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The Yin & Yang of Drugs

Drugs have their own energetic properties and are classified as cold, hot, warm and dispersing in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
It’s amazing! Drugs can be yin or yang and have energetic effects on your body!
Each drug has its own energetic property and can change the yin and yang balance within the body.

Drugs and their energetic actions
Drugs can be classified as hot, very hot, cold, warm or dispersing

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory uses the Eight Principles as its core concept:

  • yin/yang
  • hot/cold
  • interior/exterior
  • deficient/excess

Thus from the Eight Principles theory we can assess drugs using this model, mainly whether the thermal nature of the drug as this is most general.
A medical doctor does not consider the energetic response caused by the drug nor the energetic nature of the illness. Drugs which move the energy of the patient’s condition towards this balance seem to assist in the symptoms but do not guarantee that no adverse effects or damage to the body will occur. Drugs do not treat the root cause of the illness (ben) and tend to the suppression of the symptom (biao).
TCM treatment aims to balance the yin and yang of the patient.
The main classifications of drug energetic properties are:

  • Cold
  • Hot
  • Warm
  • Dispersing

Cold Drug e.g. A person with a hot condition (full-heat) such as fever, inflammation and infection (e.g. meningococcal disease) will be prescribed a cooling drug such as amoxycillin (antibiotic) which is cold and bitter.
Another Cold Drug. e.g. yin deficiency causing hypertension is treated with beta blockers which have a cold nature.

Cold
Like cold weather, drugs can have a cooling effect on the body e.g. antibiotics and thyroxine

Hot Drug. e.g. A person with a cold condition (yang deficiency) such as hypothyroidism where the metabolic functions of the body slow down can be prescribed with a hot drug such as Thyroxine.

Warm & Dispersing. e.g. A person with a wind-cold like head cold or the flu taking aspirin to warm the cold and disperse.
What physical changes happen in the body when drugs are given, and where do you find these changes?
When a patient takes drugs, it affects the TCM diagnosis as the pulse and tongue will change along with the balance of yin and yang. Other physical changes will occur with the presenting signs and symptoms.
For example, a patient given codeine for diarrhoea will find that they may get constipation and the CNS has affected the Large Intestine for bowel motions.

Acupuncture Support Melbourne

If you want to check the amount of drugs you are taking and reduce them you can work with your health practitioner and medical GP to do this in a safe and slow manner to allow your body to get stronger and become less reliant on the medications.
At Femme Vital Acupuncture in Fairfield, Melbourne, expect the best holistic health consultation, tailored treatment and advice with 10 years experience supporting wellbeing with acupuncture and Chinese herbs.
For in Clinic Acupuncture or online Holistic Health coaching Book Online or contact us on 0466 866 450.
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