feedback on astragalus

[Guest guest]

> I've read that astragalus can cleanse the kidneys.

> Maybe that's what I experienced with the dark urine?

> Cleasing of kidneys? I am feeling better, and I

> attribute it to astragalus at this point! Anyone else

> with similar experience with astragalus?

 

One of the multiple functions attributed to astragalus

is promoting urination with treats edema and discharge

of pus.

That's only one function of it.

 

Its other functions might be all wrong for you.

 

Astragalus tonifies Spleen qi.

It moves Spleen qi upwards.

It tonifies the qi of the Lung and Wei Qi.

It supports the Blood.

 

I've heard it from a couple sources that though

astragalus is very good as a tonic, it doesn't

discriminate as to which qi it builds.

It doesn't care which qi it builds, good or bad

 

and because of that, I personally ONLY use it

as a tonic when I'm in good health.

When there's a chance I'm " coming down with

something " I use other herbs that address a

more specific balancing.

 

I certainly wouldn't use astragalus if there was

excess heat or a deficiency of yin with heat

symptoms unless it was in a balanced formula

to address it.

 

Perhaps a better process would be for you to

do extensive research of herbs rather than

experimenting on your own body.

 

> I'm also drinking tea with nettles, licorice

> root tea and ginger root tea (probably once

> each in a given day), and green tea (up to

> several times), pomegranate juice once a day,

> kefir in the eve ... and distilled water ...

 

Why?

What are you asking the herbs to do for you?

 

> I am not looking for 'medical advise', just

> feedback. Thanks!

 

Huh?

 

Penel

[Guest guest]

> I certainly wouldn't use astragalus if there was

> excess heat or a deficiency of yin with heat

> symptoms unless it was in a balanced formula

> to address it.

>

> Perhaps a better process would be for you to

> do extensive research of herbs rather than

> experimenting on your own body.

 

Penel's posting brought up some important issues. First Asragulus is

one of the greatest of all herbs and although it is put in

the " Superior' herb catagory - still it must be used cautiously by

many - especially those with Yin defeciency - with or without heat -

as one of it's famous side effects is it can easily raise the blood

pressure of someone with inadequate Yin to support it's very

powerful Qi raising ability. Anyone who uses tonics who does not

have the Yin to support it will be creating stress in themselves.

 

This issue brings up another one that I always mention in my

lectures. Herbs, if they have a true theraputic effect can also have

side=-effects. Many people think that herbs are harmless and that

one can take what ever one chooses just to experiment - this is very

wrong. Having just a superfecial understanding of body energetics

will show us that we must be knowledgable about what we put into our

bodies - as the energetics of substances interact with our own

energy to create theraputic or pathological effects. So taking

contra-indicated enegetics can in and of its self cause a new

pathology. This also holds true for foods - we must learn the

energies of foods and eat in a mannner that is consistant with our

own nature - not every beneficial food or medicine is suited to

everyone.

 

Life takes either good instincts or good knowledge for success.

Simply floundering around trying 'this and that' is not intelligent

and could be harmful. Many herbs especially many Chinese medicinal

(as opposed to tonic) herbs are quite poisonous if taken incorrectly

are in too large a dose. Simply reading that such and such an herb

or formula is used for a certain symptom or syndrome does not mean

everyone with that syndrome or symptom should take that herb or

formula - unfortunately life is not quite so simple.

[Guest guest]

Given the severe nature of your problems and the fact that there are

multiple problems, you need to consult a TCM herbalist, a TCM

acupuncturist (not all acupuncturists use TCM), or an OMD (Oriental

Medical Doctor). With all that you have going on in your life right

now and as pressing as some of these things are, this is not the

best time for you to be learning TCM as you self-medicate. Take some

pressure off yourself by consulting a professional. Be sure and get

the TCM diagnosis so you can discuss it on here and get additional

information. That way you won't be guessing.

 

What makes TCM TCM is not specific herbs or even acupuncture, it's

the way they are used that makes TCM TCM. They are used within a

framework which has a very different view of the body and health

than the anatomical model. You don't yet have that broad overview of

TCM which would allow you to use herbs in a holistic and safe TCM

approach.

 

> Thanks for writing. I don't know enough about TCM to fully

comprehend what you wrote about Qi and excessive heat and Yin

deficiency.

 

Qi, pronounced " chee " is roughly though inadequately translated as

energy. Qi flows throughout the body in pathways called meridians or

channels. When people use acupuncture or acupressure (or massage in

some cases), they are influencing Qi and Qi flow.

 

There is good Qi, but there is also bad Qi. A tonic herb in TCM is

one that will add Qi, Blood, Yin, or Yang to the body. The problem

with many of the Qi tonic herbs is that they not only can increase

good Qi, they can feed bad Qi. It will increase too. That is why

the general rule is to remove any Excess before one tonifies Qi.

This isn't always possible. A trained TCM herbalist or OMD will

know how to tonify good Qi while removing bad Qi at the same time.

 

An Excess problem is one caused by there being too much of

something. For example, the weather is too hot or cold or damp or

dry or windy, and affects the body. The foods one eats and the herbs

that one takes have too much warming or cooling energy for the

individual. All foods, herbs, and prescription drugs have what is

called thermal energy. This means that they have either a warming,

neutral, or cooling effect on the body. When a person eats too many

foods and herbs with warming thermal energy, this can result in the

person becoming too hot. This is called Excess Heat because it's

coming from there being too much of what warms.

 

In contrast, Deficiency Heat comes from there being too little of

what cools and calms the body. Too little Yin. Yin cools, calms,

and moistens the body; Yang heats, activates, and dries the body.

Sometimes when the Yin Deficiency goes on for too long, the Heat can

turn into Fire. Fire is much more serious than Heat. When you see

the terms " Deficiency Heat " or " Deficiency Fire " , this is Heat or

Fire caused by there not being enough Yin to properly cool and calm

the body. When you see the term " Excess Heat " , this is Heat that is

caused by there being too much of something which is heating. Like

the environment (heat stroke) or eating too many foods and herbs

with heating energy.

 

Yin and Yang are more or less in balance in a healthy person. They

will wax and wane during the day, with Yang predominating during the

day and Yin at night, and Yang predominating in the summer and Yin

in winter, but they are more or less in balance. When people self-

medicate with Yang tonic herbs, they run the risk of creating a Yang

Excess in regard to Yin. When they self-medicate with Yin tonic

herbs, they run the risk of creating a Yin Excess in regard to Yang.

This is why Yang tonic formulas usually contain at least one Yin

tonic herb, and vice versa.

 

TCM has several diagnostic models. One of the most basic ones is

called the 8 Priniple Patterns. This looks at balance and imbalance

in the individual in terms of Exterior/ Interior, Excess/

Deficiency, Hot/ Cold, and Yang/ Yin. The term Exterior refers to

the head, neck, shoulders, arms, legs, skin, muscles, meridians, and

bones. The term Interior refers to the trunk of the body,

specifically the Organs. Exterior conditions are not as serious as

Interior ones.

 

Another diagnostic technique looks at the Qi, Blood, Jing, and

Fluids. Three things can go wrong with Qi. It can be Deficient, it

can Stagnate, and it can flow the wrong way. Each of the meridians

(pathways of Qi flow) have a proper direction of Qi flow. When Qi

descends when it's supposed to be ascending, this is called Qi

Sinking. When it rises when it's supposed to be descending, this is

called Rebellious Qi. Qi Deficiency and Qi Sinking are classified as

Deficiency conditions. Qi Stagnation and Rebllious Qi are classified

as Excess conditions. One problem that a person self-medicating with

Qi tonic herbs can run into is if the person also has Qi Stagnation.

In that case the Qi tonic herb(s) can worsen the symptoms of the Qi

Stagnation. There is now more Qi Stagnating than there was before.

The analogy I use is to think of trying to force more water into a

hose with a kink in it. It won't flow pass that point. The water

starts coming out at the faucet or the hose springs leaks. The kink

has to be removed before the water will flow properly. When Qi flow

is Stagnant or blocked, herbs have to be included that will resolve

the Qi Stagnation and get the Qi moving again.