Deficiency syndromes Deficient heat

When patients suffer from chronic liver or kidney disease, the selection of the herbs and their dosages should be determined carefully to avoid placing an unnecessary workload on these weakened organs. At the same time, herbs that protect these organs and promote their function should also be included. For instance, acute or chronic liver diseases are mainly differentiated into a syndrome consisting of Spleen-Qi deficiency, damp-heat and heat-toxin accumulation, and herbs that treat this syndrome can be used. Chronic kidney diseases are mainly differentiated as Kidney-Yang and Spleen-Yang deficiency, dampness accumulation and heat-toxin in the blood. Herbs that treat this syndrome should be used in appropriate doses to help restore kidney function. 

If an exterior syndrome arises during the treatment of a chronic disorder, the exterior syndrome should be dealt with first. For example, if a patient contracts an acute wind-heat invasion while having treatment for blood deficiency syndrome, the wind-heat invasion should be prioritized and treated first. 

St John s wort and Ginseng are also frequently suggested for treating mild depression. According to syndrome differentiation in TCM, they are only suitable for treating patients who suffer from depression due to deficiency of Qi and Yang. If the patients have a Yin deficiency, internal heat or constrained heat due to stress and anxiety, these herbs may lead to restlessness and insomnia, and may make the condition worse. In this case, a Chinese herbal formula based on syndrome differentiation is more effective than that of using only these herbs. 

Qin Jiao is neutral, bitter and pungent. Its function of expelling wind, dampness and cold is gentler than that of the other two herbs. It is more suitable for treating a deficiency condition of wind-cold syndrome. It is also used for conditions where there is coexisting heat. 

A side effect of Xi Xin occurs when it is applied incorrectly. Because it is very hot and pungent, it can easily injure the Yin, blood, body fluid and Qi. It should not be used, or must be used with caution, in patients who suffer from exterior wind-cold syndrome where internal heat also coexists and the Yin, blood and body fluids are deficient. The dosage of Xi Xin should also be controlled carefully in the range of 1-3 g per day for crude herbs. If the powdered herbal extract is used, the dosage should be reduced to 0.1 -0.5 g per day. Overdose may cause numbness in the throat and tongue, a stifling... 

It treats dysfunction of Qi and blood at the same time, and treats heat and cold, excess and deficiency at the same time. This is demonstrated in the use of warm herbs and cold herbs together, with emphasis on using cold herbs for a heat syndrome. 

In many conditions, when the Qi is obstructed, cold sensation can also appear. When the Yin is too weak to nourish the tendons and muscles, cramp of limbs may also appear. Many patients with blood deficiency also have Yin deficiency with heat in the blood they are often afraid of cold since the Qi is not strong. A clear and correct differentiation of the syndrome is therefore required at the outset. 

This formula is devised for treating Yin deficiency of the Lung and Stomach. This syndrome can be found in the aftermath of febrile diseases where the Yin is injured by heat, and the exogenous pathogenic... 

In this formula, there are two aspects to the syndrome - the Yin deficiency and the heat that remains in the aftermath of a febrile disease. Many herbs that nourish the Yin of the Lung and Stomach, but do not have a cloying nature, are used, and only one herb (Sang Ye) is used to expel and clear heat. This clearly shows the emphasis of the formula. 

Shi Gao is sweet, pungent and very cold, and enters the Lung and Stomach meridians. It is an important substance to reduce excess heat in the Stomach and the Lung. Compared with herbs that reduce the heat of the Stomach, this substance is strong, effective and has no side effect of injuring the Yin of the Stomach as it is sweet and cold. In addition, it is often used in small dosage to reduce the excess heat that often coexists in the syndrome of Stomach-Yin deficiency. 

There are many factors that can cause abnormal discharge of the body fluids and essence besides Qi deficiency. For example, diarrhea can be caused by damp-heat in the intestines excessive urination or spermatorrhea can be the result of damp-heat in the Lower-Jiao shortness of breath can be the consequence of phlegm accumulation excessive sweating is often caused by excess heat or empty-heat in the body. Thus a correct differentiation of the syndrome is required. 

Gou Teng can cool the Liver and relieve convulsions. Ju Hua can disperse Liver-heat. Both can be applied in either an excess or a deficiency condition of liver-heat syndrome. 

Sheng Di Huang is sweet, bitter and cold, and enters the Heart, Liver and Kidney meridians. As it can directly clear excess heat or empty-heat in the Heart, Liver and Kidney, it can calm the mind and relieve irritability and restlessness. It can cool the blood, thus the function of calming the mind is even stronger. It is frequently used as chief in the formula for treating excess or deficiency syndromes. 

In chronic insomnia, disorders of blood deficiency of the Heart and Liver and stagnation of the Qi and blood, as well as empty-heat, often exist in one syndrome. This small formula matches the pathological condition and can therefore bring an effective result in clinical practice. 

The syndrome of Liver-Yang ascending is caused mainly by Liver-Yin deficiency. It often exists in people who are over 50 years old when the Yin of the Liver becomes weak with age people who are under persistent stress where the restrained heat in the Liver may easily injure the Yin people who suffer from chronic diseases, use certain medicines or have a dietary habit that leads to injury of the Liver-Yin. 

This formula is able to pacify the Liver-wind, clear heat and invigorate blood. It is used for treating the common syndrome or chronic condition of Liver-wind disturbance in a condition of Liver-Yin deficiency with Liver-Yang ascending. The main symptoms are headache, dizziness, irritability and... 

Tian Meng Dong is the coldest herb in this group and can effectively reduce heat. Since it also enters the Kidney meridian, it is often used in conditions when the Lung-Yin and the Kidney-Yin are both injured, particularly in chronic and severe syndromes of Lung-Yin deficiency. 

This formula nourishes the Lung-Yin, clears the heat and relieves toxicity. It treats the white throat syndrome, which is caused by deficiency of Lung-Yin and Kidney-Yin, and infected by epidemic heat-toxin. The manifestations are fever, dry nasal cavities, a dry mouth, irritability, hoarse breathing, swollen and sore throat, and the development of a white, curd-like membrane in the throat that is difficult to scrape off. This syndrome shows a red tongue with a dry, yellow coating and a thready and rapid pulse. 

This formula can tonify Qi, generate body fluid, moisten dryness and relieve thirst. It treats thirst and wasting syndrome, a syndrome known as diabetes in western medicine. It is caused by Yin deficiency of the Kidney, Stomach and Lung. When dryness occurs in the Stomach, the Qi is too weak to spread the fluid, and excessive thirst appears. Heat consumes the Qi and can directly lead to lassitude and shortness of breath. If the Kidney fails to control the Bladder and is unable to separate clean fluid from turbid, patients may pass large amounts of turbid urine frequently. Yin and Qi deficiency often show in a red tongue with a thin and dry coating, and a weak and thready pulse. 

Formulas that harmonize are mainly used to treat disharmony between internal organs, disharmony between Qi and blood, and syndromes characterized by the coexistence of heat and cold, or by the coexistence of deficiency and excess. By adopting the approach of harmonizing the involved aspects, further pathological development can be prevented. Some of the syndromes and classical formulas presented here have already been introduced in other chapters, but it will become apparent that the treatment methods and strategies adopted in these formulas can be viewed from other perspectives and inspire the creation of new formulas. 

In a syndrome of disharmony at the Shao Yang level, excess and heat often coexist with deficiency and cold. The excess and heat are generated from the fight between the pathogenic factor and the body s resistance. The cold and weakness are caused by the... 

Third, their neutral property can be used in either cold or heat syndromes, which often exist in chronic deficiency conditions. Their sweet taste can combine with warm herbs to tonify the Yang and combine with cold herbs to generate the Yin. 

Fu Ling is neutral and bland, and enters the Heart, Spleen and Kidney meridians. It can gently tonify the Qi of these organs, and can be used in either heat or cold syndromes of deficiency. It is often used as assistant to eliminate dampness in the Middle-Jiao. The dampness can be generated by deficiency of Spleen-Qi or from the cloying nature of the sweet tonifying herbs. Fu Ling can also tonify the Heart-Qi and calm the mind. 

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