Fengshi Gutong Capsule: A Chinese Patent Medicine for Dispelling Wind and Relieving Pain

Fengshi Gutong Jiaonang (Rheumatic Bone Pain Capsule) is a modern Chinese patent medicine included in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China (Volume I, 2005 edition). Its ingredients are: processed Aconitum (zhi chuanwu), processed Aconitum kusnezoffii (zhi caowu), Safflower (honghua), Licorice (gancao), Chaenomeles (mugua), Mume (wumei), and Ephedra (mahuang). The herbs are processed by a special technique, ground into fine powder, and encapsulated; each capsule contains 0.3 g of powder. The dose is 2–4 capsules orally, twice daily.

Fengshi Gutong Capsule warms the meridians and dispels cold, unblocks collaterals and relieves pain. It is indicated for cold-damp bi syndrome causing pain in the hands, feet, limbs, lower back, and spine, and for rheumatoid arthritis presenting with the above symptoms. Because its analgesic effect is reasonably good, it may also be used for pain from bone metastases in advanced cancer.

However, when used for cancer pain, it is best combined with the antitumor medicine Xihuang Wan (Yellow Jade Pill), and care should be taken to protect the patient's stomach. The capsule has some gastrointestinal irritation; prolonged or heavy use can trigger adverse reactions.

The Aconitum species in this product are highly toxic TCM herbs, and Ephedra also has toxic side effects; therefore it must not be taken in excess, and pregnant women are prohibited from taking it. Ephedra raises blood pressure, so hypertensive patients should monitor their blood pressure while taking it. Fengshi Gutong Capsule works quickly: most patients feel pain relief within half an hour of taking it.

If a patient takes it for several days without pain relief, there is no point in continuing. Although this product has toxic side effects, its side effects are milder than those of opioid analgesics; patients who cannot tolerate opioids may try it for pain relief.