RE: Stop lactation?

September 7, 2005

Hi Freddy & Attilio,

Attilio D'Alberto wrote:

> My texts suggest needling Zulingqi (GB41) and Guangming (GB37) with

> reducing method followed by ten minutes of moxa. Treat once daily for

> 3-5 days. Otherwise, decoct 60g of Mai Ya. Warm regards, Attilio

> D'Alberto

Also: GB21

http://www.herbalabs.org/Hua_Jiao.htm says: According to one report,

163 women who wanted to stop lactation immediately after labor were

treated with one 400 mg capsule of Huajiao, tid for 3-4 days, with a

93.9% rate of effectiveness. The herbal capsule was prepared by

grinding the herb into powder and placing it in capsules. 7

Indian Sage Tea (drunk tid) also is said to stop lactation. Parsley,

Thyme, Yarrow & Black Walnut are also mentioned as antilactagogues.

http://herbalgram.org/naturemade/herbclip/review.asp?i=42145 says:

Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus), castor, and jasmine (Jasminum

sambao) apparently exert both lactagogue and antilactagogue effects, a

seemingly contradictory phenomenon known as an amphoteric or

bidirectional normalizing effect. Sage (Salvia officinalis) has a reputation

as an antilactagogue although no supporting evidence is available in the

medical literature.

Also, consider diuretics / laxatives to divert fluid elsewhere.

Best regards,

Tel: (H): +353-(0) or (M): +353-(0)

Ireland.

Tel: (W): +353-(0) or (M): +353-(0)

" Man who says it can't be done should not interrupt man doing it " -

Chinese Proverb

October 12, 2006

Hi all -

Does anyone have clinical experience/success in stopping lactation

rather than just theoretical? I pulled the below from a discussion a

year ago, did anyone try these, acupuncture or herbs?

I have a client in a lot of pain with 'cauliflower' breasts b/c it

won't stop flowing. (she nursed this baby past 2 years)

Any women out there with personal experience as I need to keep

abreast with what works.

thank you,

george

On Sep 6, 2005, at 8:34 PM, wrote:

> Hi Freddy & Attilio,

>

> Attilio D'Alberto wrote:

>> My texts suggest needling Zulingqi (GB41) and Guangming (GB37) with

>> reducing method followed by ten minutes of moxa. Treat once daily for

>> 3-5 days. Otherwise, decoct 60g of Mai Ya. Warm regards, Attilio

>> D'Alberto

>

> Also: GB21

>

> http://www.herbalabs.org/Hua_Jiao.htm says: According to one report,

> 163 women who wanted to stop lactation immediately after labor were

> treated with one 400 mg capsule of Huajiao, tid for 3-4 days, with a

> 93.9% rate of effectiveness. The herbal capsule was prepared by

> grinding the herb into powder and placing it in capsules. 7

>

> Indian Sage Tea (drunk tid) also is said to stop lactation. Parsley,

> Thyme, Yarrow & Black Walnut are also mentioned as antilactagogues.

>

> http://herbalgram.org/naturemade/herbclip/review.asp?i=42145 says:

> Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus), castor, and jasmine (Jasminum

> sambao) apparently exert both lactagogue and antilactagogue effects, a

> seemingly contradictory phenomenon known as an amphoteric or

> bidirectional normalizing effect. Sage (Salvia officinalis) has a

> reputation

> as an antilactagogue although no supporting evidence is available

> in the

> medical literature.

>

> Also, consider diuretics / laxatives to divert fluid elsewhere.

>

> Best regards,

>

> Tel: (H): +353-(0) or (M): +353-(0)

>

> Ireland.

> Tel: (W): +353-(0) or (M): +353-(0)

>

> " Man who says it can't be done should not interrupt man doing it " -

> Chinese Proverb

>

October 13, 2006

In my experience the best treatments for reducing/ stopping lactation

are breast binding and higher dose sage. (Salvia officinalis, not

miltiorrhiza. Sage is considered to be an " antigalactagogue " ) Breast

binding is commonly used by midwives/ nurses to help reduce lactation

in women who have lost babies. (I mean binding the breasts flat to the

chest, nothing kinky. Putting pressure on the breast tissue reduces the

let down and production of milk.)

IMO the woman you described will need to express some milk when

the breasts become too full and lumpy. Getting in a hot shower and

expressing some milk then, or placing warm washcloths on the breast

will also help if they are really hard. Just enough for the breasts to feel

comfortable again, they dont need to be emptied the way you would if

you were expressing milk to feed a baby. As long as the breasts are

not being regularly emptied, and the let down reflex is not stimulated,

then the amount of milk produced will reduce. However, some women

report that they can still squeeze a small amount of milk out even

years after cessation of breast feeding, but the amount is small enough

that this isnt generally associated with any discomfort.

I have looked into CM herbs to reduce lactation, and from memory I

think huang lian was one that was mentioned. I have not tried it. Does

anybody think that herbs with an astringent action in CM would be

helpful?

Sage is used often and successfully, so is worth a try.

Regards,

Lea.

Chinese Medicine , George

Mandler <gmandler wrote:

>

> Hi all -

> Does anyone have clinical experience/success in stopping lactation

> rather than just theoretical? I pulled the below from a discussion a

> year ago, did anyone try these, acupuncture or herbs?

>

> I have a client in a lot of pain with 'cauliflower' breasts b/c it

> won't stop flowing. (she nursed this baby past 2 years)

> Any women out there with personal experience as I need to keep

> abreast with what works.

>

> thank you,

> george

>

> On Sep 6, 2005, at 8:34 PM, wrote:

>

> > Hi Freddy & Attilio,

> >

> > Attilio D'Alberto wrote:

> >> My texts suggest needling Zulingqi (GB41) and Guangming

(GB37) with

> >> reducing method followed by ten minutes of moxa. Treat once

daily for

> >> 3-5 days. Otherwise, decoct 60g of Mai Ya. Warm regards, Attilio

> >> D'Alberto

> >

> > Also: GB21

> >

> > http://www.herbalabs.org/Hua_Jiao.htm says: According to one

report,

> > 163 women who wanted to stop lactation immediately after labor

were

> > treated with one 400 mg capsule of Huajiao, tid for 3-4 days, with a

> > 93.9% rate of effectiveness. The herbal capsule was prepared by

> > grinding the herb into powder and placing it in capsules. 7

> >

> > Indian Sage Tea (drunk tid) also is said to stop lactation. Parsley,

> > Thyme, Yarrow & Black Walnut are also mentioned as

antilactagogues.

> >

> > http://herbalgram.org/naturemade/herbclip/review.asp?i=42145

says:

> > Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus), castor, and jasmine (Jasminum

> > sambao) apparently exert both lactagogue and antilactagogue

effects, a

> > seemingly contradictory phenomenon known as an amphoteric or

> > bidirectional normalizing effect. Sage (Salvia officinalis) has a

> > reputation

> > as an antilactagogue although no supporting evidence is available

> > in the

> > medical literature.

> >

> > Also, consider diuretics / laxatives to divert fluid elsewhere.

> >

> > Best regards,

> >

> > Tel: (H): +353-(0) or (M): +353-(0)

> >

> > Ireland.

> > Tel: (W): +353-(0) or (M): +353-(0)

> >

> > " Man who says it can't be done should not interrupt man doing it " -

> > Chinese Proverb

> >

October 13, 2006

Re: Stop lactation?

I don't have clinical experience, just personal, and knowledge of

" wet-nurses " . There are controlling factors in the mind and heart, as

Lactation can re-occur even years later after it has ceased. When a hungry

baby cries while you are shopping, visiting, etc. lactation can start again,

even when you don't know or see the baby. If you believe in breast-feeding

it happens naturally. Eventually a balance happens.

It is not always ruled by what you want to happen. We are complex creatures.

Lactation can occur in mammals who have never given birth.

Sincerely, Edith

> 2. Re: Stop lactation?

> Posted by: " George Mandler " gmandler g_mandler

> Thu Oct 12, 2006 5:40 am (PDT)

>

> Hi all -

> Does anyone have clinical experience/success in stopping lactation

> rather than just theoretical? I pulled the below from a discussion a

> year ago, did anyone try these, acupuncture or herbs?

>

> I have a client in a lot of pain with 'cauliflower' breasts b/c it

> won't stop flowing. (she nursed this baby past 2 years)

> Any women out there with personal experience as I need to keep

> abreast with what works.

>

> thank you,

> george

>

> On Sep 6, 2005, at 8:34 PM, wrote:

>

> > Hi Freddy & Attilio,

> >

> > Attilio D'Alberto wrote:

> >> My texts suggest needling Zulingqi (GB41) and Guangming (GB37) with

> >> reducing method followed by ten minutes of moxa. Treat once daily for

> >> 3-5 days. Otherwise, decoct 60g of Mai Ya. Warm regards, Attilio

> >> D'Alberto

October 14, 2006

Chinese Medicine , " Edith "

<woodstone wrote:

>

>> Lactation can re-occur even years later after it has ceased. When a

hungry

> baby cries while you are shopping, visiting, etc. lactation can start

again,

> even when you don't know or see the baby. If you believe in breast-

feeding

> it happens naturally. Eventually a balance happens.

> It is not always ruled by what you want to happen. We are complex

creatures.

> Lactation can occur in mammals who have never given birth.

> Sincerely, Edith

Thats true, it seems to depend on the woman and her emotional and

physical makeup. I know a lady who started lactating before she had

ever experienced a pregnancy because there was a hungry baby in the

house. Years later, she would still have milk start to let down if she

was around a new born. Luckily though, she never experienced any

engorgement or discomfort from this.

Eventually milk supply will regulate to a comfortable level, but in the

meantime, if the woman is experiencing a lot of pain from engorged

breasts, then I think something needs to be done to help her. If there

is pain, then the breast tissue is being damaged! And if left too long,

then there can be mastitis and infection, sometimes even bad enough to

need surgical intervention. Thats why I think that some milk should be

expressed when the breasts get too full, and let the supply taper off

more slowly.

When studying western pharmacology, I remember feeling very bad for

those people who had been medicated (and are still medicated) with old

generation antipsychotics that could result in gynaecomastia and

lactation, even in men. (And a host of other things.) Just what you

need when your in the middle of a psychosis!

Complex animals, indeed.

Regards,

Lea.

>

October 15, 2006

I mentioned this last time and got dismissed apparantly because it wasn't a TCM

treatment, whatever, we have many tools and it works.

Try putting a cabbage leaf inside the bra, leave it there until wilted, continue

to do this until she dries up. It is very effective and fast. I was extremeley

engorged to the point of being unable to nurse and this worked wonders at drying

up some of the milk. It is widely used by midwives, one discretion though is

for any patient who is using it to help with engorgement and not to completely

stop lactation should only use it 15 minutes at a time.

And I agree with letting out some of the milk with massage in a hot shower so

she does not get mastitis, I've had that too and wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Julie

October 16, 2006

Dear Lea,

Yes the western herbs can be very good but from a Chinese

medicine perspective the herb Mai Ya given in large doses 20-30g of

concentrated extract powder can also be effective. I am a distributor

for KPC so always use this brand especially due to the quality control

employed.

Lorraine Hodgkinson.

October 16, 2006

Julie,

Do you know if there is a difference between different kinds of

cabbage (ie. red, white etc.)? Which one did you use with success?

Thanks, Tymothy

Chinese Medicine , " Julie Ormonde,

L.Ac. " <cariadanam wrote:

>

> I mentioned this last time and got dismissed apparantly because it

wasn't a TCM treatment, whatever, we have many tools and it works.

> Try putting a cabbage leaf inside the bra, leave it there until

wilted, continue to do this until she dries up. It is very effective

and fast. I was extremeley engorged to the point of being unable to

nurse and this worked wonders at drying up some of the milk. It is

widely used by midwives, one discretion though is for any patient who

is using it to help with engorgement and not to completely stop

lactation should only use it 15 minutes at a time.

>

> And I agree with letting out some of the milk with massage in a hot

shower so she does not get mastitis, I've had that too and wouldn't

wish it on anyone.

>

> Julie

>

October 16, 2006

Not knowing when I first tried I used purple cabbage all it did was make my

boobs purple Use the green!

Julie

-

miracles28

Chinese Medicine

Monday, October 16, 2006 12:11 PM