It Could Be Applied To Patients Need To Dialysis
By Ju Bong Kang, KMD
Acts and Diagnosis
Daoshui-Fuling-Tang is a prescription for controlling edema and has the function of invigorating the spleen, activating qi, inducing diuresis, and relive swelling; so it improves symptoms such as swelling of the whole body, beriberi, dysuria, asthma, cough, etc. Asthma and cough that the formula could treat are due to water-dampness overflowing in the chest, so if swelling recovers, it is improved together with this prescription. When pressed by hand, if the original state is not immediately restored, it is a severe deficiency, which is close to death. This prescription is one of the methods that can be used for patients diagnosed with modern medical dialysis.
I have a case that a young male patient who was scheduled to have a kidney transplant visited my Asian Medicine clinic. He said that he wanted to treat severe fatigue before the transplant, and he wanted herbal medicine treatment. After ten days of taking Daoshui-Fuling-Tang made significant improvement in his fatigue.
The formula benefits activating qi and eliminates dampness, promotes diuresis and subsides swelling.
Among the constituent drugs, Fuling and Zexie become monarch drugs. Fuling promotes diuresis, invigorates the spleen, and resolves dampness. Therefore, the herb improves dysuria, edema, inappetence, diarrhea, palpitation, insomnia, etc. Zexie improves diuresis, resolves dampness and restores dysuria, edema, diarrhea, turbid stranguria, and dizziness.
Baizhu, Binglang, Dafupi, Sangbaipi, and Dengxincao are minister drugs. Baizhu benefits qi, invigorates the spleen, promotes diuresis and dry dampness, and stops sweating; it alleviates inappetence, diarrhea, abdominal distention, dizziness, dysuria, edema, and swelling of the limbs.
Binglang regulates qi, dissolves mass, and promotes diuresis. Therefore, it is used to restore chest fullness due to food congestion, improve swelling and pain caused by beriberi, and remove parasites.
Dafupi tonifies the stomach, keeps the adverse qi downwards, induces diuresis, and dissolves edema.
Sangbaipi promotes diuresis, relieves swelling, and clears lung heat. Dengxincao clears heart fire and induces diuresis to improve vexation, insomnia, a small amount of urine, and urinary pain.
Maimendong, Mugua, Chenpi, Sharen, Muxiang, and Suye are adjuvant drugs. Maimendong nourishes Yin and replenishes body fluid.
Mugua regulates the stomach, eliminates dampness and is used as an essential drug in the treatment of swelling and pain due to beriberi. Chenpi regulates qi, dry dampness, and eliminates phlegm. Sharen regulates qi and dry dampness. Muxiang activates qi, stops pain, and prevents food and body fluid from stagnating. Suye expels superficial wind-cold, activates qi, and regulates the middle energizer.
To sum up, the above, monarch drugs promote diuresis, minister drugs invigorate the spleen and eliminate dampness, and adjuvant drugs tonify yin, regulate qi, and adjust the middle energizer, so this prescription restores stubbornly congested body fluid.
Contents in the Source Text
This prescription treats edema. The symptoms are that the face, hands, feet, and whole body change like a ripe pumpkin. As a body part is pressed with a finger, it is depressed and rises again when released. Due to being out of breath, patients have to lean on something, they can’t turn around and lie down and sleep on the bed. Urine does not come out well, and it hurts like cutting with a knife and is very little. Sometimes, the color is like black bean water. For people with severe symptoms, the decoction is boiled thick enough to be sticky. It is taken after being made into one glass from 10 glasses of water. The urine will soon come out and the amount of urine will gradually increase, and if the urine color comes out clear, it will be better. (“Qi Xiao Liang Fang”)
Application
- Asthma, facial edema, limb edema, and whole-body edema are due to renal dysfunction, such as chronic nephritis nephrosis.
- Edema due to valvular disease of the heart
Distinction
Fen-Xinqi-Yin(分心氣飮): It is used for treating neurotic symptoms such as depression, anguish, and anger along with edema. In addition, symptoms such as loss of appetite, nausea, belching, yellowish complexion, dizziness, and epigastric hard glomus or rib side inflated feeling often appear together.
