Chinese medicine treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease

Old Li is 58 years old, usually good health, brisk personality, like to drink a little wine, smoke a little, drink tea. One night, he had a dinner with friends and went home to sleep after drinking some wine. In the middle of the night, he suddenly felt chest pain, and was rushed to the hospital emergency room by calling 120. Doctors emergency electrocardiogram no abnormalities, check cardiac enzymes are in the normal range, and do upper abdominal CT, blood, urine amylase, lipase are normal. Old Li believed in the test results and said: I am a real chest pain ah, behind the chest like burning pain, how can not find the disease? The doctor suggested that Old Li should have a gastroscopy the next day. Old Li thought what does chest pain have to do with the stomach? Despite the doubts, the gastroscopy was done the next morning and the results were reflux esophagitis grade C (severe) and chronic erosive gastritis. The doctor said that Lao Li was suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease, and his chest pain was called “non-cardiogenic chest pain”, which means that the chest pain was not caused by heart disease, but by reflux esophagitis, and he got better soon after treatment. Zhang Zhaolan, Department of Splenic, Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine What is gastroesophageal reflux disease? Gastroesophageal reflux disease refers to symptoms and/or tissue damage caused by the reflux of stomach and/or duodenal contents (gastric acid, pepsin, bile, pancreatic juice) into the esophagus, with the main clinical manifestations being heartburn (burning sensation behind the sternum), reflux (conscious reflux of stomach contents into the throat or mouth), chest pain, etc. Reflux esophagitis is a common form of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Some patients may have manifestations outside the esophagus, such as angina-like chest pain, asthma, bronchitis, foreign body sensation in the throat, and pharyngitis. Clinically, some patients may have no abnormalities on X-ray and endoscopy even though they have typical GERD symptoms, and are referred to as endoscopically negative esophagitis. This disease is a common clinical digestive disease. Recent studies have found that reflux esophagitis is a risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma. In Chinese medicine, there is no name for GERD, but it is classified as “stomach pain”, “heartburn”, “acid vomiting” and “fullness” according to clinical manifestations. “The pathogenesis of GERD is mostly attributed to alcohol and food. The pathogenesis is mostly attributed to the injury caused by alcohol and food, emotional and mental disorders, and weakness of the spleen and stomach, which eventually leads to the rebellion of stomach qi. The location of the disease is in the stomach and is related to the liver and spleen. The treatment from the following aspects, the effect is very good. 1. clear heat and stomach, lowering rebellion and relieving pain gastroesophageal reflux disease is mostly due to overeating, or hunger and satiety unevenly, damage to the spleen and stomach, resulting in loss of harmony and descent of the stomach; or diet bias, or drinking alcohol, smoking, eating spicy, fried, rough, hot food, heat from the stomach; or eating too fast, like to eat fat and sweet, damage to the spleen and stomach, damp heat within. The main symptoms are pain in the stomach or behind the sternum and burning, thirst for cold drinks, acid reflux and belching, hunger and lack of appetite, dry stools, red tongue, thin yellow fur, and stringy pulse. Treatment is based on clearing heat and stomach, lowering rebelliousness, controlling acidity and relieving pain. Case example: Li, male, 29 years old, a company employee. Complaint: acid reflux and heartburn for 2 weeks. After eating hot pot 2 weeks ago, the patient developed burning pain behind the sternum and in the stomach and epigastric region, noisy, with acidic water coming up to the throat. The mouth is dry and bitter, the stool is dry, the tongue is red at the edge, the coating is thin and yellow, and the pulse is stringent. Gastroscopy report: erosive esophagitis, reflux gastritis. Chinese medicine identifies damp-heat and loss of harmony in the stomach. Treatment is to clear heat, harmonize the stomach, subdue acid and relieve pain. After taking 7 doses, the pain and noisy symptoms in the stomach and sternum were relieved, and the stool was clear. After taking 5 more doses, the symptoms basically disappeared, but considering that the repair of the stomach and esophageal mucosa needed to be consolidated, the medicine was given to Wu Bei San (Squid Bone 20g, Zhe Bei Mu 12g) and continued for 2 weeks. Gastroscopy was repeated and the esophageal mucosa returned to normal, the gastric mucosa improved significantly, and no bile was seen in the stomach. The treatment of the symptoms in the “Treatise on Typhoid Fever” by Zhang Zhongjing was based on the “Xiao Chai Hu Tang” evidence. In clinical practice, the author has modified it and usually used it to treat reflux gastritis and esophagitis with internal heat in the stomach with good results. In this formula, Scutellaria baicalensis, Huang Lian and Rhubarb are bitter cold to clear stomach heat; Citrus aurantium is used in combination with Rhubarb to eliminate distension and fullness, to move Qi and channel stagnation, to drain heat and pass stools; Ginger is pungent, used in combination with Scutellaria baicalensis and Lian to open bitterness and lower pain; Ochre is used to harmonize the stomach and lower rebellion; Squid bone and Zhe Bei Mo control acidity and relieve pain. The medicine is used together to clear heat and stomach, reduce vomiting, acidity and pain. 2, strengthen the spleen and benefit the qi, and the stomach to reduce rebellion spleen and stomach, live in the middle jiao, each other as the epitome, spleen qi should rise, stomach qi should descend, spleen qi rise is healthy, stomach qi descend is and, both rise and fall due to each other, dry and wet, mutual use, together to complete the digestion and absorption of food in the body. Stomach Qi should be lowered, both the normal physiological function of the stomach, but also the clinical treatment principle. If the gastric Qi does not descend, that is, the gastric emptying disorder, there is no reason for transformation, stagnation into disease, the diet can not be emptied in time, the initial digestion of water and grain essence can not be properly moved to the small intestine, for the spleen to transfer the body, the gas does not descend is full, full is rebellious, the main manifestations of the rebellious gas in the stomach is heartburn, acid, abdominal pain, bloating, fullness of the chest and diaphragm, vomiting and regurgitation, erratic upper gas and other symptoms. Therefore, it can lead to the occurrence of reflux esophagitis. Case example: Xie, female, 62 years old, retired. He complained of heartburn, acid reflux with fullness of stomach and epigastric for 3 months, fullness of stomach and epigastric, aggravated after eating, dullness and belching, loose stools, white tongue coating and sunken pulse. Gastroscopy showed incomplete closure of the cardia and pylorus. There was bile reflux into the stomach, and the diagnosis was bile reflux gastritis. He has a history of hypertension, which is maintained normally with antihypertensive drugs. The evidence is that the spleen is deficient in transportation and the stomach is not harmonizing and descending. Treatment: Radix Codonopsis pilosulae 15g, Poria 15g, Atractylodes macrocephala 12g, Radix Pseudostellariae 10g, Pericarpium chenopodium 12g, Citrus aurantium 10g, Persicariae 20g, Radix dactylodis 20g, Mucuna pruriens 6g, Saxifrage 10g, Ginger 6g, Roasted grass 5g; Add Siberian stalk 15g to broaden the chest and regulate Qi; Aconite 20g, Zhebei 12g to control acidity and relieve pain. Add and subtract according to the symptoms, taking 25 doses in total. The symptoms of stomach fullness, nausea and belching, heartburn and acid reflux were all reduced. The patient is an elderly woman with hypertension and has been taking calcium channel antagonist for years, which damages the spleen and stomach and affects its elevation function, predisposing her to esophageal reflux. This formula uses Si Jun Zi Tang to benefit Qi and strengthen the spleen; Er Chen Tang to dry dampness and resolve phlegm, regulate Qi and harmonize the middle; Citrus aurantium, Persimmon, Cuttlefish and Mullein to regulate Qi and subdue rebellion, eliminate distention and fullness; Sha Ren and Ginger to resolve dampness and move Qi. The whole formula has the function of strengthening the spleen, benefiting the qi, harmonizing the stomach and lowering the rebellion, so it can be effective. 3, dredging the liver and relieving depression, clearing heat and stomach discomfort is one of the main factors that cause for esophageal reflux. In today’s fast-paced life and increasingly fierce competition, many people are depressed and irritated, and what they want is not achieved, excessive worry, depression and anger hurt the liver, resulting in liver failure to regulate, liver gas offending the stomach. The liver is the master of draining, likes to be organized, the master of ascending, active, is an important factor for the draining, smooth, ascending qi, such as Zhou Xuehai said “the world said that the spleen and stomach for the ascension of the root, not also. The spleen, the path from which the rise and development; liver, the root of the beginning of the rise and development.” Zhang Zhaoqing also cloud “wood does not rise, then the heart blood does not rise, the spleen does not for the stomach to move its fluid, the bile can not be lowered into the phase of fire, the stomach can not descend to give Sheng Na.” The drainage function of the liver and the rise and fall of the spleen and stomach are closely related, and the normal drainage function of the liver is a condition for the normal rise and fall of the spleen and stomach. If the liver draining function is abnormal, it not only affects the clearing function of the spleen, but also hinders the lowering function of the stomach: in the upper part, vomiting and belching; in the middle part, distention and pain in the abdomen; in the lower part, constipation. Tang Solchuan<: “the nature of wood is the main drainage, food gas into the stomach, all rely on the liver wood to drain the gas, and the water and grain is transformed; set the liver of the clear Yang does not rise, it can not drain the water and grain, leakage in the full evidence is inevitable.” The close relationship between the physiological functions and pathological changes of the liver and the spleen and stomach is further elaborated. If the liver loses drainage, it will offend the middle earth, resulting in disharmony of the liver and stomach; or liver depression will turn into heat, resulting in heartburn, acidity, etc. Case example: Wang, female, 37 years old, journalist. Complaints: burning pain behind the sternum for more than 2 months, aggravated for 1 week, burning pain behind the sternum, radiating to the back, dry mouth, bitter mouth, blocked feeling in the throat, irritable heart, poor bowel movement. The tongue is red with a slightly greasy yellow coating, and the pulse is thin. Gastroscopy: there was striated erosion in the lower esophagus with congestion and edema of the mucosa. The diagnosis was reflux erosive esophagitis. The cause of the disease was recent work pressure, often working late into the night, combined with irregular diet. The diagnosis was liver and stomach heat and loss of harmony in the stomach. Treatment to dredge the liver to relieve depression, clear heat and stomach, the formula with Dan Gardenia Free and Easy San plus and minus: Dan Pi 10g Gardenia 10g Chai Hu 10g Atractylodes Macrocephala 10g Poria 15g White Peony 12g Peppermint 10g Squid Bone 20g Bayberry 12g Su Stem 15g Calcined Corrugated 20g Huang Lian 9g Wu Yu 3g After taking the above 1 week, the pain behind the sternum, heartburn symptoms alleviated. But the stool is still not smooth, the above plus Citrus Aurantium 12g Rhubarb 9 g to clear heat and stagnation. So that the internal Qi pass and stomach heat down, irritability, bitter dry mouth and other symptoms since removed. 4, clear bile and dampness, and the stomach to lower the rebellion “Ling Shu this acupuncture” said: “bile, in the House of clear”. The “Eastern Medical Treasure” said that “the residual energy of the liver, drainage and bile, gathered into the essence. The synthesis and excretion of bile are controlled and regulated by the draining function of the liver. The normal drainage function of the liver, then the bile excretion is smooth, bile into the small intestine to help the digestion of food, and the decline of stomach gas also helps the excretion of bile. If the bile excretion is unfavorable, it affects the transport function of the spleen and stomach, i.e. bile wood does not descend to grasp the stomach earth, and the stomach loses harmony and descent; if bile goes up with the stomach qi, the stomach and epigastric distension and fullness, painful distention and belching; if the stomach qi goes up, nausea, bitterness in the mouth, acid reflux and heartburn. Ling Shu. The four seasons of Qi said “good vomiting, vomiting with bitter, —— evil in the bile, rebellious in the stomach, bile liquid drainage is bitter mouth, stomach gas rebellion is vomiting bitter”. Modern medical research has found that gastroesophageal reflux disease, because the gastric sinus – pylorus – duodenum coordinated movement disorder, duodenal barrier pressure is reduced, resulting in a large amount of duodenal fluid gastric reflux, and the latter further makes the gastric emptying slow. Therefore, it is believed that delayed gastric emptying and duodenogastric reflux can be causally related to each other. Treatment should be based on harmonizing the biliary and gastric functions. Case example: Qin, a 42-year-old male, cadre. Complaint: acidity and heartburn for more than 1 month. He has a bitter taste of liquid up the throat, bitter mouth, bad breath, stuffy stomach, belching, unpleasant stools, nausea in the morning, red tongue, yellow greasy coating, and string pulse. He is usually addicted to alcohol and tobacco and eats a lot of fatty, sweet and thick flavors. Gastroscopy: There was a large amount of yellow-green fluid in the stomach, the esophageal mucosa was congested and edematous, and the mucosa of the gastric sinus was changed with scattered erosions. The diagnosis was reflux esophagitis and bile reflux gastritis. Chinese medicine identifies damp-heat in the bile and stomach. Treatment is to clear the bile and dampness, harmonize the stomach and lower the rebellion. The formula is Artemisia Scutellaria Qing Bile Tang with Addition and Subtraction: Artemisia annua 10g, Pale Bamboo Roo 10g, Fructus Sempervis 10g, Red Poria 15g, Scutellaria baicalensis 12g, Citrus aurantium 10g, Chen Pi 10g, Slippery Rock 20g, Dai Ochre 15g, Glycyrrhiza glabra 3g, in which Artemisia annua and Scutellaria baicalensis clear the bile heat of Shaoyang, with Pale Bamboo Roo, Fructus Sempervis, Chen Pi and Citrus aurantium as supplements to clear the stomach and subdue phlegm, and Dai Ochre to subdue rebellion. The combination of all the drugs has the function of clearing bile heat, relieving dampness and resolving phlegm, and clearing the stomach and lowering rebellion. After 1 week of taking the medicine, the symptoms were reduced, and the dosage was increased and reduced according to the symptoms. 20 doses of the medicine were taken, and no bile was seen in the stomach after gastroscopy, and the gastric mucosal erosion was healed.