What is Kikyosekko?
Kikyosekko is a Kampo remedy from Japan. It holds two things: kikyo, the root of the balloon flower, and sekko, which is gypsum, a mineral made of calcium sulfate. People take it for a sore throat with pus and for a cough that comes with a hot, dry feeling.
In Kampo drug lists it is filed as a single drug, not as a mix of formulas. In real use it is often added on top of another Kampo formula, such as one given for a cold. It is meant as a short-term helper while the throat is bad.
Its place in Kampo is long-standing. Its trial record is not: we could find no published human study of Kikyosekko itself. Long use in a tradition is not proof that a remedy works, so read the rest of this page with that in mind.
How does Kikyosekko work?
No one has shown how it works in the body. What follows is the thinking behind it, not proof.
Kikyo root is rich in saponins, which are soap-like plant compounds. In lab dishes and in animals, these seem to loosen thick mucus in the airway. That is where the idea of an easier, looser cough comes from.
Sekko is gypsum, a calcium salt. Old Kampo theory treats it as a cooling agent for signs of heat, such as fever, thirst and a red, hot throat. That is a theory from old medical writing, not a measured body process.
Put the two together and you get the classic Kampo target: a throat that is red, hot, sore and full of pus, with a dry cough. Sekko is thought to cool, and kikyo is thought to drain the pus and free the cough. No human trial has tested this pairing head to head against a dummy pill.
What forms does Kikyosekko come in?
The usual form in Japan is a dried extract granule that you stir into hot water. Tablets and capsules of the same extract are also sold. A Kampo doctor may instead boil the two raw drugs into a tea, called a decoction.
It is often supplied as a small add-on dose to be taken along with another Kampo formula, rather than on its own.
Where it comes from:
Both parts are old. Gypsum and balloon flower root each appear in classical Chinese medical texts from around the second and third centuries, and both passed into Korean and Japanese practice.
The pairing under the name Kikyosekko is Japanese. It became a standard throat add-on in Kampo practice and is still listed today as a covered Kampo product in Japan.
If this is an emergency
Some reactions to Kikyosekko need urgent care. Call your local emergency number or go to an emergency department straight away — do not wait to see whether it passes.
Who should avoid Kikyosekko?
- Do not use if you take digoxin, a heart drug, unless your doctor has said it is safe, because extra calcium can upset the heart rhythm
- Do not use if you have high blood calcium (hypercalcaemia), a parathyroid problem, or a history of calcium kidney stones
- Do not use if you have kidney disease, unless a doctor is supervising you
- Do not use if you take thiazide water tablets (a common blood pressure drug) or calcium and vitamin D supplements, unless your doctor has checked
- Avoid taking it within two to four hours of tetracycline or quinolone antibiotics, bisphosphonate bone drugs, or levothyroxine (a thyroid drug)
- Do not use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, because its safety has not been studied
- Do not give it to a child unless a doctor trained in Kampo has prescribed it
- Do not use if you have ever reacted badly to balloon flower root (kikyo)
- Do not use it in place of antibiotics your doctor has told you to take
- Avoid it if you feel cold, weak and washed out with loose stools, since Kampo uses it for hot, not cold, patterns
When should you see a doctor?
Call emergency services if you cannot breathe, cannot swallow your own spit, are drooling, or your voice has gone muffled. These can mean the airway is closing.
See a doctor the same day if your throat swells more on one side, you cannot open your mouth fully, your neck is stiff, or you have a fever above 38.5C with a rash.
Book a normal appointment if a sore throat has not improved in three days, a cough lasts more than three weeks, or you feel very thirsty, weak or confused while taking this remedy.
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