Seirogan (Japanese: 正露丸, formerly 征露丸) is effective for pain caused by Anisakis

Seirogan, a pill taken for symptoms such as abdominal pain, indigestion, and diarrhea, has a long history, even being used during the Russo-Japanese War. It was reported that Daiko Pharmaceutical, the Japanese company that developed Seirogan, applied for a patent in 2014 for its efficacy in relieving pain caused by Anisakis. Finally, in July of this year, when an article was reported in the media that the patent had been obtained, Daiko Pharmaceutical’s stock price rose by 17%, receiving a heated public response.

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Anisakis that have penetrated the gastric mucosa

However, in the Japanese pharmaceutical world, not only is the number of clinical trials too small, but creosote, the main ingredient of Seirogan, is a very strong poison with no antidote that can damage cells and nerves and increase the incidence of cancer. It has the effect of stopping diarrhea by suppressing the secretion of intestinal fluid and peristalsis of the intestines, but has no sterilizing effect, so 87.1% of school nurses and pharmacists do not prescribe Seirogan.

Additionally, they say that the safety of the Seirogan, which is taken 9 times daily for adults, was not guaranteed in the experiment conducted on Anisakis because the amount was several times higher (18 to 36).

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Anyway, the patent (use patent) that I applied for in 2014 was acquired in July 2018, and finally, on July 24, I uploaded a video of the experiment targeting Anisakis to YouTube.

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The experimental method is to put anisakis collected from mackerel into hydrochloric acid adjusted to pH 1.2, which is the same environment as gastric acid, to activate the anisakis, and then transfer it to saline solution for the experiment. The Seirogan used in the experiment was said to have a concentration of 2.2 mg/㎖ in a suspension.

In particular, I wrote an article about the risk of “histamine food poisoning” caused by bluefish, which requires special attention as I heard that mackerel is caught even in Sihwa Breakwater, which is close to the metropolitan area.  For detailed information about parasites and food poisoning caused by marine fish, please refer to the link below.

※ Types of marine fish parasites and whether they are harmful to humans

※ Histamine food poisoning mainly occurs in blue-backed fish

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It is natural to take only the recommended amount of Seirogan, as anything in excess can be harmful. In  case of an emergency, if you cannot afford to go to the hospital immediately, or to relieve extreme pain, it may not be a bad idea for anglers to carry Seirogan with them.