Is TCM effective in treating genital herpes?

In addition to basic medication, Chinese medicine conditioning treatment is also effective for the treatment of genital herpes. Chinese herbal medicines such as Gardenia, Strychnos nux vomica, Angelica sinensis, and Rehmannia glutinosa are all used to treat genital herpes. You should also pay attention to your reproductive health and hygiene.

1. Genital herpes due to damp-heat syndrome

Common symptoms include clusters of blisters in the genital area with red halos or erosions around them, and mild itching. Symptoms include yellow or red urine, bitter taste in the mouth, thirst, a red tongue with a yellow and greasy coating, and a stringy and slippery pulse. This is due to a preference for fatty, sweet, greasy and spicy foods, or an addiction to smoking and drinking, which damages the spleen and stomach, causing the spleen to lose its healthy function, allowing water and dampness to accumulate inside the body, which turns into heat and then flows down to the liver meridian. Damp heat accumulates in the lower abdomen and flows into the genitals, causing genital herpes. The treatment principle should be to clear away heat and dampness. The prescription is often Longdan Xiegan Decoction with modifications: gentian 10g, gardenia 10g, scutellaria 10g, bupleurum 10g, plantain seed (package) 10g, raw rehmannia 10g, angelica 10g, akebia 10g, raw licorice 10g. In the formula, gentian clears away damp-heat in the liver meridian; gardenia, scutellaria, and bupleurum are combined with gentian to clear the liver and promote bile secretion; plantain seed and akebia clear away heat and dampness; radix rehmanniae and angelica cool the blood and promote blood circulation; and raw licorice harmonizes all the medicines. For patients with large blisters, erosion and exudation, add 30g of raw coix seed and 10g of Artemisia capillaris; for patients with constipation, add 6g of raw rhubarb (to be taken later). The existing Chinese patent medicine Longdan Xiegan Pills, 6 to 8 grams each time, 3 times a day, with warm water.

2. Genital herpes due to toxic heat accumulation syndrome

The genital herpes is large and red, with local swelling and obvious pain, enlarged inguinal lymph nodes, or low fever, difficulty urinating, red tongue, and slippery and rapid pulse. This is due to unclean sexual intercourse, external infection with lust toxins, and the accumulation of toxic heat in the genitals and accumulation in the local skin and mucous membranes. The treatment principle should be clearing away heat and detoxifying. The prescription often used is the Qingdu Shengsheng Decoction with modifications: 30g of honeysuckle, 30g of radix trichosanthis, 30g of dandelion, 15g of angelica, 10g of raw licorice, and 30g of isatis root. In the formula, honeysuckle is the main medicine for clearing away heat and detoxifying; Radix Trichosanthis detoxifies and drives away rot; dandelion and isatis root cooperate with the main medicine to enhance the therapeutic effect; angelica and raw licorice nourish blood, activate blood circulation, and harmonize all the medicines. If the urine is yellow or red, and urination is painful or difficult, add 15g of Verbena officinalis, 10g of Gastrodia elata, and 10g of Lophatherum gracile; if the lymph nodes are swollen and painful, add 30g of Phragmites australis and 10g of Prunella vulgaris.

3. Genital herpes due to kidney deficiency

It is common in recurrent genital herpes, where the herpes is small when dry and has no subjective symptoms, but it often recurs. This is due to insufficient kidney qi and the incomplete elimination of the evil toxins of lust. The kidney opens up to the front and back yin. Excessive sexual activity, dampness, heat, or prolonged sexual immorality can damage the kidney yin. Over time, the yin is damaged and the yang is weakened, which can also lead to kidney yang deficiency. Kidney Yin and Kidney Yang are the most precious substances in the human body, which control the Yin and Yang of the whole body. When the Yin and Yang of the kidneys are damaged, the Yin and Yang of the human body will be out of balance and the disease will easily recur. Due to insufficient kidney qi, it is often accompanied by soreness in the waist and knees and general fatigue. People with yin deficiency often have fever in the five hearts, insomnia, dreaminess, spermatorrhea, premature ejaculation, red tongue with little coating, and a weak pulse. Those with insufficient kidney yang often have cold hands and feet, abdominal cramps, pale tongue with thin coating, and deep and fine pulse. The treatment principle is to tonify the kidney mainly, supplemented by detoxification and dehumidification. The commonly used prescription is Liuwei Dihuang Pills with modifications: 10g each of raw and cooked rehmannia, 15g of yam, 10g of cornus fruit, 10g of wolfberry, 15g of poria, 10g of oriental water plantain, 10g of moutan bark, and 10g of isatis root.