Herbal Therapy for Hepatitis C based on Traditional Chinese Medicine

摘要

Hepatitis C is a chronic, often asymptomatic disease, which progresses to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Patients can suffer from a variety of complications. The mainstay of treatment is interferon which produces many side effects. In this report, 3 patients with hepatitis C were treated with herbal medicines on the basis of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory.The first case involved a 37-year-old male doctor, who was infected during his hospital duty and refused interferon therapy. He agreed to receive the traditional herbal prescription Hochu-ekkito (Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang in Chinese, equivalent for TJ-41) along with modified Inchinkoto (Yin-Chen-Hao-Tang, TJ-135). Snake gallbladder, Calculus Bovis, the herbal mixture WTTCGE (Wisteria floribunda, Terminalia chebulae, Trapa natans, Coicis semen, Ganoderma lucidum andElfuinga applanata), Ban-Lan-Gen (Radix Isatidis seu Baphicacanthi), Dai-Qing-Ye (Clerodendrom cyrtophyllum Turcz) and Biphenyl Dimethyl Dicarboxylate were also administered at times during a 9 year clinical course which demonstrated ultimately a persistent decreased ALT.