Hi ladies....

hope you're all having a lovely morning so far?!

I have been googling my main symptom that has been bothering me since peri and now menopause. (loose bowel movements ), and have stumbled upon 'spleen qi deficiency'
which does not mean there is something seriously wring with your spleen, but the energy flow (qi or chi) is blocked, and you have 'DAMPNESS'.

Spleen Qi deficiency has many manifestations including: fatigue, loose stools, pale face, tired eyes, dislike of cold greasy foods, indigestion, bloating and gas, weak pulse, shallow breathing and a tongue that is pale or normal with teethmark sides....to name the main ones.

Well....I have ALL the above mentioned symptoms!

SQD is brought on by a lot of stress (ME!)...and poor dietary choices building up too much mucus etc.,

To treat this, the info says, to eat warming foods.....no raw/uncooked foods, stay off dairy - which is mucus forming - sugar, alcohol, caffeine (so things like soups, stews or add ginger to a salad) drink ginger and cinnamon teas, take acidophilus supplements...AND acupuncture will unblock the meridians to let the chi flow.

There is a lot more to this, but above is the main info....

Anyone have an input on this?

Caz

So...I'm assuming no-one knows anything about this as no-one has commented!

oh well...it was worth a try!

Sorry, I don't know about it but I keep checking this thread to see if anyone else might have some info on it.

Never heard of it, sorry. Maybe it's not 'spleen qi deficiency'?? Maybe it's just loose stools due to hormone fluctuations??? Boy, there's a name for everything these days

I just googled it and found this:

Symptoms of Spleen Qi Deficiency
Weakness, lethargy
Pale, bright face
Shallow breathing
Low, soft voice
Little desire to speak
Poor appetite
Prolonged headache
Fatigue
Loose stools

I use to call this exhaustion

I have heard of it before but don't know alot about it. It sounds interesting though. I am fascinated by what chinese medicine and acupuncturists can do. I was going to an acupuncturist for my anxiety but had to quit going for money reasons. Not cheap but it does work!

When I consulted an acupuncturist last year I was also diagnosed with Spleen Qi Deficiency along with Liver Qi Stagnation something or rather, I can't quite remember how she put it. I had 2 sessions of acupuncture but came out feeling worse than ever. Something she did with the needles in my hands made my carpal tunnel flare up alarmingly so I didn't go back for anymore, like I needed anymore ailments to add to my ever growing list at the time. It was at this time that I was tapering off my AD and experiencing terrible withdrawal symptoms and I had read that acupuncture was great for drug withdrawal but not for me.

I had been having acupuncture at this time for a back injury but musculoskeletal acupuncture can have an entirely different effect than regular acupuncture depending on it's administration as I responded extremely well to the acupuncture my physical therapist applied to my injury.

I went to my local library and got out every book I could find on acupuncture to enlighten myself and make an informed choice before embarking on it but it still didn't agree with me. In theory it sounded wonderful and seems to have great success with many people but not for some of us more sensitive ones



Rox

I have been going to acupuncture on and off for a long time and my major issues are spleen and kidney -- deficiency, dampness, and cold. These are Chinese medicine terms. They would treat you with acupuncture needles, probably some moxabustion, and maybe some herbs if you wanted them. There is a book by Paul Pitchford called (I think) "Healing With Whole Foods" that uses Chinese medicine as the basis for dietary advice. You'd find a lot of information about dampness, spleen, stagnation, deficiency, etc. in there if you're looking to tailor a diet that might address spleen deficiency.

Missy

Hi Missy...

What were your main symptoms before going to the acupuncturist?.... have you seen any changes since you have been going, as I don't want to embark on that route if it is going to take me several visits with no results...it's an expensive treatment!

Caz

caz-art: I've been to an acupuncturist for back pain, and it did help. However, I also went through a period several months ago where I would have diarrhea every morning (like 10-30 times) then it would go away. I was weak, nauseated, and afriad something awful was wrong with me. I looked at some websites that deal with Chinese medicine, and was informed that I had a deficiency in my spleen.

I hope I don't offend you with what I'm about to say, but i think it's complete nonsense. Supposedly my spleen was 'overheated.' That's physically impossible, and how would one measure it anyways? There's a website called 'quackwatch'...I won't post the url, but it's easy to find if you just google the name. They have a lot to say about Chinese medicine...it's worth a read.

I eventually was diagnosed with an intestinal infection, and a round of antibiotics cleared it up right away. I asked the gastroenterologist about the spleen thing, and he and I had an interesting conversation. He spent a good deal of time in China, and is interested in their very different view of health and the human body. There isn't enough emphasis on maintenance of good health in westernized medicine....it's really 'disease care' not health care. Our lives are often wildly out of balance, with too much emphasis on making money and pleasing our demanding employers. We don't accept the aging process, and fight to keep our bodies in an unachievable and often unhealthy appearance. I do believe, and this doctor agreed, that if more attention were paid to the patient as a 'whole', and to making peace and harmony a priority above everything else, there would be a lot less illness in the world. That, however, was where his admiration for Chinese medicine ended. The 'qi' or life force, as they refer to it, cannot be medically proven, at least not by our scientific method. There is a wide school of thought that acupuncture works by simply stimulating the release of serotonin, dopamine, and other 'feel good' chemicals that our brains normally produce when pain is introduced (and although it's totally bearable, believe me when I tell you that having 200 needles stuck into your body does produce pain!)

Most Chinese medicine is based on folk lore, tradition, and the fact that this ginormous country has huge sections that are agri-based and have to rely on local herbs, spices, and home-made remedies for illness.

I could be wrong about all of this...heck, these days I change my mind every five minutes. I'm interested in alternative medicine--very much so, in fact....but I still maintain that the scientific method is the best standard for testing that we have. The body/mind connection is an area I would love to know more about...I think we dismiss too many things as 'all in our heads' when in fact, ANYTHING 'in our heads' can cause our bodies to become sick, heal, die, etc.

But an overheated spleen? I'm suspicious of this kind of diagnosis.

Again, hope I didn't offend anyone by this...it's a great conversation topic...I actually hope others have comments to make...(thanks caz!)

-Robin

I don't think it's nonsense, but I think the same illnesses may have different names. I mean, one culture might call it Spleen Qi Deficiency, another culture might call it Epstein-Barr. I'm not saying the Qui Deficiency IS Epstein-Barr... I'm just trying to make the point that different cultures have different names for the same symptoms.

I say whatever works. Whatever makes you feel better is okay in my book!!!

Robin/Leanne....

I don't think what you're saying is nonsense at all....I understand your skepticism.

I started with all this alternative medicine after a few of my close friends began having amazing results.

One of my friends had luck with acupuncture, maybe with lesser issues, but nonetheless it worked!....severe constipation was relieved that very same day and also
pregnancy nausea.

I guess my fill of Dr.'s who have little time or real interest in my issues have taught me to seek alternative medicine.

I agree with the mind/body connection...and I believe the energy centres become blocked and we need to completely relax, become centred and calm to unblock them and let the 'chi' flow. I began a meditation class back in November and it is amazing!.....there is a guy - who happens to be a fellow Brit by coincidence - who has been practicing it since he was a teenager, and also his Dad has done it for 30 years and you would not believe how happy and calm they both are...in fact his Dad, who was visiting from UK, told me that after learning the art of clearing the mind and becoming centred, you are able to deal with everything life throws at you in a more calm and pragmatic way, you become a much happier person because of this and sleep like a baby!!!

Unfortunately meditation is an art in itself and it takes months of practicing it daily to achieve the 'thoughtless state', so I am still at the beginning stage!....I can say that I am beginning to feel much more calm though. (hey, and its a free class at my local library!) I am, apparently, a 'left sided' person ( sad, depressed, in the past a lot etc.,) so my aim is to become much more of a centred person...wish me luck!

thanks for your comments, much appreciated.

Caz

Hi,

Acupuncture has helped me a lot over the years, but I've never felt a cure from it. My symptoms are manifold -- fatigue, weakness, dizziness, achiness, numbness, non-restorative sleep. They all come and go, as is typical with fibromyalgia.

Some acupuncturists are better than others. I think it's unfair to call it quackery. It is what it is -- an ancient form of medicine that has helped scores of people for a very long time. It's also quite relaxing.

To say one has deficient spleen chi or kidney chi doesn't at all relate to the actual organ. It's just a different language, a different way of talking about the body.

It is expensive. I have found it to be worth it. Only you can decide.

Missy

Hi there. I've been having traditional Chinese Medicine treatment for about 4 years -it's what I do instead of going to the doctor to manage my health. What I like about it is that is treats the cause, not the symptoms. I have come to (slowly) learn a lot about my body and how it functions. I too have dampness and use acupuncture, herbs and more so diet to help it. It can be complicated to learn about it, but over the regular treatments with my TCM Dr I have a much greater understanding of how my body functions and what I can do to gain maximum good health and approach menopause in a positive frame of mind.
I'm reading a fantastic book called Traditional Chinese Medicine for Women by Xiaolan Zhao. She covers all stages of a woman's life, but also discusses deficiencies, qi and management of our bodies from a total Eastern approach.

I don't think it's expensive and I think it's a worthwhile investment in my long term health.

I have also recently done a course in the practice of qigong - but that is a topic for another day!

I went for my first acupuncture visit the other day and she took one look at my tongue (after listening to my complaints!) and said 'spleen function' (tongues have a 'scalloped edge' and may have a line down the middle too).

As my problem is my bowel movements, I was pleasantly surprised to have my first near normal movement the next day....unfortunately the trend did not continue, but I certainly felt that one session did do something.

I thought acupuncture was covered under my insurance - which it is if you go to a MD or a osteopath - like, where do you find one of those that do acupuncture???!!!

Anyway, after having my first acupuncture session, then finding I would have to pay full whack, I realised I would not be able to go twice a week initially, as the acupuncturist suggested...I simply can't afford that much each week, especially with the economy the way it is!

I did enjoy the session, and do believe it will help me, so I am going to have to save up to be able to have more.

Caz

Yep, the tongue is another diagnostic tool, especially for digestion - even the colour of it and coating or red spots can indicate conditions. I have TCM every fortnight. My husband was having it following surgery on his thumb (apparently if he didn't have it he could end up with arthritis in the joint in 10 years time) and the guy said if he was in China you would just rock up to the hospital every second day and have it and healing would be much quicker.

I guess it's different depending where everyone lives, but in Australia a lot of health funds do cover acupuncture and alternative treatments now. Shame yours doesn't.

I need to study up my book and respond properly to the OP at some stage