Best remedy for Swine Flu? H1N1

[herb ox]

Of course, consult first with your local qualified practitioner, but off-the-record, the Jade Screen formula is very gentle and at a half dose would likely do the trick...

From what you described, you son gets wind invasion - we always say not to get sweaty and go out into the wind - the pores are 'open', thus allowing for the easy passage of pathogens.

That's why any good Chinese mom/grandma/acupuncturist will remind you to wear your scarf when you leave the house... even in the summer!

cheers

ox

PS TGY, great synopsis- sounds like an episode of House!

[taai gihk yahn]

Of course, consult first with your local qualified practitioner, but off-the-record, the Jade Screen formula is very gentle and at a half dose would likely do the trick...

gotcha; thank you for your "off the record" assessment; actually, I was going have him see a friend / colleague who is an RN / LAc, just haven't had the time; but it's good to know what to have around in a pinch

From what you described, you son gets wind invasion - we always say not to get sweaty and go out into the wind - the pores are 'open', thus allowing for the easy passage of pathogens.

yes, I was thinking it had to do with "wind" something or other (my TCM database is somewhat limited); usually when he gets the sniffles, I dose him w/my sifu's "cure all" brew of ginger / lemon / honey - usually does the trick; also sleeping w/the camphor / menthol plug-in thingy works great;

That's why any good Chinese mom/grandma/acupuncturist will remind you to wear your scarf when you leave the house... even in the summer!

LOL - I am sooo trained by my sifu - as soon as it hits 60˚ or lower, everyone's wearing a hat and scarf - which is why I was so p/o'd this year, because I know what he's susceptible to, so I was totally circumspect keeping him healthy all friggin' winter, and of course the first warm day, the grandparents let him run around w/no jacket and get all sweaty - yeesh...

actually, one "old guy" I studied w/for a brief time had a great way of dealing w/the shock of going in and out of air-conditioned buildings/subways in the summer: before you go in (or out), you take a deep breath of the air you are in; then you walk into the other temp, holding the breath as long as you can; then you exhale that breath all the way and hold it out as long as you can; only then do you take a breath of the different air - by then you are much more acclimated - works like a charm, I gotta tell you, especially in NYC subways in the summer!

PS TGY, great synopsis- sounds like an episode of House!

I'm a PT, wife's an MD, it's all in a days SOAP note, LOL;

thanks again for your perspective;

[herb ox]

I dose him w/my sifu's "cure all" brew of ginger / lemon / honey - usually does the trick;

Sounds tasty... and it makes sense... this is actually a very elegant yet simple formula... If I may digress... The ginger "releases the exterior", (makes you perspire) to release the "wind" (i.e. pathogenic factor), while removing cold and stopping cough. It also harmonizes the "ying and the wei"... say whaaat? If the Wei Qi is the protective qi, imagined as the front line of soldiers, the Ying Qi is the base with the reinforcements. (How's that for fanciful concepts? ) Oh yeah, and ginger fortifies and warms the "middle burner" or the digestion, which is almost always weakened during illness.

The lemon, in traditional terms, is astringent and sour. In my opinion, this would check the above induced perspiration slightly to prevent damaging the fluids, while the honey tonifies the spleen and the yin and makes it darn tasty! Just float some of the Ban Lan Gen GeneChing was talking about in there and you got a flu fighter. It'd be kinda bitter though...

... before you go in (or out), you take a deep breath of the air you are in; then you walk into the other temp, holding the breath as long as you can; then you exhale that breath all the way and hold it out as long as you can; only then do you take a breath of the different air - by then you are much more acclimated - works like a charm, I gotta tell you, especially in NYC subways in the summer!

Now that I've never heard of! That's quite fascinating... I mean, how does that work? Is it 'cause you're adjusting your body or is it a form of qigong? Either way, I gotta try it. Thanks!

...it's all in a days SOAP note, LOL;

I suspected something was at play there...

Kind regards

herb ox

[taai gihk yahn]

Sounds tasty... and it makes sense... this is actually a very elegant yet simple formula...

this is how my teacher sees TCM: elegant simplicity; and his "specialty" actually is healing teas; this particular one, which has been dubbed "Hon's brew" after him by us his students, works like a charm every time

If I may digress... The ginger "releases the exterior", (makes you perspire) to release the "wind" (i.e. pathogenic factor), while removing cold and stopping cough.

the way I see it, each of the ingredients contains natural antimicrobials, so that makes sense in terms of the "killing stuff" perspective; but thanks for the "digression";
oh, as far as perspiration, my sifu has commented that herbal TCM does 3 main things to get out the sickness: makes you sweat, makes you urinate or makes you throw up (I think in that order of preference); don't know if it's an oversimplicfication, but whatever;

It also harmonizes the "ying and the wei"... say whaaat? If the Wei Qi is the protective qi, imagined as the front line of soldiers, the Ying Qi is the base with the reinforcements. (How's that for fanciful concepts? )

very fanciful; but it is a great way to conceptualize it;

Oh yeah, and ginger fortifies and warms the "middle burner" or the digestion, which is almost always weakened during illness.

yeah, sifu is big on the basis of colds being digestive: recall him mentioning how one leads to the other, but that was the take home message;

The lemon, in traditional terms, is astringent and sour. In my opinion, this would check the above induced perspiration slightly to prevent damaging the fluids, while the honey tonifies the spleen and the yin and makes it darn tasty! Just float some of the Ban Lan Gen GeneChing was talking about in there and you got a flu fighter. It'd be kinda bitter though...

thanks - went out and got Gan Mao Ling tablets, some Si Shi Gan Mao Cha (ing: flos lonicera, fructus forsythiae, folium mori, herba lophatheri, radix isatidis, radix platycodi) and a basic combo of ban lan gen and da qing ye;

Now that I've never heard of! That's quite fascinating... I mean, how does that work? Is it 'cause you're adjusting your body or is it a form of qigong? Either way, I gotta try it. Thanks!

it's just helping the internal body not get hit w/the shock of the temp change: you know how when you walk out of an AC building in the summer and get hit w/the wall of heat? if you do this, take a deep breath of the cold air and hold it in when you go out, you don't feel it nearly as much; and by the time you exhale, hold it out and then finally inhale, your external body has adjusted, so the internal is able to handle the temp change better; works amazingly well, and very simple; key is to remember to do it! honestly, it's the best thing I ever learned from this guy...

I suspected something was at play there...

my personal goal is to one day write an entire SOAP note using only abbreviations...

Kind regards

likewise;

[GeneChing]

I am going to do that merge I mentioned above now...

Sept. 16, 2009, 7:57 p.m. EDT ·
Traditional medicine can cure swine flu: Chinese state media
By MarketWatch

LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Recent clinical trials in Beijing show traditional Chinese medicine is effective in preventing and curing the A/H1N1 virus, commonly known as "swine flu," according to a report Thursday in Chinese state media.

The report cited the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau as saying traditional cures were validated by five months of research, prompting the city to reserve 2 million doses of the unspecified treatment.

"The Beijing municipal government has invested 10 million yuan ($1.4 million) to test the effectiveness and safety of [traditional Chinese medicine] to treat A/H1N1 flu since May," the report quoted the city's chief of traditional medicine Zhao Jing as saying.

Zhao said that as of Sept. 1, a total 326 of 845 confirmed cases of A/H1N1 in Beijing had been cured with traditional treatments, adding that such cures proved "very effective" in combination with Western medicine.

The report also quoted Wang Yuguang, a senior expert with Beijing Ditan Hospital, as saying: "Clinical tests have showed that [traditional medicine] doses help reduce symptoms of fever, sore throat and cough. ... No side effects and adverse reactions have been reported."

[Lee Chiang Po]

The H1N1 swine flu is not your regular flu. If it does not kill you, it will certainly make you think it is going to. I had it in the winter of 57/58. Actually January of 58, and I have to tell you that I have had regular flu several times before and since then, and none of it even compares to the swine flu. They called it the Hong Kong flu back then. The US government knows exactly what this flu is, and this is why they seem to be running scared over it. My question is just where the hell has this flu been hiding for the past 50 years?
You can pass it off as a conspiracy or whatever, but I would recommend that if you have access to it, get a vaccine shot for it. This stuff killed over 78,000 people in this country alone back then, and who knows world wide. It is nothing to worry about unless of course you are the one that gets it. One thing about it though, it never killed anyone that wasn't already praying for death.

[18elders]

The Swine flu is a bit different virus from the one you had, the Swine is a H1N1 and the Hong Kong Flu is a H3N2.
I don't know which is worse but from what you stated it doesn't sound like fun to have the HK flu.

[jdhowland]

[QUOTE=taai gihk yahn;932444]actually, one "old guy" I studied w/for a brief time had a great way of dealing w/the shock of going in and out of air-conditioned buildings/subways in the summer: before you go in (or out), you take a deep breath of the air you are in; then you walk into the other temp, holding the breath as long as you can; then you exhale that breath all the way and hold it out as long as you can; only then do you take a breath of the different air - by then you are much more acclimated - works like a charm, I gotta tell you, especially in NYC subways in the summer QUOTE]

I've been doing something like that most of my life, but with a variation: Where I live, there can easily be a hundred degree temperature difference between indoor and outdoor air. When you leave a heated building you take a breath, exhale slowly and gently "sip" small quantities of cold air to give your lungs and circulation time to adjust. You Canucks know what I'm talking about.

jd

[GeneChing]

I drink a similar tea as a general detoxicant.

* November 4, 2009, 3:49 AM ET
Recipes from China’s Alternative Swine Flu Frontlines

Until recently, China has been fairly sheltered from bad news associated with the H1N1 flu virus. But since early October, when the country reported its first H1N1 death, temperatures have dropped and H1N1 cases are reportedly rising steeply, so a corresponding increase in anxiety levels is inevitable.

Amid such fears, the available science doesn’t always prevail.

On the Internet, rumors that H1N1 could be caused by vaccines prompted a strongly worded refutation from the Ministry of Health, while flu fears at a Beijing university spurred school authorities to rid the campus of stray cats, despite a lack of evidence that the animals play a role in the spread of the H1N1 virus. (And to be sure, Chinese authorities don’t help when they add restrictions to imports of pork products, which the WHO says would not transmit the H1N1 virus via consumption).

China has launched an ambitious H1N1 vaccination campaign and drug makers are operating at full capacity to produce vaccine doses. But even so, health officials say domestic vaccine makers will only be able to produce around 100 million vaccine doses by the end of March 2010,still a long way from the 390 million doses needed to inoculate targeted groups, such as military, medical personnel, students and the chronically ill.

Against that backdrop, Chinese traditional medicine (TCM) offers some alternative measures for H1N1 prevention. An official with the department of medical administration in the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine referred us to the following TCM recipes (available in Chinese here). She noted that the recipes are only intended as a reference, since variations among regions and individuals must also be taken into account.

Soup

5 grams scallion, 30 grams daikon radish, 3 grams parsley. Add an appropriate amount of water, boil and drink.

Salad

30 to 60 grams fresh “fishy grass” (aka cordate houttuynia) (fresh whiteflower patrinia or purslane may be substituted), blanched and mixed with garlic juice and vinegar.

Bean Porridge

1. 30 grams each red beans, green beans and white hyacinth beans, cleaned and boiled with 500ml water.

2. 30 grams each red peanuts, red beans and red dates, boiled with 500ml water. Add brown sugar to taste.

Tea

Three grams each green tea leaves, dried chrysanthemum flower and licorice steeped in boiling water. Three to five nasturtium flowers may be used as a substitute for the tea.

[GeneChing]

I'm only posting the bigger ones...

China launches new swine flu medicine that cures in 3 days
© REUTERS/ Wolfgang Rattay
10:5103/11/2009

MOSCOW, November 3 (RIA Novosti) - Sales of a traditional Chinese medicine against swine flu, which its producer says is especially effective for children, have been launched in China, a local newspaper said on Tuesday.

The China Daily quoted the deputy head of the Beijing traditional Chinese medicine bureau as saying that children with the flu should be cured with "No 2 Cold Medicine" within three days.

"Some children will be cured with only one dose, while others might need two," Tu Zhitao said.

The World Health Organization said it was not familiar with the traditional Chinese medicine recommended for children and could not comment, the paper said.

Tamiflu and Relenza are so far the only two approved antiviral drugs that are available for treatment of the H1N1 virus.

As the number of H1N1 cases reached 6,196 in Beijing as of Monday, 20 traditional Chinese medical hospitals opened 24-hour anti-H1N1 departments, the paper said.

An unidentified bureau official said the traditional Chinese medicine is very effective and does not harm the stomach, unlike western medicines. "Chinese medicine does not have this side effect. This No 2 cold medicine is an upgrade of former anti-flu medicines," the paper quoted her as saying.

Other experts said the medicine is basically the same as an ordinary Chinese anti-flu drug.

Nearly 50,000 confirmed swine flu cases have been reported in China. Seven people have died of the disease and 118 are in critical condition.

China was the first country to complete tests of a swine flu vaccine and started the vaccination campaign in September. The country plans to produce up to 360 million doses of the vaccine, and is set to allocate a total of $725 million on efforts to curb the disease.

[TenTigers]

I've been drinking Airborne since before the flu season and all through it. It seems to help boost immune system. I also make sure I get plenty of fresh air, sunlight, rest/sleep, exercise, optimum nutrition, plenty of water, a good natural high potency multi-vitamin, and extra C.
I also heard that moxibustion to stomach 36 during this time is also good. Correct me on the points if I am mistaken.

[GeneChing]

I traveled in China when SARS flu broke out and remember a similar rush of TCM curatives. TCM never really provided a real remedy, but I packed my Banlaigen. Well, I always pack some Banlaigen when I travel in Asia. That's good stuff.

TCM may be another alternative in fight against H1N1
By Channel NewsAsia's Hong Kong Correspondent Leslie Tang | Posted: 21 November 2009 0011 hrs

HONG KONG: Hong Kong Chinese medicine practitioners are collaborating with a Macau university to test what they believe is another alternative to combating the H1N1 virus.

If they are successful, the formula will be the first Chinese herbal prescription cure for H1N1.

As temperatures drop, Hong Kong health officials are bracing themselves for a second wave of H1N1 to hit the city.

Other than Tamiflu and flu jabs, Hong Kong R&D company Rorric Biotechnology believes it may be able to offer a less invasive cure to H1N1, using traditional Chinese medicine.

Dr Chow Ching-fung, chairman of Rorric Biotechnology, said: "This formula is effective in two ways. First, it combats and eliminates the virus. Second, it boosts the immune system, helping the patient to become stronger."

The formula is made up of 21 common Chinese herbs, such as honeysuckle and Bai Shu.

"Traditional Chinese medicine has a long history of being proven to have fewer side effects as it uses herbal ingredients," Dr Chow added. "Western medicine contains a mixture of chemicals from the manufacturing process, so the risks are higher."

Dr Chow said he had prescribed the formula, which is currently in powder form, to 100 patients suspected of contracting H1N1 and they have fully recovered.

Moreover, tests at the Wu Han Institute of Virology have shown that the formula is not only effective against H1N1, but also other mutated forms of Influenza A.

Rorric Biotechnology is now collaborating with the Macau University of Science and Technology to test the formula on 300 patients over four months.

The first goal is to have the drug registered in Macau. If all goes well, the team hopes the drug's success will gain the support of authorities in Hong Kong to give it the green light.


- CNA/so

[GeneChing]

Good ol' Ma Huang. I knew some nutbags back in the day who used it 'recreationally'

* December 17, 2009, 7:58 AM ET
Old Formulas to Treat a New Flu

Can traditional Chinese medicine beat swine flu?

Some Beijing medical officials think so, at least for mild cases of the disease. On Thursday, Chinese medicine officials announced that a traditional formula called Jin Hua Qing Gan” (金花清感) has been designated as the world’s first “optimized effective agent” for alleviating the symptoms of the H1N1 virus.

“The clinical study showed that Jin Hua Qing Gan can shorten the duration of fever, alleviate respiratory tract symptoms like sore throat, coughing etc.,” said Zhao Jing, director of the Beijing Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine at the press conference where the finders were announced.

Currently, however, it’s unclear if Jin Hua Qing Gan would directly replace other Western medicines to treat H1N1, especially in serious cases. “This is indeed an issue, as the target of our research are all H1N1 patients with slight symptoms”, said Wang Chen, President of Chaoyang Hospital.

The formula was developed and tested at several Western and traditional medical institutes in Beijing over the past six months. It is based on two major components, both of which have been used for centuries to treat fevers. One is Ma Xing Shi Gan（麻杏石甘汤), which has been used in China for more than 2,000 years, and Yin Qiao San (powder of lonicera and forsythia — 银翘散), which has been used for over 200 years to reduce fever.

The researchers said no adverse reactions have been found so far in patients who took the formula from the 28 traditional hospitals in Beijing that have been using it. A course of treatment costs about 80 yuan ($11.72).

In the future, Zhao said the new formula will have to go through an approval process. A license could be granted in January and the formula could come on the market in Beijing then.

It’s not clear if the formula can be exported. Ma Xing Shi Gan Formula contains Ma Huang, (herba ephedrae). Although this herb is widely used to treat asthma in China, it was sold in the U.S. as a weight-loss product in dosages far higher than commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine. After several highly publicized deaths, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned it in 2004.

– Sue Feng and Ian Johnson

[Fa Xing]

Good ol' Ma Huang. I knew some nutbags back in the day who used it 'recreationally'

Yeah...uh...I need to fight of H1N1 too...any clue where I can sco...er...acquire some ma huang...

[GeneChing]

... I remember drinking Ma Huang tea to alleviate allergy symptoms, not to get high.

This guy I knew had brewed up a batch to take to a Dead show and was convinced he was going to have some ecstatic drug experience with it. He drank some and then was acting like he was in some deep trip. I just laughed at him. He also advocated putting Tiger Balm on your temples to get high. I told him that was much more effective on his *****.