Objective  To observe the clinical effect of Shugan Hezhong Decoction in the treatment of patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) differentiated as liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome.

  Methods  Totally 64 patients who met the diagnostic criteria of IBS-D differentiated as liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome in Nanjing City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from March 2020 to March 2021 were selected and randomly divided into treatment group (treated with Shugan Hezhong Decoction) and control group (treated with live combined bacillus subtilis and enterococcus faecium enteric-coated capsules), with 32 cases in each group. After 4 weeks of treatment, the clinical symptom score and curative effect were evaluated in both groups.

  Results  After treatment, the main symptom score, secondary symptom score and total symptom score in both groups were significantly lower than those before treatment, and the main symptom score and total symptom score of the treatment group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, the single symptom scores in both groups reduced significantly, and the single symptom scores of abdominal pain, stool shapes and properties, irritability, chest tightness and sigh and abdominal distension in the treatment group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, the total effective rate in the treatment group was 93.75%, which was significantly higher than 68.75% in the control group (P < 0.05).

  Conclusion  Shugan Hezhong Decoction can effectively alleviate the gastrointestinal symptoms of patients with IBS-D differentiated as liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome, enhance the treatment effect and improve the qualities of life of patients.