Guest guest Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 I am looking for formula suggestions for a 54 year old woman with shaoyin/jueyin stage disease. She has western diagnoses of primary biliary cirrhosis, RA, lupus, extreme sensitivity to mycotoxins and multiple chemical sensitivity. She gets hot inflamed muscle and joint arthralgias, pleural effusion and fatigue from exposures to chemicals or mold toxins. Her body temperature also drops after exposure- 97 to 97.8 which is colder than ambient air in hot humid East Texas. Sensitive to cold damp foods: gluten, sugar, dairy, oranges and nightshades. Cannot tolerate fish when very damp. Eats greens, meat, eggs, veggies and craves bitters, hawthorn and selinocerus cactus. Has responded well to ling zhi, honey baked American ginseng, honey baked licorice, ground ivy and boneset, and pleural effusion responds to myrrh baked in a cored apple (tastes vile though). No response to amla (Phyllanthus emblica, Chinese name escapes me). Jiaogulan causes flares. Tense family situation and environmentally subjected to frequent mosquito spraying which puts her out of commission for two weeks, uses respirator for outings to avoid mycotoxins, formaldehyde or other chemicals. Casual exposure to a person with perfume out of doors can put her out for two days. Tongue is found at _http://picasaweb.google.com/rosiephotos/Tongue/photo?authkey=3-s3OCirWYk#523592\ 1523595704242_ (http://picasaweb.google.com/rosiephotos/Tongue/photo?authkey=3-s3OCirWYk#523592\ 1523595704242) but is more scarlet and has deeper cracks than shown, with white papillae over most of the surface. Tongue has a chocolate brown coat, much thicker in the lower jiao, with crater like crack in the ST/SP area and lung area. Some brown fur around lung area. Texture like sandpaper. Tongue fur turns black upon exposure to mold or chemical overload along with sore gums and teeth. Tongue is scalloped and puffy from dampness, with red tip. Sublingual veins blue and distended. Soggy pulses, weak in Kidney. Pale lips. I was thinking one of the fuzi formulas for yang deficiency with dampness, but am somewhat stumped. Karen Vaughan, MSTOM Licensed Acupuncturist, NCCAOM Registered Herbalist (AHG) 253 Garfield Place Brooklyn, NY 11215 (718) 622-6755 _http://www.byregion.net/profiles/ksvaughan2.html_ (http://www.byregion.net/profiles/ksvaughan2.html) **************It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. Find your travel deal here. (http://information.travel.aol.com/deals?ncid=aoltrv00050000000047) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2008 Report Share Posted August 20, 2008 I think I missed it, but what's the main complaint? I see the western medicine diagnosis - biliary cirrhosis, but what is her tcm dx? I thought that a black tongue coating meant extreme heat or extreme cold - and fu zi is hard and fast. In my experience, people with sensitivities to many different things and are overly sensitive (? - mosquito spraying putting her out of commission for 2 weeks and wearing a respirator when walking around outside? What does she think of mosquito spraying?) have Liver problems (tense family sitatuion you reported). I remember that sentence from school for Liver Qi stagnation 'surrounded by fools' I think equates to 'I'm surrounded by toxins'. Just depends on her tcm dx. Geoff , creationsgarden1 wrote: > > > I am looking for formula suggestions for a 54 year old woman with > shaoyin/jueyin stage disease. She has western diagnoses of primary biliary cirrhosis, > RA, lupus, extreme sensitivity to mycotoxins and multiple chemical > sensitivity. She gets hot inflamed muscle and joint arthralgias, pleural effusion and > fatigue from exposures to chemicals or mold toxins. Her body temperature > also drops after exposure- 97 to 97.8 which is colder than ambient air in hot > humid East Texas. Sensitive to cold damp foods: gluten, sugar, dairy, oranges > and nightshades. Cannot tolerate fish when very damp. Eats greens, meat, > eggs, veggies and craves bitters, hawthorn and selinocerus cactus. Has > responded well to ling zhi, honey baked American ginseng, honey baked licorice, > ground ivy and boneset, and pleural effusion responds to myrrh baked in a cored > apple (tastes vile though). No response to amla (Phyllanthus emblica, Chinese > name escapes me). Jiaogulan causes flares. Tense family situation and > environmentally subjected to frequent mosquito spraying which puts her out of > commission for two weeks, uses respirator for outings to avoid mycotoxins, > formaldehyde or other chemicals. Casual exposure to a person with perfume out of > doors can put her out for two days. > > Tongue is found at > _http://picasaweb.google.com/rosiephotos/Tongue/photo?authkey=3-s3OCirWYk#523592\ 1523595704242_ > (http://picasaweb.google.com/rosiephotos/Tongue/photo?authkey=3-s3OCirWYk#523592\ 1523595704242) but is more scarlet > and has deeper cracks than shown, with white papillae over most of the surface. > Tongue has a chocolate brown coat, much thicker in the lower jiao, with > crater like crack in the ST/SP area and lung area. Some brown fur around lung > area. Texture like sandpaper. Tongue fur turns black upon exposure to mold > or chemical overload along with sore gums and teeth. Tongue is scalloped and > puffy from dampness, with red tip. Sublingual veins blue and distended. Soggy > pulses, weak in Kidney. Pale lips. > > I was thinking one of the fuzi formulas for yang deficiency with dampness, > but am somewhat stumped. > > > Karen Vaughan, MSTOM > Licensed Acupuncturist, NCCAOM > Registered Herbalist (AHG) > 253 Garfield Place > Brooklyn, NY 11215 > > (718) 622-6755 > _http://www.byregion.net/profiles/ksvaughan2.html_ > (http://www.byregion.net/profiles/ksvaughan2.html) > > > > > > **************It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. Find your travel > deal here. > (http://information.travel.aol.com/deals?ncid=aoltrv00050000000047) > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2008 Report Share Posted August 20, 2008 I think I missed it, but what's the main complaint? Her chief complaints are arthralgias and pleural effusion which occur after exposure to dampness with mold or to chemicals, and which causes her tongue to turn from brown to black, accompanied by fatigue. In my experience, people with sensitivities to many different things and are overly sensitive (? - mosquito spraying putting her out of commission for 2 weeks and wearing a respirator when walking around outside? What does she think of mosquito spraying?) have Liver problems (tense family sitatuion you reported). I remember that sentence from school for Liver Qi stagnation 'surrounded by fools' I think equates to 'I'm surrounded by toxins'. Just depends on her tcm dx. She cannot function, and need not know in advance what she is exposed to in order to react. For example her husband who had been using organic shampoo and shaving products decided to try drugstore products without telling her or showing them and she reacted to breathing the chemicals. Or her chiropractor got mold in his AC and she was feeling worse after treatments instead of better, but she hadn't known in advance. IOW it isn't all in her head although reacting to so much will do a number on your shen and that has to be part of the treatment. Doubtless a new husband in a dry climate would accelerate treatment, but that isn't going to happen. what is her tcm dx? I thought that a black tongue coating meant extreme heat or extreme cold Her yang is pretty much shot. Healthy yang can descend and steam the Kidney water, and hers can't so she has signs of dampness in her tongue and excessive reaction to dampness and mold. She not only feels cold but measures cold on a thermometer. Dampness impairs lungs, has impaired Spleen qi which may be a long term root. (Food allergies are at the base of much autoimmune disease- but once damage is done to the body, merely giving up the trigger is not necessarily sufficient.) My thinking is that I need to first work on her yang, to dispel dampness which will strengthen her Lungs, then to strengthen her Spleen before addressing Liver qi stagnation. Karen S. Vaughan, L.Ac., MSTOM Registered Herbalist (AHG) Creationsgarden1 253 Garfield Place Brooklyn, NY 11215 (718) 622-6755 See my Acupuncture and Herbalism website at:_http://www.byregion.net/profiles/ksvaughan2.html_ (http://ksvaughan2.byregion.net/) Stop Mountaintop Removal Mining: _www.Ilovemountains.org_ (http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/appvoices/campaign.jsp?campa\ ign_KEY=14105 & t=i LoveMountainsMAIN.dwt) **************It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. Find your travel deal here. (http://information.travel.aol.com/deals?ncid=aoltrv00050000000047) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2008 Report Share Posted August 20, 2008 , creationsgarden1 wrote: > My thinking is that I need to first work on her > yang, to dispel dampness which will strengthen her Lungs, then to strengthen > her Spleen before addressing Liver qi stagnation. Do you mean tonify the deficiencies before reducing excess? Geoff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 21, 2008 Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 Some thoughts about this difficult case. Three things needed to be addressed here. 1) more details needed regarding the lupus: seems to me all signs are caused by lupus including pleural effusion. 2) What causes pleural effusion? A better understanding of patient's medical history is crucial when prescribing. 3) More details needed regarding the arthralgias in terms of frequency, intensity, duration of time, what does the pain look like,stabbing etc. before formula can be prescribed Regards, dr sung, yuk-ming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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