DEPRESSION

Clinical Manifestations
  • Depressed mood for at least two consecutive weeks
  • Sleep disturbance
  • Lack of interest
  • Feelings of guilt
  • Decreased energy
  • Decreased concentration
  • Decreased appetite
  • Psychomotor agitation/retardation
  • Suicidal ideation
Treatment Principle
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Alternating chills and fever
  • Restlessness
  • Irritability
  • Anorexia
  • Sometimes fatigue
  • May be depression
  • Occasional nausea and vomiting
  • Parietal headaches
  • Hypochondriac pain
  • Rib pain
  • Achiness
  • Ear infections
  • Hearing difficulty
  • Red eyes
  • Stiff shoulders
  • Throat pain
  • Hip pain
  • T: Normal with bumps or dots on the sides
  • C; Thin and white
  • P: Wiry
Treatment Principle
  • Harmonize the Liver and Gall Bladder
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Sallow complexion
  • Fatigue
  • Anorexia
  • Four limbs feel tired and heavy
  • Abdominal and epigastric distention after eating
  • Maybe acid regurgitation or vomiting
  • Loose stools
  • Shortness of breath
  • May be depression
  • T: Pale and flabby - may have teethmarks
  • C: White
  • P: Even, forceless and Deficient
Treatment Principle
  • Strengthen the Spleen
  • Benefit Qi
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Limbs icy
  • Complexion white and shiny
  • Intolerance of Cold
  • Cold extremities
  • Low back, knees and abdomen feel cold and painful
  • Lower abdomen feels cold and painful which is better with warmth and pressure
  • Loose stools containing undigested food
  • “Cock-crow” diarrhea (occurs at about 5 am)
  • May be chronic dysenteric diarrhea which is thin, watery and mucoid
  • The diarrhea may contain pus and Blood
  • The diarrhea is worse with exposure to Cold and cold foods
  • Mild tenesmus or
  • A dragging sensation in the lower abdomen which is not relieved by the diarrhea
  • Edema of face and limbs
  • Anorexia
  • Listlessness
  • Fatigue
  • Exhaustion
  • Depression
  • Dysuria
  • Extreme cases:
      Ascites
      Incontinence of stools
      Rectal prolapse
  • T: Pale, moist and swollen
  • C: Thin and white or White and greasy
  • P: Deep, thready, weak and maybe slow
Treatment Principle
  • Warm and Reinforce the Spleen and Kidney Yang
  • Disperse cold
  • Transform Dampness
  • Astringe diarrhea
  • Raise Qi
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Palpitations
  • Shortness of breath (especially on exertion)
  • Excessive perspiration (in daytime)
  • Symptoms worse after exertion or when tired
  • Facial pallor
  • Fatigue, weakness
  • Depression
  • Suffocating sensation in chest
  • T: Pale and swollen
  • C: White
  • P: Weak or Big and weak or Intermittent
Treatment Principle
  • Reinforce and strengthen Heart Qi
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Cold limbs
  • Maybe chills
  • Cyanosis
  • Suffocating sensation in chest
  • Depression
  • Facial pallor
  • T: Pale and swollen
  • C: White
  • P: Thready and weak or Knotted or Intermittent
Treatment Principle
  • Warm and clear Heart Yang
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Palpitations
  • Shortness of breath (especially on exertion)
  • Excessive perspiration (in daytime)
  • Symptoms worse after exertion or when tired
  • Facial pallor
  • Fatigue, weakness
  • Suffocating sensation in chest
  • Cold limbs
  • Maybe chills
  • Cyanosis
  • Suffocating sensation in chest
  • Depression
  • Facial pallor
  • Gradual onset
  • Depression and dullness
  • Paraphasia
  • muteness
  • Hypersomnia
  • Anorexia
  • All four limbs cold
  • Watery stools with undigested food
  • Maybe loss of consciousness
  • T: Pale and swollen
  • C: Thin
  • P: Thready and wiry

These clinical manifestations indicate a Yang Deficiency condition which involves Kidney Yang Deficiency and Spleen Yang Deficiency in addition to Heart Yang Deficiency; therefore, the Yang of the whole body is very weak.

Jue Ni literally is "collapse" and "contravection" and refers to fainting and / or cold limbs due to disturbance of the circulation of Qi and Blood

Treatment Principle
  • Return Yang
  • Relieve contravection
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Palpitations
  • Irritability
  • Anxiety
  • Easily startled
  • Insomnia
  • Much dreaming
  • Poor memory
  • Dizziness
  • May be depression
  • Pale face and lips
  • T: Pale
  • P: Thready and weak
Treatment Principle
  • Nourish Heart Blood
  • Calm the Heart and Shen
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Palpitations
  • Irritability
  • Easily startled
  • Insomnia
  • Much dreaming
  • Poor memory
  • Low grade fever
  • Night sweats
  • Five sole heat
  • Restlessness
  • Dry mouth
  • Thirst
  • Dry throat
  • Malar flush
  • May be depression
  • T: Red, dry
  • C: Little or None
  • P: Thready and rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Nourish Yin
  • Clear Heat
  • Reinforce the Heart
  • Calm the Shen
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Ulceration, erosion, and pain of mouth and tongue
  • Thirst with a desire for cold drinks
  • Irritability, irascibility
  • Feeling of Heat and disturbance in the Heart
  • Insomnia
  • Flushed face
  • Bitter taste in the mouth
  • May be depression
  • T: Red tip, ulcers especially on tip
  • P: Excess and rapid
  • If the Heart transmits Heat to the Small Intestine:
    · Dark, concentrated urine
    · Stabbing pain on urination
    · Hematuria
  • If Liver Fire flares causing Heart Fire to Flare up:
    · Headache
    · Red eyes
    · Irascibility
Treatment Principle
  • Clear Heat
  • Purge Fire
  • Calm the Shen
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Mental confusion
  • Clouding of consciousness
  • Talking to oneself
  • Acting as if no one else is present
  • Dull expression with blank stare
  • Odd behavior
  • Maybe depression
  • Maybe loss of consciousness
  • Maybe falling to the ground
  • Sound of phlegm in throat with gurgling
  • T Pink
  • C: White and greasy
  • P: Deep and slippery; maybe wiry
Treatment Principle
  • Clear Phlegm
  • Open the Orifices.
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Palpitations
  • Stabbing or crushing pain in the anterior region over the Heart (may be chronic and relatively severe)
  • The pain is in a fixed location
  • The pain is worse at night or with sudden excitement, anger, emotion or exertion
  • May be a sensation of missed beats during an episode
  • Suffocating sensation or fullness in the chest
  • Maybe drawing pain down internal aspect of arm (especially left arm)
  • Pain (in chest and/or arm) tends to be severe and intermittent
  • Irritability
  • Restlessness
  • Easy to anger
  • Depression
  • Persistent insomnia with much dreaming
  • Dry, scaly skin
  • Broken vessels or spider naevi on the chest, face, inner knee and ankles
  • Dark rings under the eyes
  • T: Dark red with purple spots or Purple body - sublingual veins are dark and distended
  • C: Little
  • P: Minute (scarcely perceptible) and thready or Knotted or Choppy or Wiry
  • In severe cases:
    Cold limbs
    Cyanosis of lips, sclera conjunctiva and nails
Treatment Principle
  • Clear Yang
  • Transform Stagnation
  • Invigorate Blood
  • Open Heart vessels
  • Stop pain
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Palpitations with or without anxiety
  • Insomnia (difficulty falling asleep)
  • Much dreaming
  • Easily startled
  • Anxiety
  • Phobias
  • Panic attacks
  • Dizziness (mild and postural, worse with sitting or rising or lying down or when fatigued)
  • Forgetfulness
  • Absent-mindedness
  • Short attention span
  • Poor memory
  • Blurred vision
  • Spots before the eyes
  • Insomnia
  • Four limbs tired and lethargic
  • Fatigue
  • Low spirits
  • Depression
  • Weakness
  • Loss of appetite
  • Distention and fullness of the epigastrium and abdomen
  • Loose stools
  • Sallow or pale complexion
  • Pale lips and nails
  • Dry skin and hair
  • Bruises easily
  • Easily bruised
  • Copious, pale menses
  • Uterine bleeding or
  • Light menstrual flow or
  • Amenorrhea
  • T: Pale, may be swollen
  • C: Thin and white
  • P: Thready and weak
Treatment Principle
  • Reinforce and Benefit the Heart and Spleen/Stomach
  • Tonify Qi and Blood
  • Calm the Shen
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Insomnia or frequent waking, often early in the morning
  • Unable to fall back to sleep
  • Nightmares
  • Waking terrified
  • Easily frightened or startled
  • Easily unsettled by seeming trivial events
  • Apprehension
  • Restlessness
  • Fearfulness
  • Inappropriate worry
  • Timidity
  • Phobias
  • Anxiety (frequent and severe)
  • Frequent panic attacks
  • Palpitations
  • Shortness of breath
  • Lethargy
  • Fatigue
  • Depression
  • Postnatal depression
  • Spontaneous sweating
  • T: Normal or Pale (chronic or congenital cases may show a deep narrow crack to the tip
  • C: Thin and white
  • P: Wiry and thready or Weak, thready and rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Strengthen Qi
  • Calm the Shen
  • Alleviate fearfulness
  • Calm the mind
  • Nourish and tranquilize the Heart
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Absent-mindedness
  • Frequent feelings of extreme sadness with an urge to cry
  • Inability to control one's emotions
  • Depression
  • Restless sleep
  • Abnormal speech or behavior
  • Disorientation
  • Frequent yawning
  • T: Red
  • C: Scanty
  • P:
Treatment Principle
  • Nourish the Heart
  • Calm the Shen
  • Harmonize the Middle Jiao
  • Relieve acute conditions
  • Tonify Spleen Qi
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Palpitations
  • Anxiety
  • Insomnia
  • Dream disturbed sleep
  • Nightmares
  • Hair loss
  • Spontaneous perspiration
  • Loss of appetite
  • Dizziness
  • Depression
  • Lack of motivation
  • T: Slightly pale
  • P: Hollow and slow
Treatment Principle
  • Settle the Mind
  • Calm the Shen
  • Nourish and tranquilize the Heart
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Distention and pain in the sides or flanks
  • Suffocating sensation in the chest
  • Hypochondriac discomfort or tightness
  • Headache or head distention
  • Tendency to sigh
  • Melancholy
  • Depression
  • Occasional fatigue
  • Irritability
  • Inappropriate anger
  • Dizziness which is worse with stress and not posture related
  • Women:
    Irregular menses
    Dysmenorrhea
    Breast distention and pain before and during menses
  • T: Pink or Dark
  • C: Thin and white or thin and yellow
  • P: Wiry
Treatment Principle
  • Soothe Liver
  • Clear Stagnation
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • A feeling of obstruction in throat as if a slice of roast meat were stuck there which cannot be coughed up nor swallowed down. This sensation becomes more prominent during emotional upset and subsides when relaxed.
  • Distention and pain in the sides or flanks
  • Suffocating sensation in the chest
  • Tendency to sigh
  • Melancholy
  • Depression
  • Irritability
  • Inappropriate anger
  • Women:
    Irregular menses
    Dysmenorrhea
    Breast distention and pain before and during menses
  • T: Pink
  • C: Thin and white
  • P: Slippery and wiry (slippery due to Phlegm)
Treatment Principle
  • Spread Qi
  • Resolve Phlegm.
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Facial color dark and dull
  • Emaciation
  • Sides and ribs distended on both sides (maybe with sharp pain)
  • Enlargement of the Liver and Spleen
  • Suffocating sensation in chest
  • Tendency to sigh
  • Melancholy
  • Depression
  • Irritability
  • Inappropriate anger
  • Women:
    Irregular menses
    Dysmenorrhea
    Breast distention and pain before and during menses
  • T: Dark purple (maybe purple spots on edge of tongue)
  • P: Wiry, choppy and slow
Treatment Principle
  • Activate Blood circulation
  • Soften hardness
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Epigastric pain (worse when emotionally upset)
  • Belching with acid regurgitation
  • Recurrent or chronic nausea , vomiting, sour belching and acid reflux, worse with stress and better when calm
  • Anorexia
  • Indigestion
  • Heartburn
  • Epigastric distention
  • Distention and pain in the sides or flanks
  • Suffocating sensation in the chest
  • Fullness, tightness or discomfort in the chest, epigastrium and hypochondrium
  • Tendency to sigh
  • Melancholy
  • Depression
  • Irritability
  • Inappropriate anger
  • Frustration
  • anxiety
  • Moodiness
  • Women:
    Irregular menses
    Dysmenorrhea
    Breast distention and pain before and during menses
  • Premenstrual syndrome
  • T: Pink or Darkish with slightly red edges - chronic cases may be pale on the edges
  • C: Thin and white, possibly greasy
  • P: Wiry or Wiry and slippery
Treatment Principle
  • Soothe the Liver
  • Harmonize the Stomach
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Abdominal distention and pain
  • Gas
  • Borborygmus
  • Diarrhea
  • Distention and pain in the sides or flanks
  • Suffocating sensation in the chest
  • Tendency to sigh
  • Melancholy
  • Depression
  • Irritability
  • Inappropriate anger
  • Women:
    Irregular menses
    Dysmenorrhea
    Breast distention and pain before and during menses
  • T: Pink
  • C: White and greasy
  • P: Slippery and wiry
Treatment Principle
  • Soothe the Liver
  • Invigorate the Spleen
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Insomnia
  • Difficulty falling asleep
  • Dream disturbed sleep
  • Waking in the early hours
  • Symptoms worse with stress
  • Depression
  • Frustration
  • Irritability
  • Moodiness
  • Frontal or temporal headaches
  • Shoulder and neck tension
  • Teeth grinding at night
  • Hypochondriac tension or discomfort
  • Frequent sighing
  • Dizziness
  • Sensation of something lodged in the throat
  • Irregular menstruation
  • Premenstrual syndrome
  • Breast tenderness
  • Poor appetite
  • Alternating diarrhea or constipation
  • T: Normal or Dark or with red edges
  • C:Thin white or Thin yellow or Thick yellow
  • P: Wiry
Treatment Principle
  • Soothe the Liver
  • Calm the Shen
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Distention and pain in the sides or flanks
  • Suffocating sensation in the chest
  • Hypochondriac discomfort or tightness
  • Headache or head distention
  • Tendency to sigh
  • Melancholy
  • Depression
  • Occasional fatigue
  • Women:
    Irregular menses
    Dysmenorrhea
    Breast distention and pain before and during menses
    Early menstruation with moderate or excessive Blood flow
  • Irritability
  • Inappropriate anger
  • Dizziness which is worse with stress and not posture related
  • May be coughing of thick, yellow sputum
  • Chest and diaphragm fullness and distention
  • May be difficulty breathing
  • Nausea
  • Overweight
  • A puffy, edematous, yellowish face
  • Fullness in the head
  • Heaviness of the limbs
  • T: Pink or Dark or Red
  • C: Thick, yellow and greasy
  • P: Wiry, slippery and rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Soothe the Liver
  • Clear Stagnation
  • Strengthen the Spleen
  • Resolve Dampness
  • Clear Heat
  • Resolve Phlegm
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Severe, splitting headaches with dizziness
  • Sudden tinnitus or deafness
  • Flushed face
  • Red, swollen, painful eyes
  • Irascibility with violent angry outbursts
  • Dry mouth
  • Bitter taste in mouth
  • Thirst
  • Vomiting sour or bitter liquid
  • Insomnia
  • Restlessness
  • May be depression
  • Constipation or dry stools
  • Maybe rib pain
  • T: Red tip and edges
  • C: Thick, yellow, dry and rough
  • P: Wiry, Shi and rapid
  • In severe cases:
    Mania
    Bleeding of Excess Heat type:
    · Hemoptysis
    · Hematemesis
    · Epistaxis
Treatment Principle
  • Clear the Liver
  • Purge Fire
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Facial complexion pale and sallow
  • Both cheeks slightly red
  • Dizziness
  • Dry eyes
  • Blurred vision
  • Spots before the eyes
  • Numbness or spasms of limbs
  • Flaccid paralysis (Wei syndrome), weakness
  • May be long term tremors of the hand, leg, jaw or tongue
  • Tinnitus, deafness
  • Forgetfulness
  • Low back and knees sore and painful
  • Throat dry and painful
  • Five sole heat
  • Low-grade fever
  • Night sweats
  • Irritability
  • Insomnia
  • Dream disturbed sleep
  • Stools difficult to pass
  • Constipation
  • Poor memory
  • Depression
  • Emaciation
  • Dry skin
  • Men:
    Spermatorrhea
  • Women:
    Irregular menses or
    Scanty menses or
    Amenorrhea
    Vaginal discharge
  • T: Red or Red an dry
  • C: Little or none
  • P: Thready and rapid or Thready, wiry , rapid and deep
Treatment Principle
  • Nourish Yin
  • Nourish and reinforce the Liver and Kidneys.
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Dizziness
  • Blurred vision
  • Bitter taste in mouth
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Agitation
  • Restlessness
  • Irritability
  • Indecision
  • Suspiciousness
  • Palpitations with anxiety
  • Insomnia
  • Frequent sighing
  • Suffocating sensation in chest
  • May be depression
  • T: Pink
  • C: Yellow and greasy or Thin and white
  • P: Slippery and wiry or Thready and wiry- maybe rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Clear Heat
  • Transform Phlegm
  • Descend Contravecting Qi
  • Harmonize the Stomach
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Lumbago: low back feels cold, weak and aching
  • Feeling chilled
  • Aversion to Cold
  • Cold limbs
  • General debility
  • Pale face
  • Urinary frequency with abundant, clear urine or
  • Oliguria with edema
  • Maybe nocturia
  • Lassitude
  • Withdrawn, subdued behavior
  • Depression
  • Knees feel cold and aching
  • Dizziness
  • Tinnitus
  • Impotence, spermatorrhea, premature ejaculation
  • Low libido
  • Female infertility ("uterus cold and infertile")
  • Maybe anorexia
  • Maybe loose stools
  • Maybe chronic diarrhea or "cock crow" diarrhea
  • T: Pale and swollen
  • C: Thin and white
  • P: Deep and thready - maybe slow
Treatment Principle
  • Warm and Reinforce Kidney Yang.
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Dizziness
  • Stubborn, fixed, boring headache
  • Forgetfulness
  • Insomnia (persistent with much dreaming)
  • Restless sleep
  • Palpitations
  • Depression
  • Low spirits
  • Low grade fever at night
  • Irritability
  • Short temper
  • Mood swings
  • Dark or purplish lips, conjunctivae and nails
  • Dark complexion
  • Dark sclera
  • Dark circle under the eyes
  • Dry, scaly skin
  • Hair loss on the head and body
  • Spider naevi on the cheeks, nose, trunk, inner knee and ankle
  • Chronic gum disease with dark, purplish, patchy or dark, red atrophic gums
  • Loose teeth
  • Painful receding gums
  • Frequently bleeding gums
  • T: Purplish or Dark with brown or purple spots
  • P: Wiry and choppy or thready or Deep and choppy or Wiry
Treatment Principle
  • Invigorate the Blood
  • Eliminate Blood Stasis
  • Regulate the Qi
  • Clear the channels
Herb Formulas
Points
General
  • Gu Syndrome describes a state of chronic infection by fungi, bacteria, or viruses. It is a complex of systemic infection involving a host with a weakened constitution. Treatment is lengthy.
  • It is quite complicated with most patients presenting with a triad of pathological syndromes including: Liver Qi Stagnation, Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency and Damp-Heat. It also may include Food Stagnation, Blood and Yin Deficiency, Shen disturbance and Phlegm.
Clinical Manifestations
  • Abdominal pain
  • Abdominal fullness and/or distention
  • Chronic diarrhea or
  • Alternation diarrhea and constipation
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Loss of appetite
  • Nervous hunger or
  • Odd food cravings
  • Muscle soreness, heaviness or weakness
  • Wandering pains
  • Physical and mental exhaustion
  • Depression
  • Mood swings
  • Easily angered
  • Confusion
  • Restlessness
  • Disordered thought patterns
  • Fluid retention
  • T: Variable including dark or pale with teethmarks or with reddish edges
  • C: Variable including thick white or yellow
  • P: Variable
Treatment Principle
  • Strengthen the Spleen and Stomach
  • Tonify Qi
  • Clear Damp or Damp-Heat or Stagnant Heat
  • Regulate Liver Qi
  • Fragrantly disperse Gu patterns
Herb Formulas
Points