The two main ways toxins are eliminated from the body

[Guest guest]

This is a post for the TCM students and healthcare professionals on

the board:

 

The two main ways toxins are metabolized and eliminated from the

body are by the liver (bile) and the bowel movements and through the

kidneys and urination.

 

It's well-known that attention is paid to the primary way drugs and

metabolized and eliminated from the body. For example, in the case

of severe kidney problems - like renal failure - drugs that are

metabolized mainly by the liver are preferable to those metabolized

mainly by the kidneys. In the case of renal failure, the drugs

metabolized by the kidneys aren't metabolized and eliminated. They

can build up in the body, causing all kinds of problems.

 

The same attention needs to be paid to herbs.

 

One herb you'll see used in formulas for kidney/ Kidney problems

with underlying Roots of Yang Deficiency and/or Cold is Fu Zi, aka

prepared aconite, aka Radix Lateralis Aconiti Carmichaeli

Praeparata. Fu Zi is a very powerful herb with a lot of potential

side effects.

 

" At present, there is no research indicating exactly where Fu Zi is

metabolized, i.e., what percentage of it is metabolized by the liver

or by the kidney. If the kidney is involved in metabolizing Fu Zi

to a large degree, CRF " (Chronic Renal Failure) " patients will take

a longer time to metabolize it than normal individuals. Several

books recommend high dosages of Fu Zi in formulas for CRF. However,

in view of the above, one should be cautious with the dosage of Fu

Zi. One should first determine how well the kidney is functioning,

and then lower the dosage accordingly. To be safe, one should begin

prescribing Fu Zi at no more than one-third to one-half the normal

does. Even when prescribing low dosages, one must carefully monitor

the patient for signs of toxicity. These include burning mounth or

tongue, numbness, excess salization, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea,

dizziness, numbness of the extremities or the whole body, cold

clammy skin, blurred vision, dyspnea, or heart arrhythmia. An

overdose can lead to coma and death.22 " Footnote 22: " Antidotes

include 1-2% tannic acid, emetics, activated charcoal, IV Glucose-

Saline. Use stimulatns and keep the patient warm. " (Clinical

Nephrology in by Wei Li and David Frierman with Ben

Luna and Bob Flaws, p. 260 and p. 264.)

 

A note to the students: Suspected renal failure is one of those

conditions that you will want to get the client to a MD or DO

immediately. In some of these cases dialysis will be needed

immediately. After the person is stabalized, there is quite a bit

that TCM can do in many of these cases. But you'll still want the

person monitored by a MD or DO in order to judge the effectiveness

of the TCM treatment. (There are some modern urinalysis tests that

the ancient Chinese didn't have access to. Things like testing for

protein, casts, and other substances. These tests are very important

in judging the effectiveness of treatment be it allopathic or a

combination of allopathic and TCM.)

[Guest guest]

I am very new to TCM, so this may be an ignorant question. Do toxins not also

eliminate through the skin? And in TCM, is the skin considered an " organ " as it

is sometimes referred to in Western medicine (in fact, the largest organ)?

 

victoria_dragon <victoria_dragon wrote: To:

Chinese Traditional Medicine

" victoria_dragon " <victoria_dragon

Thu, 17 Aug 2006 23:41:07 -0000

[Chinese Traditional Medicine] The two main ways toxins are eliminated from the body

 

 

The two main ways toxins are metabolized and eliminated from the

body are by the liver (bile) and the bowel movements and through the

kidneys and urination.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

 

 

Tamara

 

In memory of Buck, the perfect dog 06/04/95-07/14/06

" The reason behind it all. "

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Talk is cheap. Use Messenger to make PC-to-Phone calls. Great rates

starting at 1¢/min.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Chinese Traditional Medicine , Tamara <savepawsfurever

wrote:

>

> I am very new to TCM, so this may be an ignorant question. Do

toxins not also eliminate through the skin? And in TCM, is the skin

considered an " organ " as it is sometimes referred to in Western

medicine (in fact, the largest organ)?

 

 

Good questions. The skin is kind of an organ in TCM, but more so it

is really where an organ manifests itself. So in the exact sense,

no it's not an organ, but yes the skin's condition is important in

(there are 12 total " organs " if you will, the main

yin organs are the liver, spleen, lungs, heart, and the kidneys.

The main yang organs are the gall bladder, stomach, large

intestines, small intestines and bladder associated with the yin

organs respectively. Then there are some odd ones like the

pericardium (the sac that the heart sits in, considered yin), and

the triple burner (no western equivalent). The organ that manifests

itself in the skin is the lung channel. The way I remember this is

that the skin " breathes " , and so do the lungs. And to answer your

question on being able to eliminate through the skin, yes you've got

it the skin is considered an eliminatory channel, although it is

considered to be a smaller one. I believe there are 4 total

elimination channels, of course the bladder and the bowel (the liver

bile eliminates through this channel), and then the skin, and I

believe the other one is the mouth (but it could be something else),

although the latter two are considered to be smaller, and generally

are not widely used for elimination (again this is generally, and

there would be instances where they would be used).

 

Very good questions, and I hope I answered what you were looking

for. If not, or you have any other questions feel free to ask =)

[Guest guest]

Chinese Traditional Medicine , Tamara <savepawsfurever

wrote:

>

> I am very new to TCM, so this may be an ignorant question. Do

toxins not also eliminate through the skin? And in TCM, is the skin

considered an " organ " as it is sometimes referred to in Western

medicine (in fact, the largest organ)?

 

The two main ways are Liver/feces and Kidneys/ urine, but TCM does

recognize toxins coming out through the skin. There are herbs that

will help measles, rashes, etc. to erupt so toxins can be eliminated

from the body.

[Guest guest]

Chinese Traditional Medicine , Tamara <savepawsfurever

wrote:

>

> I am very new to TCM, so this may be an ignorant question. Do

toxins not also eliminate through the skin? And in TCM, is the skin

considered an " organ " as it is sometimes referred to in Western

medicine (in fact, the largest organ)?

 

I want to go into more detail on the skin than I went into in the

last post. In addition to the herbs that will help measles, rashes,

etc. to erupt, there are herbs that will trigger sweating so that

Pernicious Evils can be expelled from the body. The Pernicious

Evils are Wind, Cold, Heat, Dampness, Dryness, and Fire. These are

called " Herbs to Release the Exterior. The Exterior is the head,

neck, skin, muscles, meridians, and bones.

 

The common cold and flu are due to Wind Cold or Wind Heat invading

the body. (The effects make the body more vulnerable to germs.)

There are a number of illnesses that fit a model of what is called

the 6 Stages of Cold-Induced Illnesses. During the first two stages,

sweating should be induced with Exterior-Releasing herbs that are

diaphoretic (inducing sweating). But these herbs can make the person

sicker if the illness has progressed beyond the first 2 stages.(Most

of the Exterior-Releasing herbs are diaphoretics though a few of

them aren't. The herbs that help rashes to erupt also are Exterior-

Releasing herbs.)

 

Arthritis (called Painful Obstruction Syndrome or Bi Syndrome in

TCM) is a condition of invasion by Wind, Cold, and/or Damp. The

bones are considered the Exterior in TCM. The treatment is to

Release the Exterior. If the arthritis is chronic one also has to

tonify the Blood and/or Qi.