TRADITIONAL INTERNAL MEDICINE – DISEASES & FORMULAS

Excessive Menstruation

For Menorrhagia; excessive or prolonged Menstrual Bleeding

Uterine Bleeding is the term used for any Bleeding from the Uterus, including Menstruation, but also abnormal or prolonged bleeding. Abnormal Uterine Bleeding is used for Bleeding not related to the normal menstrual cycle.

Menorrhagia refers to Heavy or Prolonged Menstrual Bleeding.

Causes of Heavy or Prolonged Menstruation

Excess, Heavy or Prolonged Bleeding from the Uterus are treated according to their type:
1. Cold-type:
Pale face, weak pulse, pale and watery blood, feels the Cold. Use warming medicines to stop Bleeding. Cinnamon, Ginger and Nutmeg are examples of warming medicines used for Cold-type Uterine Bleeding.
2. Heat-type:
Red Face, fast or strong pulse, excess blood of good color, perhaps with clots. Use cooling medicines to stop Bleeding, such as Plantain seed, Red Earth, Red Coral.
3. Blood Stasis:
Heavy period with dark clotted blood, painful period, abdominal pain worse with pressure, purplish nails, choppy pulse. Use mild Blood moving medicines. Motherwort, Peach kernel and Safflower are examples of herbs that can be used.
4. Deficient:
Very weak, constant spotting, deep pulse, feels cold, back pain. Chronic cases will eventually become deficienct. Use astringents and tonics. Comfrey, Soloman’s Seal, Shatavari or Peony root can be used along with medicines to stop Bleeding.

Treatment:

Cupping Glasses applied under the Breasts were used since Hippocrates to stop excess menstrual bleeding.
If the Stomach is foul, and the woman strong, an emetic is useful and effective

Western Tradition

Simples

Water Lily root
Pomegranate bark
Plantain seed
Chebula
Red Coral
Earths (Red, Lemnian)

Comfrey root
Pomegranate flower
Rose
Nutmeg
Pearl

1. Powder the skin of Hazelnuts and give in 1 dram doses.
2. “As Many grains as a woman does drink of Coriander seed, so many days shall the Flowers [menstruation] be stopped”, (The Treasury of Health, 1550)
3. Ribwort (or Greater) Plantain juice drunk.
4. “Galen accounts juice of Plantain newly made, to be the best Medicine in the world, being given to the quantity of three or four ounces”.
5. “The juice of Yarrow is very convenient in this case, if two or three ounces thereof be given”.
6. “The seed or root of a Water Lily has a peculiar vertue”.
7. St. John’s wort decoction drunk “does stop utterly both white and red flux [ie. Leukorrhea and Excess Menstruation]”. (The Treasury of Health, 1550)
8. “Dragons Blood has a marvellous strength to stop the Matrix”.
9. “Coral drunk stops the flowers [menstruation]”
10. “the Powder of Egg shells, alone is commended, a dram thereof being given diverse mornings together, and it is accounted by some for a Secret”. (The Practice of Physick. Riverius et al., 1663)

Menstrua fluxum retinent – to Restrain Menstrum
Styptic Decoction
Syrup of Comfrey Comp.
Syrup for Excess Menstrual Bleeding
Philons Persian Antidote (Philonium Persicum) (Mesue)
Troches of Amber
Electuary of Scoria Ferri
Electuary of Micleta (Nicholas)
Compound Coral Electuary (Diacorallium)
Triphera Minor (Triphera Phoenonis) (Mesue)
Conserve of Rose
Halys Powder
Troches of Earth of Lemnos (Trochisci de Terra Lemna)
Troches of Amber (Trochisci de Succino) (Mesue)
Pills of Bdellium (Mesue)
Countesses Ointment
Mauktika Yukta (Pearl Compound) (Ayurveda)
Women’s Universal Decoction (Mo nad spyi thang)

Heavy or Excess Bleeding from Heat
Styptic Decoction
Syrup of Dried Roses
Simple Syrup of Coral
Comp. Syrup of Coral
Syrup of Comfrey Comp.
Electuary of Coral (Diacorallium)
Tincture of Coral
Tincture of Dried Roses
Conserve of Rose
Haly’s Powder
Abbots Confect of Rose (Diarrhodon Abbatis) (Nicholas)
Powder of Three Sandalwoods (Diatrionsantalum)
Cooling Powder of Gems
Cooling Pearl Powder (Diamargariton Frigid.) (Nichol.)
Sugar of Roses with Red Coral
Philons Persian Antidote (Philonium Persicum) (Mesue)
Troches of Ramich (Mesue)
Troches of Spodium (Mesue)
Troches of Earth of Lemnos (Trochisci de Terra Lemna)
Astringent Pills
Mauktika Yukta (Pearl Compound) (Ayurveda)
Pushyanuga Churna (Ayurveda)
Withania 3 Decoction (Ba spru gsum thang)

Excess Bleeding from Deficiency
Syrup of Quinces
The Strengthening Gelatin
Tincture of Dried Roses
Cooling Powder of Gems
Powder of Placenta
Tragacanth Cooling Powder with Armenian Earth
Electuary of Quince Compound (Diacydonium)
Electuary of Micleta (Nicholas)
Triphera Minor (Triphera Phoenonis) (Mesue)
Withania 3 Decoction (Ba spru gsum thang)
Women’s Universal Decoction (Mo nad spyi thang)

TCM Classification

Blood Heat
heavy period, bright red or dark red thick blood, restless, anxiety, feels hot, thirst, dark urine, headaches.
An Chong Tang
Bao Yin Jian
Gu Jing Wan
Si Wu Tang + Huang Lian Jie Du Tang (this is called Wen Qing Yin–Warming and Clearing Decoction). Used for Chronic, excess Uterine Bleeding from Heat.

Qi Deficiency
heavy bleeding, pale and dilute blood, pale complexion, tiredness, palpitations, shortness of breath.
Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang
Ba Zhen Tang
Gui Pi Tang
Ju Yuan Jian

Liver Yin and Blood Deficient
headache, dizziness, tinnitus, dry eyes, blurred vision, irritable, muscle twitches
Bu Gan Tang

Blood Stasis
heavy period with dark clotted blood, painful period, abdominal pain worse with pressure, purplish nails, choppy pulse.
Si Wu Tang
Shao Fu Zhu Yu Tang

Special Formula

1. “To counter excessive menstruation, cook one handful of Sumac and one handful of bread crumbs in water until it stiffens, and drink for a few days on an empty stomach”. (Rhazes)
2. Hematite, Red Earth both finely powdered, 1 dram each, mix with Plantain water 2 oz. and take as a dose. (Secrets of Alexis)
3. Red Coral
    Amber
    Red Earth
    Dragons Blood            2 drams ea.
    Borax calcined
    Plantain seed               1 dram ea.
    Saffron
    Tormentil                      1 scruple ea.
(Gazophylacium Medico-Physicum, Woyts, 1746)
4. Egg shells burnt
    Frankincense’
    Mastic                           ½ oz. ea.
    Pearl, Coral,
      Amber                        2 drams ea.
    Hematite                      ½ scruple
With Barley meal (2 pugils), 4 egg whites and a little water, form cakes, which bake, powder, and give ½–1 dram in the morning. (The Practice of Physick. Riverius et al., 1663)
5. Red Sandalwood        ½ oz.
    Grains of Kermes
    Amber                          1 scruple ea.
    Nutmeg                       2 scruples
Powder and mixe with sugar (3 oz.) to form troches.

Research

1. Non-pharmacologic Treatment of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding in Persian Medicine
2. Taohong siwu decoction ameliorates abnormal uterine bleeding via inhibiting ACSL4-mediated ferroptosis.

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