Blood heat flooding and spotting

Flooding and spotting (abnormal discharge of blood via the vagina) due to blood heat. Blood heat flooding and spotting forms a repletion pattern when due to constitutional internal heat, excessive consumption of hot spicy food, or contraction of heat evil. It may stem from excessive anger causing qì depression that transforms into fire. It can also result from yīn vacuity internal heat. In all cases, the heat harasses the thoroughfare (chōng) and controlling (rèn) vessels and causes frenetic movement of the blood.

Patterns

Repletion pattern blood heat (实证血热 shí zhèng xuè rè) flooding and spotting is characterized by sudden bleeding from the vagina that is copious or dribbling. The flow is crimson or purple in color and thick and sticky in consistency. General signs include a red facial complexion, thirst, vexation and agitation, and irascibility.

Medicinal therapy: Clear heat, cool the blood, and stanch bleeding with Heat-Clearing Channel-Securing (Menses-Securing) Decoction (清热固经汤 qīng rè gù jīng tāng).

Qì depression transforming into fire (气郁化火 qì yù huà huǒ) giving rise to blood heat flooding and spotting is marked by chest and rib-side distension and pain, heart vexation and irascibility.

Medicinal therapy: Calm the liver and clear heat, using formulas like Moutan and Gardenia Free Wanderer Powder (丹栀逍遥散 dān zhī xiāo yáo sǎn).

Yīn vacuity blood heat (阴虚血热 yīn xū xuè rè) is characterized by a scant dribbling flow that is red, thick and sticky, as well as by reddening of the cheeks and heat in the soles and palms.

Medicinal therapy: Nourish yīn and clear heat, using Rehmannia and Lycium Root Bark Decoction (两地汤 liǎng dì tāng).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment on the CV and SP. Main points: CV-6 (Sea of Qì, 气海 qì hǎi), SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), and SP-1 (Hidden White, 隐白 yǐn bái). For repletion pattern blood heat, add SP-10 (Sea of Blood, 血海 xuè hǎi), and KI-5 (Water Spring, 水泉 shuǐ quán), needling with drainage. For qì depression transforming into fire, add LR-3 (Supreme Surge, 太冲 tài chōng), TB-6 (Branch Ditch, 支沟 zhī gōu), and LR-1 (Large Pile, 大敦 dà dūn). LR-2 (Moving Between, 行间 xíng jiān), needling with drainage. For yīn vacuity blood heat, add KI-6 (Shining Sea, 照海 zhào hǎi), KI-2 (Blazing Valley, 然谷 rán gǔ), KI-3 (Great Ravine, 太溪 tài xī), and HT-7 (Spirit Gate, 神门 shén mén), needling with even supplementation and drainage.