Selected Clinical Case Histories of Liu Duzhou《刘渡舟临证验案精选》

Li X, a 38-year-old male.

He had suffered with persistent migraines for 2 years that remained unresolved despite long periods of treatment. He was introduced to Doctor Liu by a good friend and brought in for a consultation.

Chief complaint: right sided headaches, which commonly extended to the forehead and supraorbital ridge. This was accompanied by an absence of sweating, chills, a runny nose with clear mucus, irritability, a red complexion, dizziness, and poor sleep. The range of motion in his back was limited and he reported tightness in his neck and occipital area that became more severe during his headaches. His tongue was pale with a white coat, and his pulse was floating and slightly rapid.

This was differentiated as being cold pathogen lodged in the taiyang channels, resulting in symptoms of inhibited flow of channel qi.

Treatment required the promotion of sweat to expel pathogens, and unblock taiyang qi, so Kudzu Decoction (gé gēn tāng) was given:

Ephedrae Herba (má huáng) 4g
Puerariae Radix (gé gēn) 18g
Cinnamomi Ramulus (guì zhī) 12g
Paeoniae Radix alba (bái sháo) 12g
Glycyrrhizae Radix praeparata (zhì gān cǎo) 6g
Zingiberis Rhizoma recens (shēng jiāng) 12g
Jujubae Fructus (dà zǎo) 12 pieces.

Ephedrae Herba (má huáng) and Puerariae Radix (gé gēn) were to be decocted first with the froth removed before adding the other ingredients. After taking the decoction, the patient was covered up so a slight sweat could be obtained. He was to avoid drafts and cold.

After taking 3 packets, his back felt warm, which was followed by a mild sweat throughout the body, and a reduction in his headache and neck tension. 15 packets of the same formula were prescribed again, which completely resolved his headaches and neck tension.