RE: colds & Chuanxinlian (Hb Andrographitis; Green Chiretta)

[Guest guest]

Hi Benjamin

 

> ... try straight chuan xin lian " patent " pills (andrographis).

> Studies have been done that show it reduces incidence of cold symptoms

> and reduces length of colds. Very popular in Europe, I hear. I've tried

> it - this last month, I was the only one I know who didn't come down

> with the cold going around. I sneezed once, took chuan xin lian for a

> week, stopping occasionally for half a day only to find the symptoms

> creep back. So I took it for about 8 days total. Never got sick. I've

> used it while actually sick, too, and it made my symptoms much reduced.

> It is a strong antiviral. Not a TCM use, but hey, it works. And for

> short-term applications, I'm not too concerned about it being too cold

> for Spleen xu or whatever. Now all the TCM heads can proceed to

> excoriate me for this grave heresy. Benjamin

 

No heresy, Benjamin. My notes say:

 

Herb Name: Chuanxinlian (Hb Andrographitis; Green Chiretta)

 

Nature: Bitter, Cold,

 

Channels: LU, ST, LI & SI

 

Actions: Clear Heat+Clear Toxin, Expel Damp & Reduce Swelling;

Antivenom;

 

Uses: (1) External Wind Heat, initial attacks of febrile diseases, cough &

dyspnea (difficult/labored respiration) in LU Heat, LU abscess w pus in

sputum & pharyngitis: (a) Affection by External Wind Heat/initial attacks

of febrile diseases w fever & headache: Chuanxinlian w Jinyinhua,

Lianqiao, Bohe etc. (b) Cough & dyspnea in LU Heat: w Huangqin,

Sangbaipi & Digupi. © LU abscess w pus in sputum: w Hbs like

Yuxingcao, Jiegeng, Dongguazi etc. (d) Pharyngitis: Chuanxinlian w Hbs

like Xuanshen, Niubangzi, Banlangen etc. (2) diarrhea in Damp Heat,

strangury (slow & painful spasmodic discharge of urine drop by drop) in

Heat, eczema & pruritus (itching): (a) Diarrhea w abdomen~pain &

dysentery w pus & blood in Damp Heat in ST & intestines: Chuanxinlian

can be used alone/w Machixian, Huanglian etc. (b) Dripping urination w

Heat & painful sensation in retention of Damp Heat in BL: Chuanxinlian

+ Hbs like Cheqianzi, Baimaogen, Huangbai etc. © Eczema & pruritus:

Hb can be pulverized, mixed w glycerin & applied onto affected part. (3)

internal injuries & cough; Pharyngitis, dysentery & high fever; skin &

external diseases & snake & insect bite: Chuanxinlian can be used

alone/decocted w Jinyinhua, Juhua, Niunbangzi, Hb Paridis Polyphyllae

etc; fresh Green Chiretta is mashed for external application. Both

applications can Clear Toxin & Reduce Swelling

 

Dose: 6-15g. Dec for drinking. Hb is mostly made into pills, powder &

tablets. Topical: qs.

 

Cautions: avoid in SP Yang Xu.

 

Fm has andrographolide, deoxy andrographolide, neoandrographolide

etc. Rx also has flavonoids

 

Best regards,

 

 

Tel: (H): +353- or (M): +353-

WWW:

" Man who says it can't be done should not interrupt man doing it " -

Chinese Proverb

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Sorry to jump in on this conversation guys -

 

Benjamin is correct. Chuan Xin Lian/Andrographis pills have been one of

the most popular and effective antivirals on the market for a number of

years (at least here in California). It used to come in a very popular

Chinese Patent Medicine called Chuan Xin Lian Antiphligostic pills.

Great for pharyngitis, early stage of colds or flus and mild cases of

strep throat. Now, of course, Andrographis is all the rage as an

antiviral. Even Metagenics has a product called Andrographis Plus (with

other herbs included).

 

One word of caution: Chuan Xin Lian is probably the most bitter herb in

the TCM pharmacopia - it makes Huang Lian taste delicious - and it is

therefore recommended to take this herb in pill form if at all

possible. Taking it in a draft can cause retching and/or vomiting due

to it's cold & very bitter nature - even when balanced with herbs to

protect the sp qi.

 

Just some thoughts,

 

Ray Rubio

 

On Feb 28, 2005, at 6:43 PM, wrote:

 

>

> Hi Benjamin

>

>> ... try straight chuan xin lian " patent " pills (andrographis).

>> Studies have been done that show it reduces incidence of cold symptoms

>> and reduces length of colds. Very popular in Europe, I hear. I've

>> tried

>> it - this last month, I was the only one I know who didn't come down

>> with the cold going around. I sneezed once, took chuan xin lian for a

>> week, stopping occasionally for half a day only to find the symptoms

>> creep back. So I took it for about 8 days total. Never got sick. I've

>> used it while actually sick, too, and it made my symptoms much

>> reduced.

>> It is a strong antiviral. Not a TCM use, but hey, it works. And for

>> short-term applications, I'm not too concerned about it being too cold

>> for Spleen xu or whatever. Now all the TCM heads can proceed to

>> excoriate me for this grave heresy. Benjamin

>

> No heresy, Benjamin. My notes say:

>

> Herb Name: Chuanxinlian (Hb Andrographitis; Green Chiretta)

>

> Nature: Bitter, Cold,

>

> Channels: LU, ST, LI & SI

>

> Actions: Clear Heat+Clear Toxin, Expel Damp & Reduce Swelling;

> Antivenom;

>

> Uses: (1) External Wind Heat, initial attacks of febrile diseases,

> cough &

> dyspnea (difficult/labored respiration) in LU Heat, LU abscess w pus in

> sputum & pharyngitis: (a) Affection by External Wind Heat/initial

> attacks

> of febrile diseases w fever & headache: Chuanxinlian w Jinyinhua,

> Lianqiao, Bohe etc. (b) Cough & dyspnea in LU Heat: w Huangqin,

> Sangbaipi & Digupi. © LU abscess w pus in sputum: w Hbs like

> Yuxingcao, Jiegeng, Dongguazi etc. (d) Pharyngitis: Chuanxinlian w Hbs

> like Xuanshen, Niubangzi, Banlangen etc. (2) diarrhea in Damp Heat,

> strangury (slow & painful spasmodic discharge of urine drop by drop) in

> Heat, eczema & pruritus (itching): (a) Diarrhea w abdomen~pain &

> dysentery w pus & blood in Damp Heat in ST & intestines: Chuanxinlian

> can be used alone/w Machixian, Huanglian etc. (b) Dripping urination w

> Heat & painful sensation in retention of Damp Heat in BL: Chuanxinlian

> + Hbs like Cheqianzi, Baimaogen, Huangbai etc. © Eczema & pruritus:

> Hb can be pulverized, mixed w glycerin & applied onto affected part.

> (3)

> internal injuries & cough; Pharyngitis, dysentery & high fever; skin &

> external diseases & snake & insect bite: Chuanxinlian can be used

> alone/decocted w Jinyinhua, Juhua, Niunbangzi, Hb Paridis Polyphyllae

> etc; fresh Green Chiretta is mashed for external application. Both

> applications can Clear Toxin & Reduce Swelling

>

> Dose: 6-15g. Dec for drinking. Hb is mostly made into pills, powder &

> tablets. Topical: qs.

>

> Cautions: avoid in SP Yang Xu.

>

> Fm has andrographolide, deoxy andrographolide, neoandrographolide

> etc. Rx also has flavonoids

>

> Best regards,

>

>

> Tel: (H): +353- or (M): +353-

> WWW:

> " Man who says it can't be done should not interrupt man doing it " -

> Chinese Proverb

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Chinese Medicine , Ray Rubio <RTOO@e...>

wrote:

> > One word of caution: Chuan Xin Lian is probably the most bitter herb in

> the TCM pharmacopia - it makes Huang Lian taste delicious - and it is

> therefore recommended to take this herb in pill form if at all

> possible. Taking it in a draft can cause retching and/or vomiting due

> to it's cold & very bitter nature - even when balanced with herbs to

> protect the sp qi.

>

 

Also IIRC one of my herb teachers who was chief of GYN at Guangzhou U hospital

told us

that Chuan Xin Lian was sometimes used to induce abortion so use caution in

pregnancy.

 

rh

[Guest guest]

Hi Ray, Robert, and All,

 

Robert Hayden wrote:

> Also IIRC one of my herb teachers who was chief of GYN at Guangzhou U

> hospital told us that Chuan Xin Lian was sometimes used to induce

> abortion so use caution in pregnancy. rh

 

Thanks for that warning.

 

Ray wrote:

> Chuanxinlian/Andrographis pills have been one of the most popular and

> effective antivirals on the market for a number of years (at least here

> in California). It used to come in a very popular Chinese Patent

> Medicine called Chuan Xin Lian Antiphligostic pills. Great for

> pharyngitis, early stage of colds or flus and mild cases of strep

> throat. Now, of course, Andrographis is all the rage as an antiviral.

> Even Metagenics has a product called Andrographis Plus (with other

> herbs included). One word of caution: Chuanxinlian is probably the

> most bitter herb in the TCM pharmacopia - it makes Huanglian taste

> delicious - and it is therefore recommended to take this herb in pill

> form if at all possible. Taking it in a draft can cause retching

> and/or vomiting due to it's cold & very bitter nature - even when

> balanced with herbs to protect SP Qi. Just some thoughts, Ray Rubio, L.

> Ac.

 

My notes say: Dose: 6-15g. Dec for drinking [Note Ray's comments,

above!!). Hb is mostly made into pills, powder & tablets. Topical:

qs.

 

Any comments on the dose?

 

Best regards,

 

 

Tel: (H): +353- or (M): +353-

WWW:

" Man who says it can't be done should not interrupt man doing it " -

Chinese Proverb

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Chinese Medicine , " "

<@e...>

wrote:

>

> Robert Hayden wrote:

> > Also IIRC one of my herb teachers who was chief of GYN at Guangzhou U

> > hospital told us that Chuan Xin Lian was sometimes used to induce

> > abortion so use caution in pregnancy. rh

>

> Thanks for that warning.

>

 

I dug out my herb class notes last night just to double-check. The reference

was a

comment by Dr Cai Huiyin during a discussion on the patent Chuan Xin Lian Kang

Yan

Pian, and my notes say:

 

" Chuan Xin Lian not for use in pregnancy, because used to treat hydatiform moles

and to

terminate pregnancy. Inhibits villi in uterus. "

 

rh