Radiation and Chemotherapy are frequently used to treat cancer in America and tend to have many terrible side effects. But Chinese Medicine can help moderate these!
Radiation
Typical side effects include:
- Inflammation: oral, tongue ulcer, sore throat, dry mouth, cough, fever, urgent/pain urine,
- Malfunction of digestive system: nausea, vomiting, low appetite, constipation, diarrhea,
- Prohibition of marrow/blood/consumptive syndromes: dizziness, fatigue, palpitations
- TCM: red tongue, less coating, yellow and dry coating, deep thin and taut pulse
| Syndrome | Symptoms | Formulas |
| Deficiency Lung & Stomach Yin | Dry and painful throat, thirst with dry lips, hunger without appetite, mouth and tongue ulcers, constipation, dry stools, yellow urine, red tip and edges of tongue with a thin and fast pulse | Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang + Yi Wei Tang |
| Qi & Blood Stagnation | Dizziness and vertigo, fatigue, hypochondriac pain, hematemesis or bloody stools, bluish nails, dark purple tongue with spots, thin unsmooth or taut pulse | Huo Luo Xiao Ling Dan |
| Adverse Rising of Stomach Qi | Stuffy chest, distended abdomen, hiccups, nausea, vomiting, pale red tongue, thin white coating or yellow greasy coating, taut and slippery pulse | Tiao Zhong Jian Pi Wan / Xuan Fu Dai Zhe Tang |
| Qi & Blood Deficiency | Pale face, fatigue, dizziness and vertigo, palpitations, irritability, insomnia, hair loss, pale tongue with teeth marks, thin white coating, deep thin and weak pulse | Ba Zhen Tang / Gui Pi Tang |
| Lower Jiao Damp Heat | Lower abdominal pain, sticky stools, pus in stools, red tongue, yellow or greasy coating, taut slippery fast pulse | Bai Tou Weng Tang |
| Kidney & Liver Yin Deficiency | No luster in face, dizziness, tinnitus, sore low back, fatigue, five center heat, night sweat, red cheeks, afternoon hectic fever, dry mouth, yellow urine, red or purple tongue without coating, deep thin and weak pulse | Liu Wei Di Huang Wan |
Chemotherapy Syndrome
Typical side effects include: (same as Radiation)
- TCM: pale tongue with spots, deep and thin pulse
| Syndrome | Symptoms | Formulas |
| Deficiency Lung & Stomach Yin | Dry and painful throat, thirst with dry lips, hunger without appetite, mouth and tongue ulcers, constipation, dry stools, yellow urine, red tip and edges of tongue with a thin and fast pulse | Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang + Yi Wei Tang |
| Qi & Blood Stagnation | Dizziness and vertigo, fatigue, hypochondriac pain, hematemesis or bloody stools, bluish nails, dark purple tongue with spots, thin unsmooth or taut pulse | Huo Luo Xiao Ling Dan |
| Adverse Rising of Stomach Qi | Stuffy chest, distended abdomen, hiccups, nausea, vomiting, pale red tongue, thin white coating or yellow greasy coating, taut and slippery pulse | Tiao Zhong Jian Pi Wan / Xuan Fu Dai Zhe Tang |
| Qi & Blood Deficiency | Pale face, fatigue, dizziness and vertigo, palpitations, irritability, insomnia, hair loss, pale tongue with teeth marks, thin white coating, deep thin and weak pulse | Ba Zhen Tang / Gui Pi Tang |
| Spleen Deficiency & Phlegm Damp | Dizziness, fatigue, sticky mouth, low appetite, abdominal distention, nausea and vomiting, cough with lots of phlegm, diarrhea, pale tongue with teeth marks, thick white greasy coating, taut thin/ slippery pulse | Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang |
| Damp Heat in Urinary Bladder | Dizziness, vertigo, urgent frequent burning urination, blood in urine, low back pain, low abdominal pain, red tongue, thin yellow greasy coating, slippery/ thin fast pulse | Ba Zheng San |
Caroline Prodoeh, D. Ac.
References:
Zhu, Annie Yawen (2011). Integrated Treatments: Internal Medicine Course Notes. TorontoSchoolof Traditional Chinese Medicine.Toronto,Ontario.