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Article: The beneficial effects of the herbal medicine Free and Easy Wanderer Plus (FEWP) for mood disorders: Double-blind, placebo-controlled studies

TitleThe beneficial effects of the herbal medicine Free and Easy Wanderer Plus (FEWP) for mood disorders: Double-blind, placebo-controlled studies
Authors
KeywordsBipolar disorders
Blood carbamazepine levels
Carbamazepine
Herb-drug interaction
Herbal medicine
Major depression
Issue Date2007
PublisherPergamon. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jpsychires
Citation
Journal Of Psychiatric Research, 2007, v. 41 n. 10, p. 828-836 How to Cite?
AbstractOur previous study has shown the beneficial effects of the herbal medicine called Free and Easy Wanderer Plus (FEWP) as adjunctive therapy with carbamazepine (CBZ) in the 12-week treatment of bipolar disorders (Zhang ZJ, Kang WH, Tan QR, Li Q, Gao CG, Zhang FG, et al., Adjunctive herbal medicine with carbamazepine for bipolar disorders: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. J Psychiatr Res; 2005). Here, we present follow-up data obtained from a continuation of the previously reported study. Treatment and clinical evaluation of bipolar patients (n = 188) who had randomly received 12-week CBZ plus placebo (n = 92) or CBZ plus FEWP (n = 96) were extended to 26 weeks under double-blind condition. Patients in adjunctive FEWP showed a significantly lower overall discontinuation rate (31%) at endpoint compared to placebo (51%, p = 0.009), and of 15% in adjunctive FEWP discontinued due to intolerable side effects, markedly lower than those in placebo (28%, p = 0.019). No difference in discontinuation for lack of efficacy and exacerbation was observed in the two groups. Patients receiving adjunctive FEWP had significantly fewer adverse side effects and lower serum levels of CBZ than those in placebo. A separate study was further conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of FEWP as monotherapy in depressed patients. A total of 87 unipolar and 62 bipolar depressed patients were randomly assigned to treatment with 36 g/day FEWP (n = 86) or placebo (n = 63) for 12 weeks under double-blind condition. Efficacy was measured using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD), Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), and Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S). Both unipolar and bipolar patients assigned to FEWP displayed significantly greater improvement on the three efficacy indices and significantly higher clinical response rate (74%) than those treated with placebo (42%, p < 0.001) at endpoint. These results suggest that adjunctive FEWP improves tolerability of CBZ in the long-term use, which may be associated with the suppression of blood CBZ concentrations via herb-drug interactions. FEWP monotherapy may be also an effective alternative treatment for depressed conditions. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/179439
ISSN
2023 Impact Factor: 3.7
2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 1.553
ISI Accession Number ID
References

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorZhang, ZJen_US
dc.contributor.authorKang, WHen_US
dc.contributor.authorLi, Qen_US
dc.contributor.authorTan, QRen_US
dc.date.accessioned2012-12-19T09:56:36Z-
dc.date.available2012-12-19T09:56:36Z-
dc.date.issued2007en_US
dc.identifier.citationJournal Of Psychiatric Research, 2007, v. 41 n. 10, p. 828-836en_US
dc.identifier.issn0022-3956en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/179439-
dc.description.abstractOur previous study has shown the beneficial effects of the herbal medicine called Free and Easy Wanderer Plus (FEWP) as adjunctive therapy with carbamazepine (CBZ) in the 12-week treatment of bipolar disorders (Zhang ZJ, Kang WH, Tan QR, Li Q, Gao CG, Zhang FG, et al., Adjunctive herbal medicine with carbamazepine for bipolar disorders: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. J Psychiatr Res; 2005). Here, we present follow-up data obtained from a continuation of the previously reported study. Treatment and clinical evaluation of bipolar patients (n = 188) who had randomly received 12-week CBZ plus placebo (n = 92) or CBZ plus FEWP (n = 96) were extended to 26 weeks under double-blind condition. Patients in adjunctive FEWP showed a significantly lower overall discontinuation rate (31%) at endpoint compared to placebo (51%, p = 0.009), and of 15% in adjunctive FEWP discontinued due to intolerable side effects, markedly lower than those in placebo (28%, p = 0.019). No difference in discontinuation for lack of efficacy and exacerbation was observed in the two groups. Patients receiving adjunctive FEWP had significantly fewer adverse side effects and lower serum levels of CBZ than those in placebo. A separate study was further conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of FEWP as monotherapy in depressed patients. A total of 87 unipolar and 62 bipolar depressed patients were randomly assigned to treatment with 36 g/day FEWP (n = 86) or placebo (n = 63) for 12 weeks under double-blind condition. Efficacy was measured using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD), Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), and Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S). Both unipolar and bipolar patients assigned to FEWP displayed significantly greater improvement on the three efficacy indices and significantly higher clinical response rate (74%) than those treated with placebo (42%, p < 0.001) at endpoint. These results suggest that adjunctive FEWP improves tolerability of CBZ in the long-term use, which may be associated with the suppression of blood CBZ concentrations via herb-drug interactions. FEWP monotherapy may be also an effective alternative treatment for depressed conditions. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.en_US
dc.languageengen_US
dc.publisherPergamon. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jpsychiresen_US
dc.relation.ispartofJournal of Psychiatric Researchen_US
dc.subjectBipolar disorders-
dc.subjectBlood carbamazepine levels-
dc.subjectCarbamazepine-
dc.subjectHerb-drug interaction-
dc.subjectHerbal medicine-
dc.subjectMajor depression-
dc.subject.meshAdulten_US
dc.subject.meshAnticonvulsants - Adverse Effects - Therapeutic Useen_US
dc.subject.meshAntimanic Agents - Adverse Effects - Therapeutic Useen_US
dc.subject.meshBipolar Disorder - Diagnosis - Drug Therapy - Psychologyen_US
dc.subject.meshCarbamazepine - Adverse Effects - Therapeutic Useen_US
dc.subject.meshDepressive Disorder, Major - Diagnosis - Drug Therapy - Psychologyen_US
dc.subject.meshDouble-Blind Methoden_US
dc.subject.meshDrug Therapy, Combinationen_US
dc.subject.meshDrugs, Chinese Herbal - Adverse Effects - Therapeutic Useen_US
dc.subject.meshFemaleen_US
dc.subject.meshFollow-Up Studiesen_US
dc.subject.meshHumansen_US
dc.subject.meshMaleen_US
dc.subject.meshMiddle Ageden_US
dc.subject.meshPatient Dropoutsen_US
dc.subject.meshPhytotherapyen_US
dc.titleThe beneficial effects of the herbal medicine Free and Easy Wanderer Plus (FEWP) for mood disorders: Double-blind, placebo-controlled studiesen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
dc.identifier.emailZhang, ZJ: zhangzj@hkucc.hku.hken_US
dc.identifier.authorityZhang, ZJ=rp01297en_US
dc.description.naturelink_to_subscribed_fulltexten_US
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.jpsychires.2006.08.002en_US
dc.identifier.pmid17010995-
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-34247891715en_US
dc.relation.referenceshttp://www.scopus.com/mlt/select.url?eid=2-s2.0-34247891715&selection=ref&src=s&origin=recordpageen_US
dc.identifier.volume41en_US
dc.identifier.issue10en_US
dc.identifier.spage828en_US
dc.identifier.epage836en_US
dc.identifier.isiWOS:000247131300004-
dc.publisher.placeUnited Kingdomen_US
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridZhang, ZJ=8061473900en_US
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridKang, WH=10143941200en_US
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridLi, Q=36072924100en_US
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridTan, QR=7102120177en_US
dc.identifier.issnl0022-3956-

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