Subject: Chinese Fu Zheng Therapy Date: Feb 13 1987 (225 lines) &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& J O H N J A M E S writes on A I D S &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& opyright 1987 by John S. James, P. O. Box 411256 San Francisco, CA 94141. (415) XXX-XXXX. Issue Number 25, February 13, 1987 CHINESE FU ZHENG THERAPY: THE IMMUNE ENHANCEMENT PROJECT by John S. James Fu Zheng is a traditional Chinese herbal therapy now being used by modern Chinese physicians in combination with radiation and chemotherapy for treatment of cancer. Major studies in China have found that this combination can work better than the Western methods alone. Fu Zheng therapy helps to overcome the immune deficiencies caused by the chemotherapy or radiation. By 1986 the well-known U. S. herbalist Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., had developed a theory of immune enhancement based on principles of traditional Chinese medicine. He brought this work to the attention of herbalists Susan Black and Jay Sordean, C. A., who developed a protocol for a test to see if this approach could be helpful to persons with ARC or AIDS. In 1986 the Im- mune Enhancement Project, led by Susan Black, a student of Dr. Dharmananda, began the test. The first persons are now com- pleting the six months planned for the trial. The results so far have been very good, better than expected by those who designed and conducted this study. The Immune Enhancement Project is not the only group using this treatment. But as far as we know it is the only one which is keeping extensive records to support publication of results. HOW THE STUDY WAS DONE Participants learned about this study through small notices published in the San Francisco Sentinel, Bay Area Reporter, and Coming Up, or through an article in the Daily Californian last summer. Many others found out by word of mouth. Everyone who expressed interest in joining the study received a 4-page detailed health questionnaire. The 85 persons who returned the questionnaire were screened, and 35 were invited to participate. Those selected had to have a positive antibody test or known exposure to the AIDS virus, as well as symptoms consistent with the criteria for ARC/AIDS used by the U. S. Centers for Disease Control. They had to make a six-month commitment to the project, and agree to keep records and be available for periodic check- ups. No other Oriental herbs could be used, but Western treat- ments were OK; for example, three participants began using AZT during the six-month study. At first, this project planned to work only with persons with ARC. But two people developed pneumocystis while waiting for the study to begin, and they were allowed in. Later, a few other persons with AIDS were also accepted. However, only those who had ARC but not AIDS at entry to the study were included in the statistics. No one progressed from ARC to AIDS after the herbal supplements were started. The basic protocol called for two herbal combinations, each available as commercial products. One is Astra-8 (tm), a formula designed by Dr. Dharmananda, in accordance with traditional Chinese usage, for strengthening the immune system. The other is Rei-Shi-Gen (tm), a preparation from the shiitake and ganoderma mushrooms, from Cascade Mushrooms in Portland, Oregon. Chinese medicine treats each patient uniquely, more so than Western medicine, which often uses a prescribed regimen for a particular disease. The two combinations above were only a starting point; the amounts used could be varied as required, and many other herbs might also be added. So once a month the participants met as a group with the herbalist, to adjust each person's regimen as required; participants could also reach the herbalist between meetings if necessary. These meetings became general support groups, in which people could discuss their experiences with various kinds of treatments. Because of the frequent need to vary the herbs as each patient's condition changed, the Immune Enhancement Project does not recommend trying fu zheng without a practitioner. How- ever, since usually it is necessary to meet the practioner only once a month, clients may find it feasible to travel to do so, if they cannot find anyone qualified locally. Each month participants also filled out a questionnaire con- sisting of a lengthy check-list of symptoms. They could mark each symptom with one, two, or three checks, or leave it blank. Three checks meant that the condition was a primary problem for them. Two checks meant that it was a problem, but not primary at that time. One check meant that the symptom existed but was not significant. At the time of this writing, the only results tabulated are the three-check symptoms analyzed for the first three months, for the 20 persons with ARC who had completed three months by the time of the tabulation. (Participants entered the study at different times.) From the dozens of symptoms asked about in the questionnaire, the 19 which caused significant problems are listed in the accompanying table (see box). This table shows the number in the group of 20 patients who listed each symptom as a primary problem on entry into the study, after one month, after two months, and after three months. RESULTS The 20 ARC patients showed improvements in almost all of the tabulated symptoms. In reviewing this table, the herbalist com- mented that fatigue and lymphadenopathy showed perhaps the big- gest changes. In addition, diarrhea and night sweats were virtu- ally eliminated as problems. Sinus problems have increased again (not shown on this 3-month table); here fu zheng may have had least effect. One of the goals of the study was to enable patients to reduce antibiotic use, to prevent possible suppression of the immune system. Eleven of the 20 patients were using antibiotics at the start of the study, compared with only one at three months. Note that the table lists night sweats along with other symptoms such as insomnia, frequent urination, and vivid dream- ing. In Chinese medicine, all these conditions are considered signs of "yin deficiency". It turned out that when one of them disappeared, the others did also. This study could not give regular T-cell subset tests, due to financial constraints. But of the six participants who were tested as a result of their participation in other studies, all showed increases in T-4 counts. Only one of these six appeared to be explainable as a result of treatment received elsewhere. The Immune Enhancement Project hopes to follow up with a funded study which can measure T-cell subsets systematically. FINANCIAL This study charged participants only for the cost of the herbs, less than $50. a month. A sliding scale reduced this charge below cost in case of need. The herbalist's time was donated. It may not be possible to provide services below cost in the future. The Institute for Traditional Medicine and Preventive Health Care (Dr. Dharmananda's group) provided a grant of $250.00 per month, and a private donor occasionally contributed several hun- dred. The grant that started the project came from the Peoples' Life Fund of the War Tax Resisters League. The Immune Enhancement Project hopes to obtain funding of about $50,000 for a larger study with 50 people and with exten- sive blood testing. FOR MORE INFORMATION To learn more about fu zheng therapy and the current study, call Susan Black at the Immune Enhancement Project, (415) 841- 7019. Ms. Black may also offer a two-day class in basic princi- ples of Chinese medicine later this Spring. The best single background paper about the treatment used in this study is "Chinese Herbal Therapies for the Treatment of Immunodeficiency Syndromes", by Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Institute for Traditional Medicine and Preventive Health Care, 2442 S. E. Sherman, Portland, Oregon 97214. This article is an extensively revised version of Dr. Dharmananda's "A New Herbal Combination for the Treatment of Immunodeficiency Syndromes"; the earlier article was published in the Pacific Journal of Orien- tal Medicine, Spring 1986, pages 20-30. Several recent papers on fu zheng have been published in Chinese. Most of these appeared with English abstracts, but we have not been able to obtain the abstracts by press time. The Immune Enhancement Project will publish the complete results of its study in the Oriental Healing Arts Journal. Arti- cles may also appear in other journals. Fu Zheng Therapy Results: 20 Patients With ARC symptom begin 1 mo 2 mo 3 mo Fatigue 17 4 5 2 Diarrhea 5 1 1 0 Constipation 2 0 0 1 Weight Loss 1 0 0 0 Nausea 2 0 2 0 GastroIntestinal 1 0 0 1 Hairy Leukoplakia 2 1 0 0 Night Abberations 9 7 0 1 (sweats, frequent urination, insomnia, vivid dreaming) Lymphadenopathy 20 5 2 3 Sinus Problems 13 3 4 4 Oral Fungus 8 1 1 0 Skin Problems 7 1 1 1 Leg/Knee Weakness 5 0 0 0 Tumors 3 0 1 0 Herpes 5 1 1 0 Neurological Changes 1 0 0 0 Emotional Instability 6 3 3 1 Antibiotic Use 11 0 1 1 This table shows the number of patients, from among the 20 with ARC who had completed the first three months of the study, who listed each symptom as a primary problem on entry to the study, and after one, two, and three months. Reduction in antibiotic use is also shown. No one progressed to AIDS. ***** [Obsolete subscription information has been removed. 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