Research progress on Chaihu Shugan San in treating perimenopausal syndrome: A review

Perimenopausal syndrome (PMS) refers to a series of physical and psychological symptoms caused by fluctuating or decreasing sexual hormone levels during the pre- and postmenopausal periods. With the rapid development of society, more and more women suffer from menstrual disorders and insomnia caused by PMS. Chaihu Shugan San (CSS) is a famous traditional Chinese medicine prescription known for soothing the liver, relieving depression, and regulating qi and blood. Numerous clinical experiments and pharmacological studies have confirmed that CSS has a significant effect on PMS treatment. However, the composition of CSS is complex, its pharmacological effects are diverse, and its therapeutic mechanism for PMS has not been clearly explained. Therefore, this article reviews the classical literature, mechanism, pharmacological effects and clinical research of CSS in the treatment of PMS, so as to provide a reference for clinical application and further research.