Hypothyroidism - Acupuncture can help
 

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102, 2603 Hewes Way
Edmonton AB,   Canada

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甲状腺功能低下的中医治疗

Treatment of hypothyroidism with Chinese herbs and acupuncture

 

甲状腺功能低下时病人会疲乏,怕冷,手脚易冰,便秘,体重增加,脱发,性欲下降,皮肤干燥,情绪不稳定,或长期焦虑易躁,或长期情绪低下,或数日焦躁,另外数日情绪低下。不同的病人会有不同的表现。在西医,一旦化验检查血中甲状腺素含量下降,就会告诉来诊者得了甲低,需要服用外源性甲状腺素类西药了,因为西医没有能刺激人体自己甲状腺功能的药物来治疗甲低。

People with hypothyroidism may feel chronic fatigue, chilly, cold hands and feet, constipation, gaining body weight, loss of hair, loss of sex desire and ability, dry skin, irritable emotion. The emotion may be anxiety and stress for some day, and depression and low motivation for other days. Each people could have quite different feeling but their blood thyroid hormone level is all lower than normal. In western medicine, this is the reason for doctor to declare to the person that he/she has hypothyroidism, and to recommend the patient (now call the person a patient) to take hormone replace therapy (exogenous thyroid hormone). The western medicine has no way to stimulate the person’s own thyroid gland to secrete his/her own thyroid hormone.  

能导致甲低的原因很多,比如说长期焦虑紧张,长期饮冷暴食,长期饮酒,性生活过多等等。这些都是曾经导致体内甲状腺素大量分泌的原因。久而久之,甲状腺功能疲软,自身分泌的甲状腺素即减少。还有就是病人本来就是甲亢,由于西医手术切除过多而导致甲低。

Many reasons can cause hypothyroidism, such as long time of anxiety, stress, drink of cold water/beverage/alcohol, eat of cold and large amount of food, extraordinary sex life, etc. All of these actions could stimulate the over work of body thyroid glands. After a long time, the gland would be collapsed to produce normal level of thyroid. Another common reason is that, a previous hyperthyroid disease was treated by surgical operation, by removal part or all of the thyroid gland, such as in the treatment of thyroid tumors. The loss of thyroid gland resulted eventually from hyperthyroidism into the hypothyroidism.

导致现代人甲状腺过度工作的原因很多,被诊断为甲低的人也很多。医生很容易就给病人开替代药物治疗。毫无疑问,用药后,病人首先就会明显感到疲乏感得到了改善,以至于给人造成一种误解,以为药物起效了,甲状腺功能得到了改善了。其实,这里面有很大的潜在的问题,就是说,当我们用外源性类似甲状腺素的药物让人体在一定程度上恢复代谢功能的时候,我们人体的脑垂体会以为人体的甲状腺素是足够的,就不会再分泌促甲状腺素了,而这种来自于脑垂体的促甲状腺素是正常情况下指挥甲状腺工作的。现在,脑垂体不再分泌促甲状腺素,那么甲状腺也就不再工作了。久而久之,甲状腺细胞由于长时间不工作就萎缩了。这样一萎缩,本来是短暂和一过性的甲低就变成了永久性的和不可逆的甲低了。这样,一个永久性的,不得不终身服药和终身依赖医生的病人就形成了。这就是一种医源性疾病,也叫作过度治疗。

There are many reasons that can cause the body thyroid gland to over work, so eventually there are also many people are diagnoses as hypothyroidism. Doctors are ready to give those people exogenous thyroid product to improve the symptoms of hypothyroidism. Of course after taking these drugs, the symptoms would get better, so as it makes people feel the medical drugs work. In fact, there is a hiding problem for this hormone replacement therapy. It means that, when the body metabolism is improved with these hormone drugs, our body pituitary gland detects enough thyroid hormone in the blood, so that it stops to send the signal to the thyroid gland to produce more thyroid hormone. After a long time of not working, the thyroid gland cells would shrink and lose function. By this way, our body will permanently lose the ability to produce our own thyroid hormone. So, a temperate dysfunction of our own thyroid gland becomes a permanent dysfunction. The patient has to take the exogenous thyroid tablets forever. You know this is good to who.

中医认为早期的甲低,和人的疲乏一样,让甲状腺休息以下就可以了。 所谓的休息就是改变导致甲状腺过度工作的躯体和精神方面的因素,改善甲状腺细胞的血供和营养,甲低很容易就好了。所以,中医治疗甲低主要是改善导致甲低的原因和改善甲低的症状,并不是刻意提高血中甲状腺素含量。中医治疗后, 即使血中甲状腺素含量未能达到所谓的正常水平,但是病人仍然可以觉得精力充沛,情绪安详,体重下降。

Chinese medicine believes that the early stage of hypothyroidism is as the tired of our body after a long time hard work. The thyroid needs a break as the body does after a long time work. The reduced production of thyroid hormone does not mean anything seriously wrong in the body, but the signal from the body asking the person to slow down and to correct the current life style. If we respect the signal from our body inside, and have a break, the function of the thyroid should return normal soon. Nothing is needed to taken for the treatment. Therefore, the TCM aims to improve the conditions that cause the over production of thyroid hormone, such as stress and anxiety, craving for alcohol and over high desire for sex etc. It is not aiming to stimulate the thyroid gland to work more hard, nor to expect to increase the blood thyroid hormone level. In another works, this means that the patient could feel much better for the emotion, body energy level and body weight, though the blood level of thyroid hormone may not reach the so called normal level yet.

以情绪紊乱为主的甲低

Hypothyroidism showing mostly emotional disorders

如果甲低病人情绪不稳主要表现为焦虑易怒,易冲动,脉弦者,我们常用逍遥散;舌红口干便秘者,用加味逍遥散;如果脉洪数或浮数者,用芩连龙牡汤;如果伴有明显疲乏,特别是已经用了甲状腺素片很长时间的,用参附龙牡汤。如果病人白天烦躁明显,但是夜间安静,睡眠基本正常,说明阳虚,当用干姜附子汤。如果体虚,烦躁伴有心悸,用小建中汤。如果时而情绪高昂,时而低落,情绪异常的类型变动不定,用柴胡桂枝汤加石膏,全蝎,焦三仙。

If the patient with hypothyroidism feels more problem in the emotion, such as anxiety, easy to get upset, easily being irritated, and the pulse feels as a tight and thin string, we use herbal formula Xiao Yao San; if such patient feels dry mouth, has red color on the tongue, has constipation, we use Jia Wei Xiao Yao San; if such patient’s pulse feels big as wave, frequent, or as floating and frequent, use Qin Lian Long Mu Tang; if the patient feels more tired, especially after taken long time of the hormone replacement therapy, we use Shen Fu Long Mu Tang. If the patient feels anxiety mostly during day time, but quiet at night, we use Gan Jiang Fu Zi Tang. If the body is weak, the patient feels anxiety and palpitation, we use Xiao Jian ZhongTang. If the patient sometimes feels high in the emotion, but low in other times (e.g. the bi-polar syndrome), we use Chai Hu Gui Zhi Tang Jia Shi Gao, Quan Xie and Jiao San Xian.

如果表现为容易伤心哭泣,思绪万千,担忧过多,用甘麦大枣汤,三生四逆汤。这种病人口干口渴喜冷饮,便秘或身热,用百合地黄汤。

If the patient feels mostly as easy to cry, frequent and various thinking and worry, we use Gan Mai Da Zao Tang, San Sheng Si Ni Tang. If such patient feels dry in mouth, likes to drink cold water, has constipation or feels hot in the body, use Bai He Di Huang Tang.

如果表现为惊恐,易惊,有恐高,恐黑,恐独处等,或有被惊吓的病史,病人常有恶心,头晕,失眠,心悸等, 我们用温胆汤,柴胡龙骨牡蛎汤,凉膈饮,或半夏泻心汤。

If the patient feels terrified, or scared, or easily feel terrified, or scars to stand on high position, to stay in dark room, or to stay alone, or if the patient has a history of being terrified, such as a earth quack, or storm, or a murder, or abused, and if the patient feels nausea, dizziness, insomnia, or palpitation, we use Wen Dan Tang, Chai Hu Long Gu Mu Li Tang, Liang Ge Yin, or Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang.  

以慢性疲乏为主的甲低

Hypothyroidism more with chronic fatigue

以慢性疲乏为主,身体或肢体偏冷者,用补中益气汤,柴桂汤,柴桂干姜汤,麻黄附子细辛汤,四逆汤,或当归四逆汤。如果伴有下肢浮肿,夜尿多,性功能减退,用真武汤。

 If the patient with hypothyroidism feels mostly chronic fatigue, the pulse is big (it feels weak after heavy press down), we use Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang for the treatment. We may also use Chai Hu Gui Zhi Tang,  or Chai Hu Gui Zhi Gan Jiang Tang, Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xing Tang, Si Ni Tang, or Dang Gui Si Ni Tang. If such patient also has swelling in the legs, frequent night urination, reduced sexual ability, we use Zhen Wu Tang.

如果身体偏热,或常喜冷饮,大便偏秘结者,用白虎加人参汤,或理中芩连二陈银翘石膏汤。如果这类病人胃脘不适,要考虑用小陷胸汤,或柴陷汤;如果是小腹胀满不适,用桂枝茯苓丸,或桃核承气汤等。如果伴有肩项紧痛,用葛根汤加茯苓白术或桂枝汤加葛根也能很好治疗疲乏。葛根汤解疲劳。

If the patient feels hot in the body, likes to drink cold/ice water, has hard stool, we use Bai Hu Jia Ren Shen Tang, or Qin Lian Er Chen Yin Qiao Shi Gao Tang. If such patient has also discomfort in the stomach, we need to consider to use Xiao Xian Xiong Tang, or Chai Xiang Tang. If it is with bloating and discomfort in the lower stomach, use Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan, or Tao He Cheng Qi Tang. If it is with tightness and pain on the neck and between the shoulder bladder, use Ge Gen Tang Jia Fu Ling Bai Zhu Tang, or Gui Zhi Tang Jia Ge Gen.

以体重增加为主的甲低

Hypothyroidism showing more as body weight gain

相当一部分病人甲低的主要表现是体重增加。这是由于机体代谢能力减慢,对于水和脂肪的分解和排泄能力下降所导致的。这些人多有畏寒肢冷,喜暖怕冷和阳痿宫冷的表现。 体重增加可以是以水分增加为主和以脂肪增加为主两种。以水分增加为主者,腹部和大腿部位体积增大,时时脚踝部位肿胀,傍晚脚肿,休息一夜后体重会有所减轻(当然夜尿就会多一些).

Quite a few patients with hypothyroidism have the gain of body weight as the most apparent disorder. This is due to the slowdown of the metabolism of the water and fat in the body, due to reduced blood level of the hormone. Those patients usually also feel cold in the body of in and hands and feet, like to stay in warm room and drink warm water. For male, they tend to have impotency, and for female, infertility.

The increased body weight can be due to accumulation of either water or fat in the body. If it is mostly due to the accumulation of water, the patient has bigger stomach as well as the thighs. The ankle and feet may feel swelling in the afternoon and evening but less so in the morning (surely they will have more urine at night).    

以脂肪增加为主者,多为腹部变大,皮下脂肪层增厚。食欲并不大,但是体重却在增加。 这些病人也常有皮肤干燥,或脱发,或毛发增多。

If it is mostly due to the accumulation of fat tissue, the will have bigger belly, thicker fat layer on the belly. The appetite is not high in most of patients, but the body weight increases any way. They tend to have dry skin, loss of hair, or increase in the body hair.

体重以水分增加为主的,我们多用小青龙汤,或小青龙汤加石膏,胃苓散,或真武汤治疗。以脂肪增加为主的,用麻黄附子细辛汤合小承气汤,或合导痰汤。

If the body weight gain is mostly due to the water, we use Xiao Qing Long Tang, or Xiao Qing Long Tang Jia Shi Gao, or Wei Ling Tang, or Zhen Wu Tang, for the treatment. If it is mostly due to the accumulation of the fat tissue, we use Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xing Tang plus Xiao Cheng Qi Tang, or plus Dao Tang Tang, for the treatment.

针灸也是常用于治疗甲低的疗法。常用的穴位有督脉诸穴,心俞,肾俞,合谷,足三里,膻中,三阴交,太冲,中脘,气海,关元等。

Acupuncture is also commonly used for the treatment of hypothyroidism. The commonly used acupuncture points are the point along the Du meridian, the Xin Shu, Shen Shu, He Gu, Zu San Li, Shan Zhong, San Yin Jiao, Tai Chong, Zhong Wan, Qi Hai, and Guan Yuan, etc.

总而言之,甲低需要综合治疗,最好能同时运用草药,针灸,拔罐等。改善情绪和消除疲劳并不困难。相对而言减肥要困难一些,需要的时间长一些。如果消除了情感障碍和疲劳,减肥就容易的多了。所以病人必须先耐心调节情绪和体力,再坚持减肥。

Generally speaking, Hypothyroidism needs a combination of various therapies, so as to be improved much faster. It is not so difficult to improve the emotion and chronic fatigue, but it is for the overweight, which needs more treatment and takes longer time. If the emotional disorder and chronic fatigue are improved, then the overweight would be much easier to be improved. Therefore, we recommend our clients with more patience to allow the improvement of emotion and chronic fatigue before the loss of body weight.

如果您不想终身服甲状腺素片,不妨试一试中医疗法。

If you do not want to take the tables for ever, it is recommended to try our Chinese medicine.