The Problem With Chinese Herbs
Posted on December 14, 2008 by Yael
Being a mother taught me the importance of taking care of myself.
If I won’t be well, my family won’t function very well, and so I must take better care of myself, and be sick maybe once a decade. At least.
With that frame of mind I’ve been very strict with my acupuncture sessions for the past number of months.
On our last meeting 2 interesting things happened:
1. I was needled in LI-4, LIV-3 and LIV-8. This combo is pretty standard, right? Well, you won’t believe what happened to me, but this will have to wait for a different post.
2. I got a Chinese herbs formula.
You all know by now that I am not a herbs fan.
Many people don’t understand this “weird phase” that I’m going through, but since it’s been going on for the past 8 years- at least- I know that it’s a simple case of being able to connect to one method more than the other.
I connect to acupuncture wonderfully, and to the herbs I don’t connect at all- not as a practitioner and not as a patient.
The problem with Chinese herbs #1
It’s a pain to learn all those names.
After having loads of fun learning the names and numbers of the acupuncture points, did someone really think I’d sit down and memorize all those herbs??
And not only that, I found that I just don’t get as much pleasure as say my teachers, from finding out what a certain herb does. Or where it grows. Or how it can cure PMS.
The problem with Chinese herbs #2
I got the formula.
At first I thought I’d take it raw. This is the best way, at least I feel it’s the best way to take it.
From my personal experience as a patient, I witnessed dramatic changes in myself with raw formulas.
But my practitioner told me that he wanted me to take it over a long period of time. So I switched to powder.
One look at the powder made me send my formula back to get the powder into capsules.
The capsules are terrible!
What was I thinking when I agreed to take this thing??
“This thing” is a combination of 7 herbs:
Huang Qi 20gr
Bai Zhu 10gr
Fu Shen 8gr
Ren Shen 10gr
Dang Gui 10gr
He Shou Wu 12gr
Da Zao 6gr
Da Zao…isn’t that kind of sticky on the ST? Dang Gui is all about blood, that much I remember…. and I think Ren Shen has to do with Qi…..
Ugh, why do I even bother.
The problem with Chinese herbs #3
I honestly forget to take the formula.
I have to take it 3 times a day, and the first time I remember to take it is when I’m in bed, just about to fall asleep.
Over to you
I need your help.
How do I remember to take the formula? How do I get myself to make a commitment and try to help myself, even if it is with herbs?
I mean, I know they work, I know it’s a good way to go… Why is it so hard for me to take it?
Would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.
Tags: acupuncture, chinese herbs, chinese medicine
Categories: Personal notes, Practitioners notes, Students notes
reminders on your cell phone.
also, accept the fact you will forget to take it every once in a while, accept it now and keep on taking it.
in a long run perspective the effect will take place.
Personally, I prefer raw herbs, but the maintenance with them are a bit much. Have you tried granules????
Besides, all the herbs you are taking are on the sweet side, and actually do taste good. Bai zhu may be the exception.
The problem with Chinese herbs #1
It
Well, I have to admit that I have relatively little sympathy with people who don’t take their herbs. Why? Because I used to have trouble with it and then realized that I was sabotaging my own healing process, got over it, and now I’m like clockwork.
But, allowing sympathy to flow, I can make a few recommendations.
First and foremost among them, you have to make a commitment to your health. Look, if you want to get better, you have to take your herbs. That’s my opinion. So, you’ll do what it takes to get them in your stomach.
Second, make it a joyous event. This is why I recommend raw herbs (or at least one reason). Looking at their shapes, their colors, sensing their energy - then cooking them, smelling the aroma and really letting that energy soak in, seeing how you are participating in a millenia old tradition of health and healing. Take time to taste the complex flavors - don’t turn away from them.
This is a crucial point. Particularly in the Western world, our palates are pathetic. The flavors are a CRUCIAL part of the herb, and while I don’t think “wei” or “flavor” just means the TASTE of the herb, I do believe that the TASTE is part of the therapy. So, I won’t give patients capsules unless they have a compelling reason. I don’t even mention it as a possibility. We have to stop babying ourselves and others, and really just embrace the uniqueness of the flavors and see them as part of the healing experience. Once you retrain your palate, it becomes a wonderful thing to look forward to - though some herbs obviously taste truly, truly bad and you just have to grin and bare it with those ones.
Beyond that, definitely setting alarms on computers, cell phones, putting reminders on calendars, putting sticky notes all over your house (mirrors, front and back doors, inside the fridge, etc) and also asking family members for help in reminding you to take them… all of this can be helpful. Once you take them steadily for a couple of weeks, it becomes second nature.
Anyway, good luck!
Eric at Deepest Health
Totally understand u….it’s absolutely horrendous stuff..In my opinion if you suffer enough from your condition you really do remember to take you meds…It’s your inner alarm clock that sets off and reminds you of it…if you forget it than maybe you do not really need it.OR your herbies are to ugly to bear..but that has really nothing to do with memory…
Thank you all of you for your wonderful comments and gret ideas!!!
I will first say that the purpose of this post was in fact to get ideas to be better with taking the herbs.
You gave me good advice and I will put them all to the test, hopefully at least one will do the trick.
Jim- I don’t see acupuncture as a last resort but as a primary healing modality, as you call it.
I don’t know how you studied acupuncture and how you connect with it, but I studied it as one of 2 main healing modalities (the other one was herbs), and I think that acupuncture has an amazing affect on the person- both on body and spirit. It all has to do with how well the practitioner knows the points, when to use them, how to read the pulse and of course- experience.
The things that can happen with just one needle is truly overwhelming. I saw it as a patient and as a practitioner.
Eric- LOL- thank you for allowing that sympathy wave to flow my way. hehehehe
Good advice, thank you for all the ideas.
Going to start putting all those ideas to use right now.
Yael
So funny! You made me laugh. But hey, maybe herbs just aren’t right for you right now. I don’t think everyone responds the same way or that there is always at every moment a formula that would be perfect. Sometimes we need to sit with what is before we take the next step, whatever that step may be. love, Julie
Julie~
hehehe, truth is that I was laughing at myself while writing the post.
You write very wise words, which made me stop and think that you just might be right!
Thank you and happy new year,
Yael
I am in my third year of practice. I personally like acupuncture over herbs. This is for maybe a few reasons:
1. Like you, I gravitate more towards acupuncture - even though there was a larger component of herbs during my schooling.
2. Funny thing! They taught me so much about herbs and I didn’t learn hardly a thing. It wasn’t because I didn’t study or learn it…it was poorly taught. Felt like a lot of ‘filler’ to me.
3. I really like to refer. I love acupuncture and know I can’t do it all. So I refer to other practitioners who are more herb-based or perhaps to Naturopathic Doctors.
So…you’re not alone!
Hey Kenton,
It’s good to know I am not alone!
It’s gret that there are so many ways to go in Chinese medicine and they are all well.
I had good teachers for herbs, but I just didn’t find it as fascinating as acupuncture.
ANd in many ways, acupuncture just makes more sense to me.
Thanks for your comment,
Yael
Yael, I agree with Eric but I have to mention another way to take herbs. I purchase formulas in small packets. These are dried granules that have been cooked together. Rip open a packet and pour into warm water and drink. It couldn’t be easier. Each packet is a day’s dosage.
Now I know you said you didn’t like the taste but the formula you mentioned above has all very nice tasting herbs and although it’s not a classic TCM formula that you could find in packets it’s close to a few in theory. Even if you didn’t love the taste you can’t beat the convenience. If you don’t want to drink it all at once in morning, you can split it to 2x a day. My patients prefer herbs this way. No mess, no pills 3x a day and they see great results because the strength of packet formulas. Packets have no filler like capsules and they herbs stay fresh in air tight, water tight foil packets.
Good Luck.