Herbal mixtures containing the mushroom Ganoderma lucidum improve recovery time in patients with herpes genitalis and labialis.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the time course for resolution of symptoms from recurrent herpes simplex viral infections after treatment with the herbal mixture WTTCGE [Wisteria floribunda, Trapa natans, Terminalia chebulae, Coicis lachryma-jobi, Ganoderma lucidum, Elfuinga applanata].

METHODS

Fifteen (15) patients with herpes genitalis (49.3+/-12.0: mean+/-standard deviation age in years), and 13 patients with herpes labialis (43.7+/-12.9), were studied. All had been suffering from recurrent herpes outbreaks for more than 1 year, and had received regular outpatient treatment at other medical institutions without improvement.

RESULTS

The herbal mixture, WTTCGE appeared to provide fast, effective relief from the symptoms of recurrent herpes genitalis and labialis. The mean duration before relief from herpes genitalis occurred was 10.9+/-6.3 days without WTTCGE treatment and 4.9+/-1.3 days with it (p<0.002). Similarly, the time required to obtain relief from herpes labialis was 7.8+/-4.3 days without WTTCGE treatment and 4.0+/-1.1 days with it (p<0.005).

CONCLUSIONS

Administration of WTTCGE to patients suffering from herpes genitalis and labialis appears to shorten the time required to obtain symptom relief as has been shown in a previous report.