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OK, done all the searches. Your early posts are brilliant Victoria, very

clear. So - here are some notes on things which rang bells:

 

Heat-

 

Scant urine yes, but too little thirst too (symptoms of hypothyroidism)

Low motility to bowel yes, so maybe slow passage overall, but stool normal

along with some 'irritable' liquid in summer (sugars definately cause this

by upsetting hindgut flora I think, making it too acid).

 

If there is too much heat building up and it is not external in cause, does

that necessarily mean that it was originally 'allowed' by a Yin deficiency?

 

" In Excess the person may use " energy forcibly, pressure and touch tend to

aggravate any discomfort or pain, movements are forceful and sometimes

violent, speech is loud, the person is outgoing and perhaps

aggressive, " -----My lad exactly.

 

But, especially when he reaches the exhausted/fatigue stage of the cycle

breathing is often shallow and rapid from fear and he cannot sweat.

 

" " Yin is the ability of the body to calm itself, to acquire substance, and

to cool itself. Yang is the ability of the body to activate itself and to

heal itself. " (p. 58) ------OK - my guy is constitutionally Yin deficient.

 

Liver Yang rising - can't see many of these symotoms with a horse, but I

have never noticed any ear problems. The angry outbursts are definately like

him, but who knows if he has a headache? Hard to define what type of liver

problem there is.

 

Cortisol - I am pretty clued up on western endocrinology - equine

endocrinology is virtally non-existant, so I had to reasearch human to

define the problem, get the appropriate bloods etc.

 

I originally thought the excess cortisol might be due to chronic

hypoglycemia, but that does not seem to be the case. Excretion is not 'stuck

on' as in cushings syndrome because in autumn the cortisol and insulin

reduce, and

his thyroid levels rise. We thought hypothyroidism might be the root

cause,

but it does not seem to be so.

 

Now I suspect that there is unseen stress or cellular inflammation

that is causing the continued 'need' for excess cortisol production. That in

itself could be the root, it will increase insulin and depress FT4. He used

to get muscle wasing in summer, needs additional protein to counteract the

effects of excess cortisol, and as much of a stress free life as I can make

for him - any stress overloads him, and there is a 'collapse', it turns him

into a zombie.

 

" In both Excess and Deficiency Heat, the movements and speech will tend to

berapid. But, in Excess Heat the movements and speech will tend to be both

rapid and forceful. In Deficiency Heat the movements and speech will tend to

be rapid but weak. " -----Nearly always forceful in his communication

 

" But in cases of Yin Deficiency, the fatigue may be masked by

nervousness (Yin calms). The exception to this is when it's Kidney Yin

Deficiency. In cases of Kidney Yin Deficiency the fatigue is not masked and

is very apparent. "

 

This sounds as though his hyper states are the former and the exhausted ones

the latter. In his hyper states he still does not have any real stamina for

work, seems to be 'running off adrenalin' mostly.

 

" Also, in cases of Kidney Yin Deficiency, there will be pain in the lower

back. In all cases of Kidney imbalances there will tend to be pain and

discomfort and even weakness in the lower back. "

 

Never seen that at all - but he has incredibly strong, powerful loins, so it

would be hard to judge. He is very tender to touch across the whole abdomen,

particularly the rear, just behind the ribs, but not the loins.

 

He has had stomach problems - a massive response to antacid medication, and

most of his hyperness left never to return. He had a very dry mouth when

first broken in - he is certainly not wet. He is very orally fixated

too -very nibbly, lippy. But the strange thing is it caused excess appetite,

and there was no excess desire to drink. I wondered if in fact he found that

when he ate his alkaline saliva eased the discomfort (horses produce stomach

acid and bile continually).

 

Michael Tierra - found a kidney article by him on the web.

 

Of course, -there has to be a problem in the kidney with so much endocrine

disruption doesn't there?

 

He lists:

Kidneys contain the Gate of Vitality ( " Ming men " ).

-----Horse is naturally very intense and vital

Kidneys are the Root of Yin and Yang for the Whole Body

-----Yin deficient it seems

Kidneys govern growth and maturation

-----His growth was somewhat retarded, teeth eruption late etc, and he never

-----made the height he should have.

Kidneys produce skill and house the will

-----VERY strong willed, strong bodied and built like an ox.

Kidneys hold the essence (inherited constitution)

----His condition was inherited it seems, congenital anyway. He has a HUGE

----spirit, and is very sensorally sensitive.

Kidneys govern the bones and teeth

-----Had a bony splint problem at a late age, other than that no known

problem -----with bones, though his joints are quite susceptable.

Kidneys open into the ears

Kidneys manifest on the head hair

-----Coat very dull and greasy summer/when ill?

 

He has never had knee or stiffness problems, but had a very overactive

libido when growing up. Both he and his dam had unspecified elecrolyte

imbalances, sometimes quite serious - they will never take salt, have been

known to retain it, but need to be force fed it to avoid deficiency I have

been told. Never any urinary tract problems, and his urine always looks

normal..

 

Strangely though cortisol is catabolic, and he has had some muscle wasting,

he is VERY overweight, impossible to get weight off, and despite the extra

cortisol has low blood sugar and energy reserves - cannot mobilise all that

stored energy. So it still seems like more of a response than a cause to

me?.

 

Phew.

 

Well, now I am indeed in information overload! TCM is very complicated, and

this case is very complicated - it makes me all the more feeling I need a

really need a highly skilled practitioner like Michael Tierra to grasp the

significance of all of these apparent contradictions in kidney signs.

 

Still, we can but try.

 

Yin deficient. Excess heat. Liver and stomach imbalance apparent.

But must be something in the kidney and spleen areas too?

 

Many thanks

 

Jackie