With the changes in modern society, insomnia caused by the seven emotions that are too extreme, or eating disorders are becoming more and more common. It is often associated with liver and gallbladder qi depression and bile and stomach disharmony. Warm Gallbladder Tang is effective in treating this type of insomnia.
Wenzhi Tang is derived from the “Preparedness and Urgency of the Thousand Gold Essentials”. There is a variation of “Three Causes Formula”, and there is “Ten Flavors Warming the Gallbladder Tang” in “Zhengzhi Zhun Jiao” and “Six Causes Article Discernment” with Huang Lian Warming the Gallbladder Tang. For insomnia caused by phlegm-heat disturbing the heart, deficiency of the heart and bile, depression of bile qi, and loss of harmony and descent of the stomach, I often use Wenzhi Tang as a treatment.
The Su Wen (Su Wen) and Ling Lan (Ling Lan) Secret Discourse says: “All 11 organs depend on the gall bladder”. The gall bladder is a member of the A wood family, which is the official of the middle righteousness, and is responsible for making decisions, regulating emotions, defending and eliminating adverse mental stimuli, and maintaining the normal operation of qi and blood to ensure the harmonious relationship of the internal organs. The function of the main determination is determined by the bile qi. If the bile is strong, the decision will be made and the eleven organs will be safe; if the bile is timid, the decision will not be made and the eleven organs will be restless. Weakness of the body, or excessive emotions, or eating and living disorders, damage to the middle Jiao, can be depleted bile. Gallbladder Qi deficiency and abnormal drainage affects the digestion and absorption of food, causing the heart to lose its nourishment. The heart is connected to the gall bladder, the gall bladder is weak, it is indecisive, easily frightened and often in a state of worry and fear. Gallbladder is the house of purity, likes to be gentle and is the main source of growth and development. If this is not the case, the wood is depressed and the stomach is not in harmony, which in turn generates heat and phlegm. The liver and gallbladder are depressed, the spleen and stomach are out of order, and wood becomes fire. The combination of phlegm and fire and heat disturbs the mind and leads to insomnia. The gall bladder likes to be quiet and does not tolerate evil disturbances. If external evil invades, or if diet and emotions are out of order, evil visits the gallbladder, causing depression of gallbladder qi and loss of calmness. It causes insomnia due to poor drainage of the liver, poor flow of qi and blood, and abnormalities of the mind; or insomnia due to disturbance of bile and phlegm, and disturbance of the mind.
Wenzhi Tang has the functions of clearing the bile qi, harmonizing the stomach and internal organs, regulating qi and resolving phlegm, raising the clear and lowering the turbidity. The formula does not contain harsh tonic and offensive products, but rather a calm and neutral agent to regulate the functions of yin and yang, qi and blood, and the internal organs of the body to restore the neutral and gentle nature of bile. It has the characteristics of resolving phlegm without dryness and clearing heat without coldness, which can be applied according to the clinical manifestations of insomnia.
1.Phlegm-heat disturbing insomnia of the heart
Symptoms: insomnia with difficulty in falling asleep, chest tightness and distress, dizziness, vomiting and vomiting of phlegm and saliva, dullness of food, yellow tongue coating and slippery pulse.
Insomnia is caused by the accumulation of phlegm and heat, which disturbs the heart; dizziness and dizziness are caused by the upward disturbance of phlegm and clouding of the clear orifices; vomiting and vomiting of phlegm and dullness of the stomach due to poor qi flow and loss of harmony and descent. The treatment is to clear heat, resolve phlegm, and calm the mind.
I often use Huanglian Wenzhi Tang (Huanglian, Hanxia, Chen Pi, Fu Ling, Licorice, Ginger, Zhu Ru, Citrus aurantium) from Six Causes of Discernment as a remedy.
2.Insomnia due to weakness of the heart and timidity
Symptoms: dreamy and easy to wake up, palpitations and timidity, restlessness, tiredness and shortness of breath, pale and fat tongue, thin pulse. The heart is the master of the mind and the gall bladder is the master of decision making, the heart and gall bladder are weak and timid, the mind loses its nourishment, the heart and the gall bladder cannot be held, the gall bladder is difficult to decide, then the dreams are easy to wake up, palpitations and timidity, restlessness; the heart is deficient, then tiredness and shortness of breath. Treatment is to benefit the temperature and gallbladder, calm the mind and tranquilize the spirit.
I often use the “evidence and treatment guidelines” ten flavors of warm gallbladder soup (Han Xia, fried Citrus aurantium, Chen Pi, Poria, sour date, Yuan Zhi, Shu Di Huang, ginseng, Wu Wei Zi, roasted licorice, ginger, dates).
3.Insomnia caused by bile qi stagnation
Symptoms: insomnia and dreaminess, chest tightness, distension and fullness of the ribs, agitation, dullness and belching, thin coating and stringiness of the pulse. If bile qi is depressed and the liver loses its control, the soul does not keep the house, then insomnia and dreaminess; if the qi is not smooth, then the chest is stuffy, the ribs are distended and full, the heart is agitated; if bile qi is transverse and invades the spleen and stomach, then numbness and belching. The treatment is to benefit the gallbladder and dredge the liver, resolve phlegm and calm the mind.
I often use Warm Gallbladder Soup combined with Si-wei-san (Chai Hu, Peony, Hovenia, Licorice) or Chai Hu Dredging the Liver (Chai Hu, Peony, Chuanxiong, Xiang Shen, Hovenia, Chen Pi, Licorice).
4.Insomnia due to loss of harmony of stomach qi
Symptoms: restless sleep, tossing and turning, fullness in the chest and epigastrium, not thinking about eating and drinking, nausea and vomiting, belching and swallowing acid, stool not transforming, thick and greasy tongue coating, slippery pulse. The stomach loses harmony and descends, the turbid Qi reverts upward, disturbing the heart and mind, resulting in restlessness, tossing and turning; the pivot of elevation is blocked, resulting in fullness of the chest and epigastrium, nausea and vomiting; food accumulation is not transformed, the spleen and stomach are damaged, resulting in thoughtless eating, belching and swallowing acid, and stool dregs not transformed. The treatment is to strengthen the spleen and stomach and to calm the mind.
I often use warm gall bladder soup combined with Panicum Panicum soup (Panicum, Panicum) with addition and reduction.
Common additions and subtractions
Blood deficiency: angelica, dried groundnut, wolfberry.
Liver heat: Dan Pi, Gardenia, Scutellaria.
Heart fire: Huang Lian, lotus seed core, bamboo leaf.
Qi deficiency: Radix Codonopsis, Radix Astragali, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae.
Yin deficiency: Cornu Cervi Pantotrichum, Radix Rehmanniae, Lily.
Deficiency of heat: Zhi Mu, Huang Bai.
Inducing fire to return to the origin: upper cinnamon, hyssop.
Stomach Qi disharmony: Jiao Sanxian, Hou Pu, Jiao Betel nut, Shu Jun.