Back to previous page
Search in Dictionary

Gān thirst

疳渴 〔疳渴〕gān kě

Gān disease with thirst and desire for fluids. Gān thirst is usually caused by stomach heat or insufficiency of the fluids.

Medicinal therapy: Stomach heat should be treated by clearing heat and harmonizing the stomach, whereas insufficiency of the fluids should be treated by boosting qì and engendering liquid. Formulas such as Sweet Dew Beverage (甘露饮 gān lù yǐn) plus gypsum (Gypsum Fibrosum, 石膏 shí gāo) and anemarrhena (Anemarrhenae Rhizoma, 知母 zhī mǔ) to clear heat, or Pulse-Engendering Powder (生脉散 shēng mài sǎn) supplemented with additional qì-boosting yīn-nourishing medicinals may be used.

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on SP and ST. Main points: CV-10 (Lower Stomach Duct, 下脘 xià wǎn), ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), SP-5 (Shang Hill, 商丘 shāng qiū), Four Creases (四缝 sì fèng), and SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo). For stomach heat, add ST-44 (Inner Court, 内庭 nèi tíng) and LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ); needle with drainage. For insufficiency of the fluids, add TB-2 (Humor Gate, 液门 yè mén), KI-6 (Shining Sea, 照海 zhào hǎi), and KI-3 (Great Ravine, 太溪 tài xī), needling with supplementation.

Back to previous page
Help us to improve our content
You found an error? Send us a feedback