Deficient but unable to accept tonification

[Guest guest]

The following is from Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica,

Revised Ed., Dan Bensky and Andrew Gamble, p. 313:

 

" The practiotioner should also be aware of a condition

called " deficient and unable to take tonification " . This refers to

two types of cases. In the first, signs of fire from deficiency

appear after taking tonics, including dry mouth and lips,

irritability, insomnia, indigestion, and abdominal distention. In

the second, digestive problems develop, such as nausea, bloating, or

loss of appetite. From a modern biomedical perspective, one

explanation for these phenomena is that the digestive systems in

such patients are very weak, as is their resistance to disease.

Most tonifying herbs are rich and difficult for the body to absorb;

their administration places an extra burden on the digestive

system. Another aspect is that many debilitated patients,

especially those with patterns of yin deficiency, suffer from

insufficient fluids and an imbalance in the autonomic nervous

system. Many of the tonifying herbs, particularly those that tonify

the qi or yang, stimulate the body and the sympathetic nernous

system. This could give rise to signs associated with fire from

deficienty. "

 

What happened to me recently was the first. The Heat signs. Dry

and cracking lips, dry sores in the corners of the mouth that didn't

respond to B vitamins, insomnia (which is very rare for me), dryness

in the navel area, some severe digestive problems problems, and

irribility. In my case, there was some very debilitating pain in

the right lower abdomen. The pain isn't one of the usual symptoms

of this type of Deficient but unable to accept tonification case,

but it was because of the sequence of what happened to me.

 

The following is primarily for the TCM students on the list, so

those of you that are new to TCM, don't worry about understanding it.

 

I violated one of the tenets in the previous posts. The one about

being very careful about taking Tonic herbs when one also has an

Exterior invasion problem. I've been putting off placing an order

for bulk herbs. Instead, I've been using what I could find in

capsules and in the produce and spice sections of the supermarket.

There are some herbs I need to keep on hand that simply are not

available through those routes yet. And, I didn't take the signs and

symptoms of Exterior Invasion seriously enough because they are not

as bad as they once were when they occured. I learned a very

painful and debilitating lesson.

 

After a week or so of the increasing Heat symptoms after having

taken some Qi tonic herbs in capsule form (without some other herbs

I also needed but don't have on time at present), I awoke from a nap

Saturday afternoon in very severe pain in the lower right abdomen.

The pain was both sharp and diffuse. Even though I could tell it was

worse in the front of the body than in the back, it also extended to

the back. As well as up into the liver area and down to the pubic

bone. The pain was not only so severe it was debilitating in terms

of physical movement, I couldn't think straight.

 

I did what I usually do when I have pain. I slapped heating pads

over the area. Some relief followed quickly. For anyone new to TCM

who is reading this, if something responds to heat, that's an

indication you're dealing with a Cold condition. If heat makes the

pain worse, that's an indication you're dealing with a Heat

condition.

 

Eventually the pain subsided to the point where I could tell where

it was worst. In an area toward the front outer right area of the

body level with the waist. There it remained sharp. The sharp pain

now had a well-defined boundary. It was the type of pain (sharp and

defined boundaries) that can be associated with Blood Stasis. The

rest of of the right area in the front still felt tense with a

diffuse kind of dissusing discomfort. The kind of pain associated

with Qi Stagnation.

 

Prior to this happening, I also had been experiencing some colonic

inertia problems like I used to have. In TCM, there are several

possible Roots for a lack of bowel movements. Constipation usually

is caused by Heat and Dryness. The problems I used to have and

started experiencing again were due to Cold (and before to Yang

Deficiency). The Western medical term for what I had is " colonic

inertia " . There is a lack of wavelike motions that move fecal

matter through the intestines. I had put off taking a laxative,

thinking this problem will correct itself. It hadn't, and I was

having pain like I used to have when I was a lot sicker than I am

today. (Note: One problem healers will run into are clients who

don't want to admit to themselves that their bodies are to the point

where they need some help. Clients do sometimes rebel against

following or going back to a certain regiment. Especially if there

has been a lot of improvement. They want to believe, like I did,

that that is totally behind them.)

 

This is a case where even though the preliminary signs that

something was wrong were Heat signs, the Root was Cold. An important

note here: In the last post I talked about exterior Evils following

a path from Exterior to Interior. In the case of Cold, Cold can not

only follow this path, it can invade 3 areas directly. These are the

Stomach, the Intestines, and the uterus. I was getting hit with it

invading through the Exterior plus going directly to the Intestines.

 

Cold is one of those things that can cause Qi Stagnation and

eventually Blood Stasis. Colonic inertia can be caused by Cold, Qi

Deficiency/ Yany Deficiency, and Qi Stagnation, and in turn be made

worse by them.

 

This is a difficult time of year for me temperature wise. It is

hard for me to stay the correct temperture. When I wrap up, I

quickly get too hot. When I remove the wraps, I quickly get too

cold. It's not yet warm enough to forego extra clothing, but it's

warm enough that they quickly beome too warming.

 

The pain gradually has subsided. Now I only feel the very sharp pain

in that one area when I cough or sneeze. And it's no longer as bad

as it was. There are still some feelings of tenseness, tightness,

and distending, diffuse discomfort, but that too has lessen.

 

So how did I know it was Cold and not Heat in spite of the Heat

signs and symptoms? I didn't actually know at the time. I wasn't

thinking too clearly when this was the worst. I only knew that in

the past, applications of heat had helped when I had severe

abdominal pain and hadn't been having bowel movements. I was

thinking enough at the time that if the heating pads had made it

worse, I would have immediately removed them. But since they eased

me, I remember thinking, " This is Cold! The heat is helping me. "

 

The question actually is how is someone else going to realize that a

scenario like this is due to Cold and not Heat? That's where

questioning the client and noting the signs and symptoms come in.

Even though there were Heat signs and symptoms, there also were Cold

signs and symptoms. For one thing, the thin, clear mucus from the

nose. A also was having chills. I wasn't in any shape to check my

complexion or tongue, but a healer could have. As well as my pulse

and other things.

 

The Cold triggered (helped by Qi Deficiency) triggered the colonic

inertia and the Qi Stagnation and possible Blood Stasis. Because

there was Stagnation, the Heat from the Qi tonic herbs built up in

other parts of the body, causing the signs and symptoms of Heat in

some areas.

 

Some of the cases of the Heat manifestation of " Deficient but unable

to accept tonification that you encounter will be due to Cold, BUT

not all of them. So you can't just assume when this happens that the

Root is Cold. Go by the signs and symptoms.

 

As for me, I learned a lesson the hard way about being more careful

about tonic herbs when there are indications of an exterior Evil

invading the body.

 

For those new to the list, I am not a professional healer. Just

someone who got a lot of help from TCM, started learning all I could

about it because I got so much help, and started this group so

others could get the help I wish I had gotten years ago.