A Cochrane review included nine studies with a total of 499 subjects. Eight different herbal medicines were tested.
A compound of Chinese herbs (IGM-1) showed significantly better effect than placebo in improvement of health-related quality of life in 30 symptomatic HIV-infected patients (WMD 0.66, 95% CI 0.05 to 1.27). IGM-1 appeared not to affect overall health perception, symptom severity, CD4 count, anxiety or depression. An herbal formulation of 35 Chinese herbs did not affect CD4 cell counts, viral load, AIDS events, symptoms, psychosocial measure, or quality of life. There was no statistical difference between SPV30 and placebo in new AIDS-defining events, CD4 cell counts, or viral load. Combined treatment of Chinese herbal compound SH and antiretroviral agents showed increased antiviral benefit compared with antiretrovirals alone. SP-303 appeared to reduce stool weight (p = 0.008) and abnormal stool frequency (p = 0.04) in 51 patients with AIDS and diarrhoea. Qiankunning appeared not to affect HIV-1 RNA levels, curcumin was ineffective in reducing viral load or improving CD4 cell counts, and capsaicin was ineffective in relieving pain associated with HIV-related peripheral neuropathy.