Folio Bound VIEWS - Chinese Medicine

brown coating.

Case History 3.1

Breathlessness: Liver-Fire Invading the Lungs-Female, Age 33

A 33-year-old woman had been suffering from breathlessness for the previous two years. She
found it difficult to breathe out and her attacks were elicited by emotional stress. She also felt
easily thirsty and experienced a bitter taste in her mouth occasionally. She had frequent
headaches on the temples of a throbbing nature and she felt generally wound-up and frustrated.
She also felt easily hot and occasionally had palpitations. Her pulse was Wiry and her tongue
was Red with redder sides and tip, with a shallow midline Heart-crack. The sides also had red
points.

Diagnosis This was a very clear case of breathlessness due to Liver-Fire rebelling
upwards towards the chest and obstructing the Lungs. It was also clearly
due to emotional tensions mostly to do with her relationship with her
father. Although Liver-Fire was the main problem, there was also some
Heart-Fire as shown by the shallow Heart-crack, red tip of the tongue
and palpitations.

Treatment She was treated with herbs only with the following variation of Long
Dan Xie Gan Tang Gentiana Draining the Liver Decoction.

Long Dan Cao Radix Gentianae scabrae 6 g

Huang Qin Radix Scutellariae baicalensis 4 g

Shan Zhi Zi Fructus Gardeniae jasminoidis 4 g

Ze Xie Rhizoma Alismatis orientalis 6 g

Mu Tong Caulis Akebiae 3 g

Sheng Di Huang Radix Rehmanniae glutinosae 6 g

Chai Hu Radix Bupleuri 6 g

Suan Zao Ren Semen Ziziphi spinosae 6 g

He Huan Pi Cortex Albizziae julibrissin 6 g

Hou Po Cortex Magnoliae officinalis 3 g

Su Zi Fructus Perillae frutescentis 6 g

Zhi Gan Cao Radix Glycyrrhizae uralensis praeparata 3 g

This is almost like the original decoction with the addition of Suan Zao

Ren Semen Ziziphi spinosae and He Huan Pi Cortex Albizziae julibrissin

to calm the Mind, and Hou Po Cortex Magnoliae officinalis to relieve

fullness of the chest and also to calm the Mind.

The treatment stopped her breathlessness and helped her to calm down

and achieve a more balanced emotional life.