Oriental Medicine for Hives and GERD

Digestive

Chief Complaint: Rashes, heart burn and sudden onset fatigue

Western Diagnosis: Hives and Acid reflex associated with stress

Medical History: Patient is a 40 year old female, who generally is in good health. She has had hives since childhood, hives comes and goes. Anti-histamine medication or prednisone did not help in the past. She used to take patent herbs for a few days, the rashes would be gone for a couple of months. Wherever she did not get enough sleep or stressed out, the rashes showed up again. Also each time she got pregnant, she tends to get hives. She never had heart burn before, but sometimes has bloating and indigestion when she eats greasy food .

For the past 3 years, she worked 7 days a week and did not sleep enough for most of the times. Also, she eats her dinner very late and after two hours she went to sleep. In August 2003, patient drank two small cups of red wine and ate more than usual in a graduation party. Her hives started and lasted for almost 10 months. After a couple of months, she developed nausea and heart burn. When the heart burn started, her blood pressure dropped and she almost fainted. She tried doxypin, prilosec and anti-histamine medication, they didn’t seem to help. At one time point, the rashes were so bad that her physician used cortisone shots twice a week, rashes went away for a day, then came back even worse the next day. Lab works show H Pylorus was positive. Abdominal cat scan is normal. Blood test for food allergies is negative.

Questioning exam: Patient had bloating after eating dinner very late and incomplete bowel movement. She had bad breath early in the morning, also she was very irritable and feels warm before her period. The hives were first bright red, raised, and very itchy, after a couple of months, rashes become paler. As for the heart burn, it can be triggered by strong coffee, sweets, greasy food and spice food.

Pulse exam: Pulse exam: at fist, the pulse was slippery and slightly wiry, later after a couple of months, the pulse was fine and weak.

Palpitation exam shows that the rashes feel warm. Stomach discomfort relived when applied pressure on the abdominal area.

[b]Tongue exam: Patient overall is pretty healthy. Her cheeks looked red and her skin were quite dry. The hives can appear at any places of the body at any time.

OM Diagnosis: Pattern: spleen Qi deficiency, food stagnation, blocked heat in upper, middle burner and in the blood, wind invading the blood.

Bloating and incomplete bowel movement indicates spleen qi deficiency and food stagnation. Irritability, feels warm before period, acid reflex and hives are associated with liver qi stagnation and heat. Quick onset of the symptoms belongs to the wind.

Treatment Principle: clear the blood heat and expel the wind, strengthen the spleen, smooth the liver qi and resolve the food stagnation.

Point Prescription: Sp10, st36, LI4, LI11, UB44, CV14, Bai Chong Wuo, TW5, UB17, PC7.

Reinforce method on St36, UB17, SP10.

Dispersing method on the other points.

Herbal Formula: Two formulas were used, one is specific to the hives, the other is for heart burn and digestive issue.

For the hives, based on qing ying tang;

Sheng Di10g, Dan Pi10g, Xuan Shen15g, Mai Dong10g, Yin Hua6g, Lian qiao6g, Ban Xia10g, Chi Chao15g, Zhi Gan Cao6g, Chan Yi6g, Fu Ping10g, Fu ling 12g.

Patient took the first formula in the morning and evening, the second formula during the day time, especially just before the acid reflex starts. Chai Hu10g, Chi shao10g, Bai shao10g, Gui Zhi10g, Zhi Qiao6g, Ban Xia10g, Zhi Gan Cao10g, Chuan Xong6g, Xiang Fu10g, Wa Leng Zi10g.

Lifestyle Prescription: Nutritional suggestion;

Avoid greasy, spicy food and red wine or other alcohol. Eat dinner early and cut down the meat intake in the evening. Avoid to run in the cold, windy weather, try to cut down the working hours and get enough sleep.

Results: Patients took the first formula in powdered form fist, the itcy sensation stopped after half an hour. When she felt the stomach started feeling uncomfortable, she instantly drank the second formula, the acid reflex went away within half an hour. She took the second formula for almost 3 weeks, the digestive symptoms completely went away. She continued with the first formula for a couple of months, eventually she used raw herbs for the firs formula. Hives completely went away after 1 month of taking raw herbal formula.

Occasionally if she found some rashes, she would take the first formula for a couple of days, then the symptoms were gone. She was so happy that she does not have to use the anti-histamine and anti-acid medication to resolve the problems. At the mean time, she lost 15 pounds by increasing her metabolism with the herbs.

Clinic Name: Li Zheng

clinic address: 475 Hillside Avenue, 3rd floor, MA 02494

clinic phone number: 617-817-1910

email address: contact@acumagic.org

Website: www.acumagic.org

Last modified: September 8, 2009  Tags: , , , , , , , ,  В·  Posted in: Allergic, Dermatological, Digestive