: Allergy reactions to Chinese herbs

[Guest guest]

You might consider if the herbs had been processed with

sulphates and if the patient tends towards reactions to them.

 

At 06:58 AM 8/2/00 +0000, you wrote:

,

" " <

zrosenberg@e...> wrote:

 

> How were these reactions determined? How was the

individual

herbs bai shao and gou qi zi singled out for the reactions? What

was

the pattern diagnosis with each case, to determine if the

prescriptions or individual herbs were prescribed correctly for each

patient? If a medicinal is not indicated, there can be reactivity.

 

What were the violent GIT reactions,

> specifically?

>

>

 

I'm going to assume no form of muscle testing or NAET was used to

identify the offending herb. People can have idiosyncratic allergic

 

reactions to herbs not based on TCM patterns, though bai shao and gou

 

qi zi seem unlikely. there are no medline abstracts suggesting this

 

potential. Sjogrens is an autoimmune disease, which has

characteristics of allergy in that the immune system responds to

harmless or normal stimuli with excessive and untoward response.

Numerous abstracts indicate that many of the same immune system

components are involved in both AI dz and allergies. Also, Liver/

gallbladder disease and pancreatitis are common in Sjrogrens and can

 

cause severe GI upset with normal food items. Were ALL other

variables

ruled out (i.e. did the patient consume a fatty meal the day

before).

 

Also, it would stand to reason that all tonic herbs might be

difficult

to take in weak digestion. This patient might be too weak for

herbs.

 

But I don't don't normally think of violent GI reaction as a true

allergy. Rashes, swelling, SOB; that's the typical course of a true

 

allergic hypersensitivity, like to penicillin or peanuts. As for

gou

qi zi, since this herb is a member of the solonaceae family (tobacco,

 

tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, nightshades, eggplant), it is possible

and

I have suspected for years that some people may react to this herb

based on prior sensitivity to a relative. I'd be curious if the

 

patient is particulalry sensitive to tobacco.

 

 

 

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L.Ac.

safe, compassionate care

acupuncture, herbs, Chinese Internal Medicine

Santa Monica, California

 

[Guest guest]

, " L.Ac. " <

taiqi@t...> wrote:

> You might consider if the herbs had been processed with sulphates

and if

> the patient tends towards reactions to them.

 

 

> good point and gou qi zi is a potential major culprit for sulfites

(not sulphates), as it is a dried fruit. ask the supplier.

also,many chinese herbs have been traditionally sulfured with

elemental sulfur. This has been confused with sulfiting in some

cases. Sulfuring does not cause allergies. Sulfur is in every

tissue of the body. An allergy to elemental sulfur would kill you

instantly.

 

[Guest guest]

good point and gou qi zi is a potential major culprit for sulfites(not sulphates), as it is a dried fruit. ask the supplier. also,many chinese herbs have been traditionally sulfured withelemental sulfur. This has been confused with sulfiting in somecases. Sulfuring does not cause allergies. Sulfur is in everytissue of the body. An allergy to elemental sulfur would kill youinstantly.>>>>Except that all the other herbs probably contain the same sulfites

Alon

 

-

herb-t

Wednesday, August 02, 2000 9:14 AM

Re: : Allergy reactions to Chinese herbs

, " L.Ac." wrote:> You might consider if the herbs had been processed with sulphatesand if > the patient tends towards reactions to them.> good point and gou qi zi is a potential major culprit for sulfites(not sulphates), as it is a dried fruit. ask the supplier. also,many chinese herbs have been traditionally sulfured withelemental sulfur. This has been confused with sulfiting in somecases. Sulfuring does not cause allergies. Sulfur is in everytissue of the body. An allergy to elemental sulfur would kill youinstantly.ToddChinese Herbal Medicine, a voluntary organization of licensed healthcare practitioners, matriculated students and postgraduate academics specializing in Chinese Herbal Medicine, provides a variety of professional services, including board approved online continuing education.

[Guest guest]

>

> >>>>Except that all the other herbs probably contain the same

sulfites

> Alon

 

 

not true, sulfites are used to preserve appearance in fruits mainly.

They were never used for most other herbs, in my understanding and

several companies carry completely unsulfured lines now. It is

actually unlikely that gou qi zi was sulfited if it came from a

professional herb supplier within the last few years. However, if it

came from a grocery store, then it probably was. For more info about

this, contact Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D.at

http://www.itmonline.org