Lung tissue scaring, random lung pains,low immune system

Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.

When you saw the Chinese doctor, did he give you a diagnosis? What did he do to treat you? - acupuncture?, herbs? If herbs? what did he give you and what response did you have?

From a brief reading of your condition, particularly the low immunity and body pain, the formula that -may- be appropriate is Yu Ping Feng Wan.

Comment by Archived User

I’m by no means a practitioner nor am I as versed in TCM as Mr. Dupuis, but I’d like to contribute to this discussion by letting you know of some success I’ve had with herbs for similar symptoms. When I feel a cold coming on (some people can tell), or at the very least during the first day, I find that Perilla leaf [(Zi Su Ye; 紫蘇葉)][1] is especially helpful. You could mix this in with some green tea and a slice or two of fresh ginger. During times of coughing and extreme pain and/or stiffing sensations in the chest I use Codonopsis or “poor man’s ginseng” [(Dang Shen; 黨參)][2] and it’s amazing. It also greatly boosts energy levels (I too suffer from chronic fatigue). If however you have a lot of phlegm or a rattly cough then it would be a good idea to incorporate some kind of citrus–perhaps aged tangerine peel [(Chen Pi; 陳皮)][3] to clear this and loosen mucosa coagulation. Sometimes you may need a drying herb or two as well, but it really is circumstantial. If this is the case then you could use any of the Atractylodes variety; I would start with the white one [(Bai Zhu; 白朮/白术/白術)][4]. If your problem isn’t moisture but instead dryness that harasses the lungs (and stomach) then Angelica works wonders [(Dang Gui; 當歸)][5]. As far as getting sick all the time, generally speaking one could say that your defenses are running deficient (read: your immune system is suffering in some way). Make sure you get plenty of rest, hydrate well, and eat fruits and veggies on a regular basis. Some herbs which “raise the exterior” (increase your pathogenic defensive barriers)–[補衛氣][6]–may be beneficial to you, like Astragalus [(Huang Qi; 黃芪)][7]. Do you sweat often or at specific times of the day/night? Do you feel overheated or super-chilled sometimes? You should see a TCM practitioner to assess if you have any cold or heat patterns–because this determines which specific herbs to use (“warming” or “cooling”). The pain in the upper-stomach near your back (spine) or the front side (top of chest)? I’ve had ulcers on multiple occasions. Ulcers are usually caused by stomach acid deficiency–not excess, like most believe. Do you use commercial antacids or [NSAIDs][8] (i.e. Advil, Aleve, etc.) frequently? These can damage your GI tract and immune system greatly. A good herb to sooth the GI tract, boost your energy, and help harmonize other herbs to work more efficiently is licorice [(Gan Cao; 甘草)][9]. You should be consulting with a practitioner when using this one though.

There’s no size-one-fits-all guarantee. Also, herbs are usually used in harmony; rarely is only one or a few used. This is to ensure a balanced and gentle kind of healing. Most powders and decoctions utilize between 6 and 12 individual herbs.

Ideally you should see a practitioner at least once, make sure they take your pulse and look at your tongue, and they would be able to make some very specific recommendations. Although we all have ideas, there are multiple (and sometimes many) ways to successfully treat, combat, and cure disease(s)–I know from firsthand experience.