Some adrenal gland basics

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In TCM, the adrenal glands are considered part of the Kidney system. The

word Kidney is capitalized in this sentence because I'm talking about the

TCM concept of the Kidneys instead of the Western definition of the kidneys.

 

There are two adrenal glands, and each sits on top of the kidneys.

 

There are two parts to the adrenal - the medulla and the cortex. The medulla

is the inside of the adrenal glands; the cortex is the outer part of the

glands.

 

The adrenal medulla has a very close relation with the sympathetic division

of the autonomic nervous system. In fact, some of the adrenal medulla cells

are modified postganglionic cells, and preganglionic cells go directly to

them in the medulla instead of the usual situation where preganglionic cells

go to a middleman nerve cell in a ganglia.

 

The hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) released by the adrenal

medulla are very similar to the effects of the sympathetic nervous system -

except they last about 10 times as long as when the effects are coming from

the sympathetic nervous system.

 

According to my old anatomy and physiology book, a deficiency of adrenal

medulla hormones produce " no significant effects " . (Hole, Human Anatomy and

Physiology, 2nd. ed., p. 392) However, an excess of these hormones - like

occurs when there's a tumor - can produce a lot of serious problems like

high blood pressure, increased heart rate, elevated blood sugar, etc. (p.

392) The person can show all the symptoms of " prolonged sympathetic

responses. " (Note that an excess of adrenal medulla hormones can be result

in high blood sugar, elevated blood sugar frequently is linked to Yin

Deficiency, and Tierra makes the poiint that Yin Deficiency can result in

inappropriate sympathetic response. Also note that one symptom of Yin

Deficiency is agitation or nervous energy, and people with pheochromocytoma

often will present complaining of feeling " wired " and like they need to work

or run off energy. Note: Not all cases of Yin Deficiency manifest as

pheochromocytoma.)

 

The chief thing which can go wrong with the adrenal medulla is a condition

called pheochromocytoma. This is a disease in which a tumor forms in

pheochrome tissue, usually in the adreanl medulla though they can turn up in

other areas of the body. There is a familial tendency to the disorder in

some sufferes. PLEASE NOTE: People having a reaction to antihistamines can

present with all the symptoms of pheochromocytoma so please consider that

possibility and ask if the person is on antihistamines. Sometimes a person

with pheochromocytoma may be on antihistamines so the pheochromocytoma still

has to be ruled out. In other cases, a person may not have pheochromocytoma

and the symptoms can be coming strictly from an adverse reaction to the

antihistamines.

 

The impulses for the adrenal medulla to release its hormones comes from the

part of the brain known as the hypothalamus. Most text books talk about how

stress - especially on-going stress - can cause the body to be

inappropriately tilted toward the sympathetic response and the adrenal

medulla to be just a little too active. However, there are physical things

which can affect the hypothalamus. One thing which is being looked at in

connection with problems involving the hypothalamus are circulation problems

caused by there being too many misshapened, rigid red blood cells

(nondiscocytes) which have trouble making it through smaller capillaries.

The hypothalamus is particularly capillary rich.

 

Epinephrine and norepinephrine are catecholamines. There are

alpha-adrenergic and beta-adrenergic blocking agents which will reverse the

effects of epinepherine and norepinephrine. There are metabolic blockers

which will block catecholamine synthesis.

 

There are three layers of the adrenal cortex, and each layer produces a

different type of adrenal cortex hormone. All the adrenal cortex hormones

are steroids (corticosteroids).

 

The different groups are 10. the mineralocorticoids which maintain

electrolyte balance, 2). the glucocorticoids which influence metabolism of

carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, and 3). the sex hormones.

 

There are some major serious problems which can result if the adreanal

cortex is either too active or too deficient. Addison's disease is the name

of the condition in which there are too few adrenal cortex hormones

(hypofunctioning). This one can kill in a few days because of the resulting

severe electrolyte imbalances.

 

Hypersecretion of adrenal cortex hormones is called Cushing's disease. This

one is major serious too.

 

There are other disorders of the adrenal cortex, but these are the main two.

 

Tierra in his article goes into some detail about some of the adrenal

hormones and herbs which may be helpful. There are, I believe, around 30

different adrenal cortex hormones.

 

Victoria

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

At 11:29 AM 2/2/01 -0700, you wrote:

>In TCM, the adrenal glands are considered part of the Kidney system.

 

I HAVE NEVER READ THIS STATEMENT IN ANY TCM BOOKS ANYWHERE.

I HAVE CERTAINLY HEARD PEOPLE SUGGEST THAT THE ADRENAL GLANDS MIGHT

CORRESPOND WITH THE TCM KIDNEY SYSTEM - BUT THOSE ARE ONLY SUGGESTIONS.

TCM DOESN'T RECOGNISE THE ADRENAL GLANDS PER SE.

SO, LETS BE CLEAR - THIS IS ONLY A SUGGESTION.

 

MY SUSPICION IS THAT AS FAR AS ACUPUNCTURE GOES, THE KIDNEY MERIDIAN IS A

GOOD ROUTE TO INFLUENCING ADRENAL FUNCTION (THERE IS EVEN A TREATMENT WITHIN

THE KIIKO MATSUMOTO STYLE OF ACUPUNCTURE CALLED THE ADRENAL TREATMENT THAT

IS VERY FOCUSSED ON THE KIDNEY MERIDIAN SPECIFICALLY).

 

BUT AS FAR AS TCM HERBALISM GOES, A PATIENT COULD PRESENT WITH MANY SYMPTOMS

OF ADRENAL EXHAUSTION (IN A 'WESTERN SENSE') AND THEIR TCM HERBAL TREATMENT

COULD HAVE NOTHING OR LITTLE TO DO WITH THE KIDNEYS - DEPENDING ON THE

DIFFERENTIATION OF THE SIGNG SYMPTOMS.

[Guest guest]

> >In TCM, the adrenal glands are considered part of the Kidney system.

>

>I HAVE NEVER READ THIS STATEMENT IN ANY TCM BOOKS ANYWHERE.

>I HAVE CERTAINLY HEARD PEOPLE SUGGEST THAT THE ADRENAL GLANDS MIGHT

>CORRESPOND WITH THE TCM KIDNEY SYSTEM - BUT THOSE ARE ONLY SUGGESTIONS.

>TCM DOESN'T RECOGNISE THE ADRENAL GLANDS PER SE.

>SO, LETS BE CLEAR - THIS IS ONLY A SUGGESTION.

 

What we're running into here is a translation problem. One thing I try to

stress on here is that the Western anatomy and physiology idea of a

particular organ is not the same as the TCM concept. This is why I'm one of

those writers who uses a small letter when referring to the Western anatomy

concept and a capital letter when referring to a TCM concept. It's to alert

readers to the fact that these aren't one to one, exact corresponsdences.

 

TCM pays more attention to function than to structure. This is why there is

an Organ system called the Triple Heater even though it doesn't exist in

form. It does exist in function. Some of the functions attributed to the

Spleen actually are more in line with the Western idea of the pancreas.

This is why some writers refer to this system and meridian as the

Spleen-Pancreas.

 

A lot of terms found in Western medicine are not going to be found in

classical TCM because 1). anatomy was not that important to the ancient

Chinese plus they had some strong restrictions against autopsies and 2).

some of the parts of the body identified by Western researchers have only

been identified within the past hundred or two hundred years or even less.

But the ancient Chinese did a bang up job of describing many functions and

many relationships that Western medicine only began to catch onto in the

less hundred years or so. Because of their extraordinary grasp of function,

they have had the tools all along to treat many things for which there were

no Western names for or understanding of or treatments for many years.

 

Many of the functions attributed to the Kidneys in TCM are functions which

the adreanals in Western physiology play a role in. This does not mean that

there always is an exact correspondence between the Kidneys in TCM and the

kidneys and adrenal glands in Western physiology. It does mean that many of

the symptoms that will cause a Western doctor to suspect adrenal problems

will cause a TCM healer to suspect Kidney imbalance. The Kidney imbalance

still has to be ruled in or ruled out by the TCM healer just like a Western

doctor has to rule in or rule out adrenal problems. And one thing that TCM

healers will run into quite a bit is that many of their clients with Kidney

imbalances will have been suspected by their Western doctors of having

adrenal problems. Sometimes the Western testing will reveal actual adrenal

problems in these clients, but more often not. In many of these cases the

Western doctors are very puzzled because the symptoms these people present

with fit in with so much which they learned about the adrenals in their

schooling and training, but the Western tests are negative. On the other

hand, when some of these clients consult a TCM healer, they fit the profile

of someone with Kidney imbalance very, very strongly.

 

Again, I want to caution readers that these are not one to one, exact

correspondences between Western medicine and TCM. The Western kidney tests

may be normal or not that significant in the Western framework, but the

person may have a severe TCM Kidney imbalance. The Western blood tests may

be normal or not that significant in the Western framework, but the person

may have a TCM Blood problem. (On the other hand, some O.M.D.s are starting

to look at Western lab tests which may suggest the possibility of some TCM

syndromes to be ruled in or ruled out.)

 

As for it never having been stated that the adrenals are part of the Kidneys

in TCM, I've read it in a number of modern writings. Tierra states in his

article " As to the kidney, for instance, the TCM KIDNEY INVOLVES ALL

PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS THAT INCLUDE THE KIDNEY-URINARY SYSTEM PLUS THE

ENDOCRINE SYSTEMS AND ESPECIALLY THE ADRENAL GLANDS. " The caps are his.

I'm not prepared to include the entire endocrine system, but there is an

amazing overlap between the functions attributed to the Kidneys in TCM and

the functions attributed to the adrenal glands in Western physiology.

Again, I caution readers that these are not exact correspondences, And

Tierra makes it a lot clearer than I did that it's the functions being

talked about. I should have stressed that.

 

On the other hand, a writer like Ron Teeguarden goes further and states in

Chinese Tonic Herbs " The Kidney includes the adrenal glands.... " (p.68)

 

I've seen it referred to this way by other modern writers.

 

>MY SUSPICION IS THAT AS FAR AS ACUPUNCTURE GOES, THE KIDNEY MERIDIAN IS A

>GOOD ROUTE TO INFLUENCING ADRENAL FUNCTION (THERE IS EVEN A TREATMENT

>WITHIN

>THE KIIKO MATSUMOTO STYLE OF ACUPUNCTURE CALLED THE ADRENAL TREATMENT THAT

>IS VERY FOCUSSED ON THE KIDNEY MERIDIAN SPECIFICALLY).

 

Please elaborate on this because there are a number of people on here who

are interested in acupuncture and acupressure.

 

>BUT AS FAR AS TCM HERBALISM GOES, A PATIENT COULD PRESENT WITH MANY

>SYMPTOMS

>OF ADRENAL EXHAUSTION (IN A 'WESTERN SENSE') AND THEIR TCM HERBAL TREATMENT

>COULD HAVE NOTHING OR LITTLE TO DO WITH THE KIDNEYS - DEPENDING ON THE

>DIFFERENTIATION OF THE SIGNG SYMPTOMS.

 

Please elaborate on this too because one thing I stress on here is that even

though symptoms may be the same or even a Western diagnosis may be the same,

this does NOT mean the people have the same TCM syndrome(s) and the proper

treatments may be very different. Whenever possible I try to list all the

possible TCM syndromes - or at least the more probable ones - that can

underlie a Western-defined medical complaint. Some readers find this very

helpful. It can also be a great confidence builder for Western-trained

doctors and other Western-trained healthcare professionals who are learning

TCM and need some guideposts in what is most familiar to them.

 

One thing I want to add for other readers: Some symptoms are more

definitive for a particular TCM syndrome than others. For example, if

someone complaints of fatigue, this can be due to any number of possible TCM

syndromes. In Western medicine, this is recognized as a possible symptom of

some adrenal problems, but it's also recognized as a possible symptom of

quite a number of things. On the other hand, if someone complains of back

pain (especially lower back pain), knee pain, a history of frequent earaches

and other problems with the ears, skeletal problems, problems in the urinary

system, and/or changes in libido, automatically suspect and rule in or rule

out Kidney imbalance. These particular symptoms are some of the ones which

point very strongly to a possible Kidney imbalance. BUT, none of them alone

points exclusively to the Kidneys. The back pain and the knee pain could be

coming from a cause like one leg being shorter than the other or from an

injury. A problem like tinnitus may be Rooted in the Kidneys, but it may be

Rooted in the Liver. It's the total picture which is important, not parts

of the picture.

 

Thanks,

Victoria

 

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[Guest guest]

Have a question related to the subject of adrenal insufficiency. Went to

see my TCM yesterday, as I'd been feeling off,also weak, perhaps a leftover

flu bug, and she said she would help me get back into balance, suggested I

chew on some preserved ginseng root if it wasn't flu. At this point, i am

not sure what I have, whether it's just exhaustion, complicated w/allergies

(had been sneezing and eyes burning). Had been taking some nutritional

support for adrenals which had helped w/panic attacks.

There are some communications gaps - my TCM is Chinese and at times I don't

think I understand each other or it could be we don't understand.

I had also read that ginseng was not that good for women??

 

I will appreciate your feedback.

Thanks

Dianne

 

 

Judy Fitzgerald <victoria_dragon

Chinese Traditional Medicine <Chinese Traditional Medicine >

Monday, February 05, 2001 6:12 PM

Re: [Chinese Traditional Medicine] Some adrenal gland basics

 

 

>> >In TCM, the adrenal glands are considered part of the Kidney system.

>>

>>I HAVE NEVER READ THIS STATEMENT IN ANY TCM BOOKS ANYWHERE.

>>I HAVE CERTAINLY HEARD PEOPLE SUGGEST THAT THE ADRENAL GLANDS MIGHT

>>CORRESPOND WITH THE TCM KIDNEY SYSTEM - BUT THOSE ARE ONLY SUGGESTIONS.

>>TCM DOESN'T RECOGNISE THE ADRENAL GLANDS PER SE.

>>SO, LETS BE CLEAR - THIS IS ONLY A SUGGESTION.

>

>What we're running into here is a translation problem. One thing I try

>to

>stress on here is that the Western anatomy and physiology idea of a

>particular organ is not the same as the TCM concept. This is why I'm

>one of

>those writers who uses a small letter when referring to the Western

>anatomy

>concept and a capital letter when referring to a TCM concept. It's to

>alert

>readers to the fact that these aren't one to one, exact

>corresponsdences.

>

>TCM pays more attention to function than to structure. This is why

>there is

>an Organ system called the Triple Heater even though it doesn't exist in

>

>form. It does exist in function. Some of the functions attributed to

>the

>Spleen actually are more in line with the Western idea of the pancreas.

>

>This is why some writers refer to this system and meridian as the

>Spleen-Pancreas.

>

>A lot of terms found in Western medicine are not going to be found in

>classical TCM because 1). anatomy was not that important to the ancient

>Chinese plus they had some strong restrictions against autopsies and 2).

>

>some of the parts of the body identified by Western researchers have

>only

>been identified within the past hundred or two hundred years or even

>less.

>But the ancient Chinese did a bang up job of describing many functions

>and

>many relationships that Western medicine only began to catch onto in the

>

>less hundred years or so. Because of their extraordinary grasp of

>function,

>they have had the tools all along to treat many things for which there

>were

>no Western names for or understanding of or treatments for many years.

>

>Many of the functions attributed to the Kidneys in TCM are functions

>which

>the adreanals in Western physiology play a role in. This does not mean

>that

>there always is an exact correspondence between the Kidneys in TCM and

>the

>kidneys and adrenal glands in Western physiology. It does mean that

>many of

>the symptoms that will cause a Western doctor to suspect adrenal

>problems

>will cause a TCM healer to suspect Kidney imbalance. The Kidney

>imbalance

>still has to be ruled in or ruled out by the TCM healer just like a

>Western

>doctor has to rule in or rule out adrenal problems. And one thing that

>TCM

>healers will run into quite a bit is that many of their clients with

>Kidney

>imbalances will have been suspected by their Western doctors of having

>adrenal problems. Sometimes the Western testing will reveal actual

>adrenal

>problems in these clients, but more often not. In many of these cases

>the

>Western doctors are very puzzled because the symptoms these people

>present

>with fit in with so much which they learned about the adrenals in their

>schooling and training, but the Western tests are negative. On the other

>

>hand, when some of these clients consult a TCM healer, they fit the

>profile

>of someone with Kidney imbalance very, very strongly.

>

>Again, I want to caution readers that these are not one to one, exact

>correspondences between Western medicine and TCM. The Western kidney

>tests

>may be normal or not that significant in the Western framework, but the

>person may have a severe TCM Kidney imbalance. The Western blood tests

>may

>be normal or not that significant in the Western framework, but the

>person

>may have a TCM Blood problem. (On the other hand, some O.M.D.s are

>starting

>to look at Western lab tests which may suggest the possibility of some

>TCM

>syndromes to be ruled in or ruled out.)

>

>As for it never having been stated that the adrenals are part of the

>Kidneys

>in TCM, I've read it in a number of modern writings. Tierra states in

>his

>article " As to the kidney, for instance, the TCM KIDNEY INVOLVES ALL

>PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS THAT INCLUDE THE KIDNEY-URINARY SYSTEM PLUS THE

>ENDOCRINE SYSTEMS AND ESPECIALLY THE ADRENAL GLANDS. " The caps are his.

>

>I'm not prepared to include the entire endocrine system, but there is an

>

>amazing overlap between the functions attributed to the Kidneys in TCM

>and

>the functions attributed to the adrenal glands in Western physiology.

>Again, I caution readers that these are not exact correspondences, And

>Tierra makes it a lot clearer than I did that it's the functions being

>talked about. I should have stressed that.

>

>On the other hand, a writer like Ron Teeguarden goes further and states

>in

>Chinese Tonic Herbs " The Kidney includes the adrenal glands.... "

>(p.68)

>

>I've seen it referred to this way by other modern writers.

>

>>MY SUSPICION IS THAT AS FAR AS ACUPUNCTURE GOES, THE KIDNEY MERIDIAN IS

>A

>>GOOD ROUTE TO INFLUENCING ADRENAL FUNCTION (THERE IS EVEN A TREATMENT

>>WITHIN

>>THE KIIKO MATSUMOTO STYLE OF ACUPUNCTURE CALLED THE ADRENAL TREATMENT

>THAT

>>IS VERY FOCUSSED ON THE KIDNEY MERIDIAN SPECIFICALLY).

>

>Please elaborate on this because there are a number of people on here

>who

>are interested in acupuncture and acupressure.

>

>>BUT AS FAR AS TCM HERBALISM GOES, A PATIENT COULD PRESENT WITH MANY

>>SYMPTOMS

>>OF ADRENAL EXHAUSTION (IN A 'WESTERN SENSE') AND THEIR TCM HERBAL

>TREATMENT

>>COULD HAVE NOTHING OR LITTLE TO DO WITH THE KIDNEYS - DEPENDING ON THE

>>DIFFERENTIATION OF THE SIGNG SYMPTOMS.

>

>Please elaborate on this too because one thing I stress on here is that

>even

>though symptoms may be the same or even a Western diagnosis may be the

>same,

>this does NOT mean the people have the same TCM syndrome(s) and the

>proper

>treatments may be very different. Whenever possible I try to list all

>the

>possible TCM syndromes - or at least the more probable ones - that can

>underlie a Western-defined medical complaint. Some readers find this

>very

>helpful. It can also be a great confidence builder for Western-trained

>doctors and other Western-trained healthcare professionals who are

>learning

>TCM and need some guideposts in what is most familiar to them.

>

>One thing I want to add for other readers: Some symptoms are more

>definitive for a particular TCM syndrome than others. For example, if

>someone complaints of fatigue, this can be due to any number of possible

>TCM

>syndromes. In Western medicine, this is recognized as a possible

>symptom of

>some adrenal problems, but it's also recognized as a possible symptom of

>

>quite a number of things. On the other hand, if someone complains of

>back

>pain (especially lower back pain), knee pain, a history of frequent

>earaches

>and other problems with the ears, skeletal problems, problems in the

>urinary

>system, and/or changes in libido, automatically suspect and rule in or

>rule

>out Kidney imbalance. These particular symptoms are some of the ones

>which

>point very strongly to a possible Kidney imbalance. BUT, none of them

>alone

>points exclusively to the Kidneys. The back pain and the knee pain

>could be

>coming from a cause like one leg being shorter than the other or from an

>

>injury. A problem like tinnitus may be Rooted in the Kidneys, but it

>may be

>Rooted in the Liver. It's the total picture which is important, not

>parts

>of the picture.

>

>Thanks,

>Victoria

>

>_______________

>Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

>

>

>

>

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[Guest guest]

>Have a question related to the subject of adrenal insufficiency. Went to

>see my TCM yesterday, as I'd been feeling off,also weak, perhaps a leftover

>flu bug, and she said she would help me get back into balance, suggested I

>chew on some preserved ginseng root if it wasn't flu.

 

For those new to TCM, one stops tonic herbs when there is an infection.

Otherwise they can feed the infection. (There are a few exceptions to this,

but for the most part the rule applies.) Tonic herbs are those which add

something to the body - Qi, Yang, Yin, or Blood. (Actually, building proper

Blood would be a better way to put this for the Blood tonic herbs.)

 

>At this point, i am

>not sure what I have, whether it's just exhaustion, complicated w/allergies

>(had been sneezing and eyes burning).

 

In the U.S. we are heading into the windy season of the year. The wind is

horrible today where I'm at. How is it where you are? I'm one of those

people whose nose starts getting stuffy before the wind actually starts

blowing. I knew last night this front was headed in. (The concept of Wind

isn't limited to the actual wind. It also includes changes in barometric

pressure and increases in positive ions. This also is part of the reason

why many people with allergies sometimes are instructed to use not just air

filter but air ionizers. The ionizer units not only clean pollens out of

the air, reducing the allergen load, they add negative ions to the air.

Most American allergy doctors don't know about the effects of Wind and TCM,

but they have observed that many patients do better with the ionizers than

with the plain air cleaners.)

 

Wind Cold or Wind Heat can result in allergy-like symptoms - stuffy and

runny nose and sinuses, headaches, sneezing, achy limbs and neck, etc.

People frequently have problems telling if these symptoms are due to

infection, allergy, and/or Wind short of a trip to the doctor and lab tests.

Complicating things still further is that there are classical allergic

reactions which involve a particular immunoglobulin (I believe IgE - don't

trust my memory as much on windy days as weather fronts also can affect

thinking and memory if the fronts are severe)- and there are

non-IgE-mediated allergic reactions (which some allergists don't consider

true allergies. In the case of non-EgE-mediated allergies, other substances

are believed to be the mediators in these reactions.

 

In any event, allergy symptoms can make one miserable. So can infections.

One general rule for telling if it's an infection or an allergy is the color

of the nasal secretions. If they're clear or white, it's an allergy; if

they're yellow or green, suspect infection. This should be taken with a

grain of salt because nasal secretions can be clear or white in the case of

the early stages of a cold, but can be yellowish if there is Heat from any

source (not necessarily an infection) or if it's particularly dusty. Other

readers on here may have other suggestions for telling infection from

allergies, and I hope they will add to this.

 

A good suggestion for telling when one is prone problems triggered by Wind

is to be aware of the weather. Do the symptoms start to appear before,

during, or in some cases even after the weather gets windy. In these cases

herbs to release the exterior may be called for during the appearance of the

symptoms, and the person may need to concentrate on building up Protective

Qi during other times.

 

I'm one of those persons who always wants to know why something is

happening. A question which frequently arises is why is this particular

person so sensitive to Exterior Wind (Cold, Heat, Dampness, Dryness), and

while most other persons are not affected. In some of these cases the

person is Deficient in Protective (Wei) Qi.

 

Protective Qi is the Qi which circulates near the surface of the body and

gives one resistence to Exterior Pernicious evils like Wind. Ginseng is a

Qi tonic. If Qi in general is Deficient, the Protective Qi will be

Deficient also. This means increased susceptibility to infections as well

as Pernicious Evils. Ginseng (Ren Shen) is an herb which adds (tonifies -

tonic) Qi to the body.

 

However, it's not the best Qi tonic herb to use in many cases of Deficient

Protective Qi. Astragalus root (Huang Qi) boosts Protective Qi even more so

than Ren Shen. In addition, it's a whole lot cheaper, and it's edible. You

can add this one to soups and eat it like you eat the beans, bits of meat,

veggies, etc. in soup. (Actually you can eat cooked Ren Shen too and people

often do because of the expense, but it's not one of those herbs one cooks

with.)

 

Also, people who have certain parsitic problems can react to Ren Shen. They

don't to Huang Qi. For this reason Huang Qi or some other similar

frequently gets substituted for Ren Shen in formulas for these people.

 

Both Huang Qi (astragalus) and Ren Shen (ginseng) are adaptogens. This

means they both promote more efficient regulation of the body. However, some

of the effects of ginseng can be rather intense - like elevated blood

pressure, headache (in the case of overuse), etc. They both have Blood tonic

properties in addition to the primary function of being Qi tonics. But I

believe the ginseng may be better at calming the Spirit when both Qi and

Blood are Deficient.

 

>Had been taking some nutritional

>support for adrenals which had helped w/panic attacks.

 

What is in the nutritional support?

 

Sometimes Yang tonic and in particular Yin tonic herbs which target the

Kidneys can stop panic attacks. Panic attacks can arise from many different

causes, so these herbs won't be effective in cases where the anxiety or

panic isn't due to an underlying Kidney Deficiency. In cases where there is

significant Kidney Yin Deficiency, chewing a very small piece of asparagus

tuber (Tian Men Dong) can relieve the panic. There are other Yin tonic herbs

which target the Kidneys (not all Yin tonic herbs do), but this is one which

is edible and which tastes ok and a person can get benefits from chewing it

without waiting for a tea containing it to cook. It's thermal energy is

cold, so use it cautiously if at all when people have Cold conditions. It's

especially good for lowering Deficiency Fire and has antibiotic properties

against some bacteria and in vitro antineoplastic activity against some

leukemic cells. Its taste is sweet and bitter. The longer you chew, the

obvious the bitter taste becomes, but it's still not that bad.

 

>There are some communications gaps - my TCM is Chinese and at times I don't

>think I understand each other or it could be we don't understand.

>I had also read that ginseng was not that good for women??

 

That's a myth like the one that Dang Gui is just for women. In both cases

it depends on what's best for the individual, not what the gender is. There

are some individual women and some conditions for which ginseng (or Dang

Gui) would be contraidicated. Likewise there are some individual men and

conditions for which ginseng or any other herb would be contraindicated.

 

Victoria

 

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[Guest guest]

Per TCM, she did not see an infection, although it felt as tho I had some

lung congestion, but not overly.

Yes, here it has been quite windy and finally rained last night.

I had having the same sort of irritated eyes, nose feeling w/sneezes last

week. Similar to a month ago.

Btw, am in LA area.

Barometer reads almost 1000 but I have no idea how to read or understand.

I have never been a person who has allergies and never been treated for

them. But I do seem to be sensitive to wind.

 

the effects of Wind and

>TCM,

>but they have observed that many patients do better with the ionizers

>than

>with the plain air cleaners.)

 

 

The ionizer is something you would recommend for me as well?

>

>Wind Cold or Wind Heat can result in allergy-like symptoms - stuffy and

>runny nose and sinuses, headaches, sneezing, achy limbs and neck, etc.

>People frequently have problems telling if these symptoms are due to

>infection, allergy, and/or Wind short of a trip to the doctor and lab

>tests.

 

 

Which lab tests would you suggest?

i work in a hospital and have easy access to lab.

 

>>Had been taking some nutritional

>>support for adrenals which had helped w/panic attacks.

>

>What is in the nutritional support? Has a neonatal adrenal complex

(bovine) 80 mg.

>

>Sometimes Yang tonic and in particular Yin tonic herbs which target the

>Kidneys can stop panic attacks. Panic attacks can arise from many

>different

>causes, so these herbs won't be effective in cases where the anxiety or

>panic isn't due to an underlying Kidney Deficiency. In cases where there

>is

>significant Kidney Yin Deficiency, chewing a very small piece of

>asparagus

>tuber (Tian Men Dong) can relieve the panic. There are other Yin tonic

>herbs

>which target the Kidneys (not all Yin tonic herbs do), but this is one

>which

>is edible and which tastes ok and a person can get benefits from chewing

>it

>without waiting for a tea containing it to cook. It's thermal energy is

>

>cold, so use it cautiously if at all when people have Cold conditions.

>It's

>especially good for lowering Deficiency Fire and has antibiotic

>properties

>against some bacteria and in vitro antineoplastic activity against some

>leukemic cells. Its taste is sweet and bitter. The longer you chew, the

>

>obvious the bitter taste becomes, but it's still not that bad.

>

thank you very much.

 

>-->

>

>

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[Guest guest]

>Per TCM, she did not see an infection, although it felt as tho I had some

>lung congestion, but not overly.

 

There can be lung congestion from other causes besides infection. This can

get really complicated. Sometimes there's congestion due to allergies.

Sometimes acid reflux (in TCM look at the possibility of Liver Invading

Stomach in particular) can irritate and trigger congestion in the lungs.

Lung Qi Not Descending and Kidneys Refusing to Grasp Qi can make for lung

problems. I'm just mentioning these for readers who are interesting in do

further research on breathing problems and lung congestion.

 

BTW, if someone with breathing problems and/or lung congestion has more

trouble breathing in than exhaling, this usually points to a Deficiency

problem in TCM. More trouble exhaling than inhaling or equal problems with

both usually points to Excess.

 

>Yes, here it has been quite windy and finally rained last night.

>I had having the same sort of irritated eyes, nose feeling w/sneezes last

>week. Similar to a month ago.

>Btw, am in LA area.

 

I'm in AZ, and we're getting a lot of what you get. It has been very bad

here today. The wind blew our outside antenna down. Lifted the top half

out of the bottom part and pulled the brackets holding it out of the roof.

Have never had that happen before.

 

I don't know if this is happening in southern CA, but every so many years

weather conditions will trigger allegies in a lot of people in this area.

People who have never had allergies in their lives show up in clinics and

doctors' offices with allergies. The worst time I remember for this was the

spring of 89. It was unusually hot, unusually dry, and unusually windy that

spring. And this area gets a lot of wind in the spring from Feb on into

June in the best of years. This wind was excessive even by standards here.

Anyway, a lot of people ended up in allergy clinics, including many who had

never had allergies in their lives. That spring was so bad and unusual that

weather people on local TV stations still make reference to the spring of

89.

 

Every time that I'm aware of that there has been an unusual increase in

allergy symptoms among people who already have allergies and an increase in

the number of allergy sufferers among people who have never had allergies

before, the weather has been unusual in some way and involves wind.

 

>I have never been a person who has allergies and never been treated for

>them. But I do seem to be sensitive to wind.

 

A lot of people are. When we move, I want a house with a basement for that

reason. When people are Wind sensitive, having a basement can help lessen

the effects of Wind. I'll probably have my office in the basement.

Something to consider in cases of Wind sensitivity besides the possibility

of Protective Qi Deficiency are Blood Deficiency and Blood Stasis problems.

These can cause a person to be more sensitive to Wind (just like Qi

Deficiency and Yang Deficiency can cause a person to be more sensitive to

Exterior Cold) than a person otherwise would be. Also, Liver Blood

Deficiency is one of the things which can trigger Interior Wind.

 

TCM recognizes 3 Pernicious Evils which can make arthritis and rheumatism

worse - Dampness, Cold, and/or Wind.

 

>The ionizer is something you would recommend for me as well?

 

I would say it's worth a try. It helped me a lot. On days when it's windy

I stay inside as much as possible with the windows shut and the air ionizers

on. The weird thing is the pets seem to prefer the rooms with the ionizers

in them. These are their favorite areas to sleep.

 

The air ionizers I have have two filters - a foam washable one and a

disposal one. The disposable filters should have a layer of charcoal in

them. Otherwise too many positive ions could be produced.

 

>Which lab tests would you suggest?

>i work in a hospital and have easy access to lab.

 

Your doctor would be the best source of information for this. Or some good

books from the library.

 

> >>Had been taking some nutritional

> >>support for adrenals which had helped w/panic attacks.

> >

> >What is in the nutritional support? Has a neonatal adrenal complex

>(bovine) 80 mg.

 

It's amazing what supplements can do in some cases. BTW, for readers new to

TCM, the Kidneys are the Organ most likely to be damaged by fear and to

cause a person to be more prone to feeling fear when damaged or suffering

imbalance. So it's not surprising that something which can build up the

Kidneys would help panic attacks when the panic attacks have a root of

Kidney imbalance.

 

There are a lot of different things that can cause panic attacks. About the

most well-known one is respiratory alkalosis. Translation: The CO2 (carbon

dioxide) level in the blood is too low and the pH (measure of

acidity-alkalinity) is too high (too alkaline). The person feels like

s/he's smothering and needs more oxygen, but the O2 level is too high. It's

the CO2 level that needs to be brought up. This is the condition where if

the person will hold his/her breath or breathe into a paper bag (and

rebreathe CO2 just exhaled), the CO2 content of the blood will rise and the

pH will get lower (less alkaline), and the breathing problems and the panic

will stop. The most common cause of respiratory alkalosis is

hyperventilation (breathing too fast and too swallow), and the most common

cause of hyperventilation is anxiety. When the CO2 drops low enough and the

pH rises too high, the anxiety turns into a panic attack.

 

Any breathing problems can result in feelings of anxiety. I used to think

that people who have asthma would know they had asthma, that one minute they

would be fine and the next gasping for breath. It would be obvious. A lot

of times it isn't. A person can have very mild, undiagnosed asthma and not

realize it consciously. But at some level the person does realize it, and

feels a vague sense of anxiety as a result. The person may unconciously

start to breathe more rapidly, and this can increase the anxiety rather ease

it because respiratory alkalosis has been triggered.

 

Some people are sensitive to certain foods. There are a lot of buffering

systems in the body which are supposed to keep pH levels within certain

ranges. But in some individuals these systems don't always act up to par or

get overwhelmed for some reason, plus, the person is unusually sensitive to

minute changes. Changes which wouldn't bother most people, trigger anxiety

in them. Changes in diet to one more alkaline-reacting or more

acidic-reacting can work wonders in them.

 

Speaking of diet, EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids) can trigger problems in some

people. This is a crash primer in EFAs. They're essential like vitamins,

and your body can't make them. If one does not get enough, one can become

very sick and even die.

 

There are 3 main classes - omega-3s, omega-6s, and omega-9s. An omega-6 is

the basic building block of all prostaglandins. There are " good "

prostaglandins which do things like elevate mood. There are " bad "

prostaglandins which do things like promote inflammation, fever, pain,

congestion, etc. The " good " and " bad " are in quotes because sometimes the

body needs " bad " PGs in order to survive, and sometimes too many " good " PGs

can cause problems. It's just that certain factors can tilt a person into

making more " bad " PGs than they need. Four of the main factors that can do

this is advancing age, insulin (watch out hypoglycemics), infection, and

" funny " fats (hydrogenateded and partially hydrogenated fats). Anyway, PGs

are being looked at as possibly playing a role in some non-IgE-mediated food

allergies or sensitivities.

 

Evening primrose oil is very high in omega-6. Some people have problems

because there are not enough omega-6 EFAs in their diet to make enough PGs.

Other people run into problems because they have too many of the " bad " PGs

because they're getting old, they have a chronic infection, they have too

much insulin, or they eat foods with hydrogenated fat in them (which is

quite a few foods because the food industry loves these because they prolong

shelflife and increase profits). However, there is something which will

tilt the body towards making more " good " PGs than " bad " , and this is

omega-3. Oil from cold water fish or flax seed or flax seed oil. Some cases

of depression are responding to increases in omega-3. Some cases of

allegies are responding to increases in omega-3. Not all, but some.

 

TCM recognizes that some foods are Damp producers, and Dampness which hangs

around too long can congel into Phlegm. Any Organ can produce Phlegm, but

the worst offender is the Spleen, so people with weak Spleens tend have

Dampness problems and Phelgm problems. The Organ with the greatest affinity

for collecting Phlegm is the Lungs. Congestion. Dairy is one of the worst

offenders among the Damp producing foods. Ice cream is the champ from a TCM

perspective. It's dairy, it's high in fat, it's sweet, and it's cold - a

quadruple whammy in terms of being Dampness-producing and potentially

damaging to the Spleen. Oranges are Dampness-producing. So is wheat. Rice

is more neutral, and sometimes people who are prone to Dampness have to

switch to rice from wheat as the main grain food.

 

Victoria

 

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