Gallstones Chinese Medicine Diagnosis

Gallstones are usually detected only in serious cases because the patient's body has almost no reaction at the beginning of the disease. Only when the patient feels pain and goes to the hospital for examination can the location of the gallstones be found. After the gallstones are found, most people will take surgical treatment. So can gallstones really be treated by TCM differentiation of symptoms?

Gallstones usually have no obvious symptoms in the early stages and are mostly discovered during routine physical examinations. Sometimes, mild discomfort may be mistaken for stomach problems and not promptly treated.

Some single or multiple gallstones exist freely in the gallbladder, are not easily incarcerated, and rarely cause symptoms. They are called asymptomatic gallstones. Small stones in the gallbladder may become lodged in the neck of the gallbladder, causing clinical symptoms. Symptoms may be aggravated by gallbladder contraction after eating a greasy meal or by changes in body position during sleep. The principles of TCM treatment of gallstones are holistic concept and treatment based on syndrome differentiation.

1. Liver-gallbladder damp-heat type: Liver-gallbladder damp-heat is a symptom of damp-heat stagnation in the liver and gallbladder. The main clinical manifestations are distension and pain in the ribs, bitter taste in the mouth, poor appetite, nausea, abdominal distension, irregular bowel movements, short and red urine, red tongue with yellow and greasy coating, and a stringy, slippery and rapid pulse; there may also be yellowing of the body and eyes; alternation of chills and fever; scrotal eczema; swollen and hot testicles; or yellow and smelly vaginal discharge, vulvar itching, etc.

Prescription: Choleretic and Lithotomy Decoction: 12 grams of Bupleurum, 15 grams of White Peony Root, 30 grams of Centella asiatica, 12 grams of Curcuma Herba, 10 grams of Pollen Typhae, 10 grams of Aconiti Lateralis Preparata, and 10 grams of Licorice. Decoction in water, 1 dose per day, twice a day. It has the effects of promoting bile secretion, removing stones, benefiting the spleen and relieving pain.

Indications: Damp-heat stagnation in the liver and gallbladder, and gallstones caused by the rebellion against the middle earth.

2. Internal accumulation of dampness and heat: Dampness and heat accumulate in the middle burner, spleen, stomach, liver and gallbladder. Dampness is a heavy, turbid, and sticky evil that blocks the Qi flow. When combined with heat, the dampness and heat become intertwined. Heat is difficult to resolve due to the obstruction of dampness, and dampness is evaporated by heat, further damaging the Yang Qi. The clinical manifestations include lingering fever, high fever in the afternoon, heaviness and fatigue, drowsiness, chest and abdominal fullness, loss of appetite, sticky and uncomfortable stools, difficult or yellow or red urination, or jaundice. Prescription: Dehumidifying and Stone-Removing Soup: 15 grams of Oldenlandia Diffusa, 15 grams of Wild Chrysanthemum, 10 grams of Rhubarb Processed with Wine, 10 grams of Citrus Aurantium, 15 grams of Polygonum Cuspidatum, 15 grams of Curcuma, and 30 grams of Centella asiatica. Decoction in water, 1 dose per day, twice a day. It has the effects of soothing the liver and regulating qi, promoting bile secretion and removing stones.

Indications: Internal accumulation of dampness and heat, which forms gallstones over time.

3. Liver depression and Qi stagnation type: Liver depression and Qi stagnation syndrome refers to the symptoms manifested by Qi stagnation due to abnormal liver's function of dispersing and discharging, and insufficient dispersing and discharging. The clinical manifestations are depression, fullness and pain in the chest, flanks or lower abdomen, sighing, or a foreign body sensation in the throat, or a goiter in the neck, or a lump under the ribs. Women may experience breast tenderness, irregular menstruation, and dysmenorrhea. The tongue coating is thin white and the pulse is stringy. The severity of the disease is closely related to mood changes.