Red, swollen,itchy hands

[Guest guest]

I don't have time right now to write careful diagnostic details,

but need advice as soon as possible. Patient is a 55 year old woman

with history of non-Hodgkin's. She has had open heart surgery a couple

of years ago and has been on constant cortisone therapy and Synthroid.

She is deficient kidney and liver and blood. Faint pulse, thin pale

tongue with scallops and deep center fissure, tired all the time.

Feels cold easily. Habit of anxious worrying.Works full time and has many

responsibilities toward family that wear her out. She was gardening

a week ago and felt a 'sudden poking' in her garden gloves, ripped them

off, and saw her hands were instantly swelling up and red and itching like

fury. She did not see any insects in the gloves or poison ivy in

the vicinity. Her physician said that because of her already high

dosage of cortisone, he can't give her more (which he would usually resort

to in such a case). So she is coming in here later this afternoon.

Common kitchen remedies welcome for her immediate relief. I think she's

tried most of them. I would like to know about herbal soaks for her hands

and an herbal formula. I will think about it as I get into my Monday

here.

Thank you.

Frances

 

 

[Guest guest]

Frances,

 

I won't get into attempting to

prescribe anything, but here are

some herbs that you might want to

think about in preparing a soak or

wash for this patient.

 

zhi shi; dan gui; san qi; ru xiang;

chuan xiong; da huang; hong hua;

fang feng.

 

There are others, and no dobut I'm

not thinking of something. I'm on

the road and have no access to any

books. But these come to

mind given the range of signs and

symptoms you report. I'd make a prescription

up that conforms to your pattern differentiation

and grind up the raw herbs and make a

tea in which she can soak her hands.

 

You might want to try out a little bit

of the formula you make up on an unaffected

part of her body to see if there's any

reactiveness to the herbs themselves.

 

Honey might help as well as a topical

application.

 

Best of luck.

 

Ken

[Guest guest]

Frances,

 

How about a non-alcohol soak of modified Zhi Yang Ding (Stop Itch

Tincture): 2 parts each of Radix Stemonae (Bai Bu), Semen Cnidii

Monnieri (She Chuang Zi), and Herba Menthae Haplocalycis (Bo He), 1

part of Alum (Ku Fan), and a half part or less of Borneol (Bing Pian).

Boil the first four meds in water and then dissolve the last one

after the decoction has been taken off the stove and the dregs

strained out.

 

Ken's suggestion is a good one: Try this on a small area first before

plunging both hands into the soak.

 

This Rx is for the symptomatic relief of any kind of skin itching. It

is meant to be combined with internally administered meds based on the

patient's personal pattern(s).

 

Bob

 

, Frances Gander <fgander@c...> wrote:

> I don't have time right now to write careful diagnostic details, but

> need advice as soon as possible. Patient is a 55 year old woman

with

> history of non-Hodgkin's. She has had open heart surgery a couple

of

> years ago and has been on constant cortisone therapy and Synthroid.

She

> is deficient kidney and liver and blood. Faint pulse, thin pale

tongue

> with scallops and deep center fissure, tired all the time. Feels

cold

> easily. Habit of anxious worrying.Works full time and has many

> responsibilities toward family that wear her out. She was gardening

a

> week ago and felt a 'sudden poking' in her garden gloves, ripped

them

> off, and saw her hands were instantly swelling up and red and

itching

> like fury. She did not see any insects in the gloves or poison ivy

in

> the vicinity. Her physician said that because of her already high

> dosage of cortisone, he can't give her more (which he would usually

> resort to in such a case). So she is coming in here later this

> afternoon. Common kitchen remedies welcome for her immediate relief.

I

> think she's tried most of them. I would like to know about herbal

soaks

> for her hands and an herbal formula. I will think about it as I get

> into my Monday here.

> Thank you.

>

> Frances

[Guest guest]

try andy ellis at springwind. bob

 

-

Frances Gander

Monday, April 29, 2002 8:13 AM

Re: Red, swollen,itchy hands

I don't have time right now to write careful diagnostic details, but need advice as soon as possible. Patient is a 55 year old woman with history of non-Hodgkin's. She has had open heart surgery a couple of years ago and has been on constant cortisone therapy and Synthroid. She is deficient kidney and liver and blood. Faint pulse, thin pale tongue with scallops and deep center fissure, tired all the time. Feels cold easily. Habit of anxious worrying.Works full time and has many responsibilities toward family that wear her out. She was gardening a week ago and felt a 'sudden poking' in her garden gloves, ripped them off, and saw her hands were instantly swelling up and red and itching like fury. She did not see any insects in the gloves or poison ivy in the vicinity. Her physician said that because of her already high dosage of cortisone, he can't give her more (which he would usually resort to in such a case). So she is coming in here later this afternoon. Common kitchen remedies welcome for her immediate relief. I think she's tried most of them. I would like to know about herbal soaks for her hands and an herbal formula. I will think about it as I get into my Monday here. Thank you. Frances Chinese 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.