remedy rate than TGT. TGT lowered FSH and LH significantly, as tibolone did, but elevated E2 significantly less than tibolone. Various adverse events, including body weight increase, abdomen discomfort, nausea/vomiting, emotional instability, pressure in breasts and dizziness, were reported by patients treated with tibolone, whereas only diarrhea was observed in two patients treated with TGT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TGT alleviates menopausal symptoms with similar efficacy as tibolone but has fewer side effects.
authors.affiliation: Gynecology Department, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Man
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Research and Diagnostics, Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kluwe
authors.affiliation: Gynecology Department, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hui-Cong
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Gynecology Department, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qian-Jue
authors.initials: QJ
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Gynecology Department, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Lian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Gynecology Department, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Zhen-Zhen
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Gynecology Department, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Li-Xia
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Gynecology Department, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Gynecology Department, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ying-Chao
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Research and Diagnostics, Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Reinhard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Friedrich
authors.affiliation: Gynecology Department, Shanghai Shuguang Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Zhuo-Jun
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Gynecology Department, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P.R. China sherryxlw@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Lian-Wei
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; D002681:China; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D057285:Precision Medicine; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D013577:Syndrome; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal
keywords: Chinese herbal medicine; Menopausal symptoms; adverse effect; clinical trial; efficacy