If you’ve been reading this blog, you probably have read that  I have had great luck reducing and controlling my left leg swelling using chinese herbal formulas for lymphedema.  I attribute it to a combination of things I tried, but I believe Chinese herbs and Tui Na massage seem to have made the biggest difference initially, reducing the swelling by about 80% or so.  So much that my swelling is barely noticeable now, and I was able to stop wearing compression stockings every day.   Now I just wear them on airplanes, primarily as a precaution.

The Chinese medicine doctors  I have worked with have all customized my herbs, but I have had numerous requests to post the specific mixtures I have received. I am not sure if it will help or not but I was going through files this weekend and found two, so I thought I would share them.

Here’s some things to keep in mind about chinese herbs for lymphedema:

  • Please understand I have no idea if these will work for you.  This isn’t any type of medical advice so please consult a doctor before trying anything.
  • From what I understand, these are customized per person so you may not get the same response I did.
  • Also most of the TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) doctors that I have seen have usually varied the formulas periodically.

That said, I know that for other maladies there are some common chinese herbs that are prescribed across the board.  For example, for gallstones and kidney stones there is one type of chinese herb that appears to be recommended to most people and has received increased attention in research studies (gold coin grass).

Sadly as we all know there is not that much attention paid to lymphedema, so maybe some of these herbs exist that could help across the board.  Unfortunately I am not sure.  (It would be great if someone with medical knowledge is reading and chimes in, I would so welcome that!)  It would be fantastic if these worked for others and we could find some type of compounding pharmacy that could put these together.  I have had problems finding chinese herbs in many places.

What quantity of chinese herbs should you take to treat lymphedema?

The other issue is quantity.  When I did this the first time with one TCM doc for a year and a half, I took rather large quantities of herbs every day.  I’m guessing that’s what it took to move the needle but its not like you can take two small capsules and expect a result.  Before I found chinese medicine, I spent many months experimenting with herbs on my own and got zero response.

Be careful of the source

One other issue is purity.  Be very careful as I have read that some chinese herbs can be high in lead.  I even went so far to get a Fibroscan test to make sure my liver was okay after taking these herbs for a year and a half.  Fortunately it was fine, but please be sure to buy them from a source you trust. If you go to a TCM provider ask where they get them and ask about purity.  We don’t want to cure our lymphedema then find out we’ve wiped out our liver!  Ugh, I know it gets complicated.

Some good news:  I find the chinese herbs to have many great benefits.  I’ve never had so much hair in my life!  My hair has gotten extremely thick.  And, when I take them I noticed I stop getting gray hair.  Wierd, but interesting!  I feel better too when taking these herbs.  More energy and sleep better.

Chinese herb formulas I have used to treat lymphedema:

Here’s the formulas that I have taken in the past:

FORMULA 1

Contains:

Shu Di Huang – Rehmannia Radix (Chinese Foxglove Root)

Shan Zhu Yu – Cornus Fructus (Asiatic Cornelian Cherry Fruit)

Fu Ling – Poria Cocos (White Poria)

Ze Xie – Alisma Rhizome (Water Plantain Root)

Mu Dan Pi – Paeonia Cortex (Peony Tree Root Complex)

Fang Feng – Siler Radix (Ledeboriella Root)

Du Huo – Angelica Pubescens Radix (Angelica Root)

FORMULA 2

Contains:

Huang Qi – Astragalus Radix (Milk Vetch Root)

Zhi Gan Cao – Glycyrrhize Radix (Honey-Baked Licorice)

Bai Zhu – Atractylodes Rhizome (White Atractylodes)

Dang Gui – Angelica Sinensis Radix (Chinese Angelica Root)

Chen Pi – Citrus Reticulata (Orange Peel)

Huo Xiang – Agastache Rugosa (Patchouli)

Zi Su Ye – Perilla Follum (Perilla Leaves)

Sheng Jiang – Zingiber Radix (Fresh Ginger)

Da Zao – Ziziphus Fructus (Chinese Date/Jujube Fruit)

I did get others but they also included herbs to treat other issues (like allergies) so I am not sure those would be appropriate to post.  But this is a start and I will look for others from my first long stint with chinese herbs.

What is your experience?

I’d love to hear if anyone has received chinese herbs for lymphedema and if they are similar to these.  Also if you have luck finding these herbs individually and mixing them yourself, that would be very interesting.  So let us know!!!