Clinical Improvement in Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Modified Gwakhyangjeonggi-san-hap-Tongxieyaofang: A Retrospective Chart Review in a Korean Medicine Clinic

Objective: This study evaluated clinical symptom changes in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) following administration of a modified Gwakhyangjeonggi-san-hap-Tongxieyaofang pill (Geonjanghwan).Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted at a single Korean medicine clinic. Adults meeting Rome IV criteria for IBS who completed pre- and post-treatment questionnaires were included. Patients received one pill daily for 10 days without dietary modifications. Symptoms were assessed using the irritable bowel syndrome-severity scoring system (IBS-SSS), and diarrhea or constipation severity was rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Pre- and post-treatment scores were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.Results: Five patients (IBS-D, n=1; IBS-C, n=2; IBS-M, n=2) were analyzed. IBS-SSS scores decreased from 278.00±80.75 to 116.0±64.17 (p=0.063). Four of five patients showed improvement in diarrhea or constipation severity, while one remained unchanged (3→3). Symptom relief was observed across diarrhea-, constipation-, and mixed-type IBS.Conclusions: Modified Gwakhyangjeonggi-san-hap-Tongxieyaofang was associated with clinically meaningful symptom improvement without dietary changes, supporting multitarget herbal approaches. Larger, controlled trials are warranted.