Chronic issues

Comment by Archived User

Helllo,

thank you for asking!

I’ve managed to progress a tiny bit and find a few things that make the condition better, but not much.
Lately, I suspect the liver / gallbladder to be the issue.

Comment by Archived User

I’m not surprised that things haven’t improved much for you to be honest. What are your symptoms like currently? I’d like to see a picture of your tongue as well (not the older files you linked on your previous post).

In cases like these, my experience is that the liver/gallbladder is hardly ever the core issue. There are a variety of other things at play with an underlying spleen deficiency as the crux of the issues. This is why so many people have issues for years and years and it often never resolves.

Comment by Archived User

thank you.

This is what my tongue looks like currently.
But as I said, both the coating / fur and the amount of saliva changes from day to day…

Apart from this, I used to have digestive issues - mainly being bloated.

I am taking bentonite clay regularly which seems to help a lot. And also do moxibustion for Stomach 36 and L. intestine 4.

fyi, I am 22 right now.

Comment by Archived User

Do you have acid reflux or any stomach ulcers? Your digestive issues are here to stay until you resolve your chronic spleen deficiency. The cracks on the edges of the tongue, the crackly coating, and the pale color of both the tongue body and coating all indicate you’ve had yin deficiency for a very long time. You have a massive spleen-stomach crack in the middle going on up to the lungs and heart. Your diet needs to be completely re-examined to allow for your spleen channel to recover from years of stress. When the spleen is this distressed for this long, the liver will naturally try to pick up the digestive function that the spleen is normally in charge with but inevitably exhausts enzyme production for digestion (i.e. gallbladder issues arise). Your gallbladder issues are secondary to the white elephant in the room. Yin deficiency also arises from spleen deficiency–only wherein it goes on for years (probably decades in your case) unchecked.

Comment by Archived User

thank you! I really do appreciate all your advice.

I will definitely look into getting my yin deficiency in check long-term.

Also, I am trying to pinpoint the short-term cause, as the condition of my tongue (especially the coating) changes quite often usually every 3-4 days.

Comment by Archived User

You will be going in circles trying to find the “short-term cause” since you have such severe yin deficiency that your body cannot retain the little blood and qi that your spleen channel attempts to transmute. This is why the tongue coating appears to go in cycles for you. Yin deficiency is a sign of serious debility–since it’s the last type of deficiency to take root following blood, Qi, and Yang deficiencies (respectively). If you go years with little sleep, excessive drug/alcohol use, and/or poor lifestyle choices (including diet) this is an overall condition that your body needs to recover from only via a thorough and diligent regimen of permanent dietary changes, lifestyle changes, and significant herbal supplementation.

Comment by Archived User

I completely agree. I already am going in circles, dealing with this issue for more than 4 years now. Western medicine, TCM… I went through it all.
The thing is, my lifestyle (and diet) is pretty good… and I do actually feel good as well.

My only problem is the tongue and skin eczema (which I have since I was a kid).

Comment by Archived User

one more question sir.

Based on the tongue, what makes you certain that it’s yin deficiency ?
The cracks indeed point to it, as well as the dryness in mouth and throat, however as I’ve done some research, lack of yin (ie. too much heat) is associated with a red tongue, with no coating at all.

Thank you.

Comment by Archived User

1. A “good diet” is a broad statement. Your tongue does not show this to be true; that huge crack indicates that you’re not absorbing nutrients from your digestive tract properly and/or your immune system (or immune response) is not functioning properly. If I may ask: what is your typical diet like? Can you describe it? How often do you eat? What are your portions like? At what temperature do you take food or how is it cooked? Etc.

2. I have a lot of clients say that they feel well. It’s a bit of a misnomer since almost all who make this claim are simply not aware of their issues or do not sense the degree of severity at which patterns are present in the body. You’re also young, so there’s a high chance that your body is still able to compensate for the imbalances you manifest.

3. The tongue doesn’t lie. What I mean by this is that the tongue is a window into the inner workings of the body; it represents what’s going on. Your tongue itself is not the issue–it’s the messenger telling us about the issues going on.

4. Eczema further reinforces the diagnosis of Yin deficiency. Regarding your comment about Yin deficiency, heat, and a red tongue: Yin deficiency is not dependent on the presence of heat. It can exist without heat signs (such as with your case). Also, eczema is an expression of superficial heat, associated with Lung meridian issues and can even explain for blood and/or Liver meridian issues as well. Take note that in the depths of that crack the color is a deep reddish purple–indicating both heat and/or blood stagnation. There are some signs of heat on your tongue, but I believe them to be superficially expressed and not internally sourced (internal heat as seen in classical representations of Yin deficiency from Yin Fire talk about very red tongues). If you have concomitant Yin and Qi deficiency (which is highly plausible in your case) then you will have the kind of white, speckled, cracked coating that you exhibit. I would be inclined to bet your eczema comes from acute lung heat rising to the surface as the result of deficiency–which is based upon a chronic deficient Spleen at the very core of the issue.

If you would like further consultation, please arrange an appointment with me. My Skype ID is fujiyokocookiecutter. The first consult is free.

Comment by Archived User

Ok, I understand. Thank you for the explanation.

I will gladly take the skype session, and answer the above questions.

I feel that you’re very knowledgeable and willing to help - and the first to actually direct me to a specific condition!

We can have a brief call and go from there.
I added you now on skype, hopefully the correct name - as I’ve found two people.

If my assumption that you’re living in a different time zone than me (Germany) is correct, then we should arrange a time - I don’t have a problem adjusting to your schedule if necessary.

Comment by Archived User

My skype ID is fujiyokocookiecutter. Yes I’m in the United States (CST), so I believe you are 6 hours ahead of me. I can do a meeting on Friday at 2 pm (8 pm for you)–is this ok?

Comment by Archived User

ok, great.
It might be the other account (found two with the exact same name), as this one has the location stated as Taiwan. Correct me if I am wrong though… I am on skype as michalramzes1.

Yes, Friday at 8pm should be fine. I can let you know in advance, in case something changes, as I am travelling on that day and have 2 other meetings as well. But I’ll make this my priority.

Comment by Archived User

Yes that’s me. I used to live in Taiwan. I received your request and accepted it. See you then.

Comment by Archived User

Dietary recommendations to benefit the spleen (and Yin as well):

• balance the amount of food you eat cooked with that of what you eat raw (for now)
• avoid eating meat with every meal
• eat plenty of vegetables
• it is better to eat more meals with smaller portions than it is for less meals with larger portions
• try to eat at regular intervals each day and on the weekends
• try not to eat less than 3 hours before bed
• do not wait a long time before eating your first meal of the day
• avoid strong or “heavy” flavors and spices (including pungent tea–like peppermint)
• limit oily, greasy, or fatty foods
• do not eat dairy and fruit during the same meal together (dairy is ok for you)

• good food choices: apples, pears, peaches, melon, rice, millet, steamed vegetables, asparagus, bok choy, gai lan, yu choy, watercress, kohlrabi, lotus root, radish, mushrooms, onions, duck, lamb, tuna, freshwater fish, squash, cabbage, organic butter or ghee, almond butter, marzipan, honey, ginger