Clinical Case reviewed in 2014 Webinar with Dr. Feng Shi Lun

Mr. Liu, 47 years old

1st consultation on December 28th, 1984

The patient was suffering from repeating headaches for 5 months, with the last month being more severe. He consulted many Chinese and western doctors but all of the treatments proved ineffective. He was fatigued and lacked vitality, so all of the famous doctors whom he visited prescribed kidney tonifying medicinals, which did not help.

Symptoms at consultation: A stubborn and chronic headache, which was lighter at times and more severe at other, accompanied by dizziness and fatigue, felt drowsy during the day, dreamful sleep, nasal congestion, aversion to cold, cold hands and feet, a slightly sticky feeling in the mouth, white and greasy tongue coating at the root and a deep and thready pulse.

Six syndrome: Shao yin Tai yin concurrent syndrome.

Formula pattern: Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang pattern.

Ingredients:

Result: After taking one pack of the medicine, the patient started to slightly sweat and the symptoms reduced. After 3 packs, the patient recovered fully.

Analysis: It is important to remember that the symptom of “pain” is usually (not automatically) associated with the external disease location of either Tai yang or Shao yin syndromes. In this case the symptoms of headache is accompanied by aversion to cold, dizziness and cold limbs without fever demonstrating there is no heat signs confirming an external yin syndrome of Shao yin.

The symptoms of feeling drowsy, nasal congestion, sticky sensation in the mouth and greasy tongue coating demonstrate a internal deficiency with internal rheum of the Tai yin syndrome. The combination of the symptoms make up a Shao yin Tai yin concurrent pattern pointing to a treatment principle of slightly promoting sweating by warming the interior and expelling rheum with Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang.

In this formula, there are a small amount and equal portion of the three medicinals. Ma Huang is able to release the exterior by slightly promoting sweating. Fu zi warms the interior and treats both yin syndrome of the Shao yin and Tai yin by adding Ma Huang to promote sweat and adding Xi Xin in its action to warm the interior and expel rheum. The formula pattern fit this case perfectly and so brought effective results quickly.