Controlled study of shaoyao-gancao decoction and bromicripton in hyperprolactinemia

Objective:To explore the efficacy of shaoyao-gancao decoction in the treatment of hyperprolactinemia in female schizophrenics induced by risperidone. Method:18 female schizophrenic patients with risperidone were enrolled into the cross-over study.Their serum prolactin levels were above 50 μg/L and had oligomenorrhoea or amenorrhoea.They were assigned randomly into two sessions with an interval of 4 weeks on fixed continual risperidone dosage.In the control session bromicripton was taken for 4 weeks first,while in the study session shaoyao-gancao decoction was taken first for 4 weeks.The total duration was 12 weeks.Serum hormones(prolactin,estradiol,testostenme,progesterone) and clinical status [positive and negative symptom scale(PANSS),treatment emergant sympton scale(TESS)] were examined. Results:Both of shaoyao-gancao decoction and bromicripton can obviously reduced the prolactin levels of female schizophrenics(P0.01).Compared with control session,shaoyao-gancao decoction produced the same decrease(t=-1.054,P0.05) The average reduction with shaoyao-gancao decoction was(18.0±24.3)μg/L,while with bromicripton the number was(25.3±24.4)μg/L.Nine of the patients had their menses recovered. Conclusion:Shaoyao-gancao decoction would be benefit in treating risperidone-induced hyperprolactinemia.There would be not any obvious adverse events.