Repletion hiccup

Powerful sonorous hiccup associated with a large slippery pulse. Repletion hiccup is usually attributable to stomach repletion with fire, or phlegm-damp obstruction. The root cause may be damage to the stomach by voracious eating causing food to stagnate in the stomach duct.

Biomedical correspondence: observed in gastric neurosis and acute gastritis.

Medicinal therapy: Treat by harmonizing the stomach and downbearing qì, and by clearing stomach fire or transforming phlegm-damp. For stomach fire, use variations of Lophatherum and Gypsum Decoction (竹叶石膏汤 zhú yè shí gāo tāng) or Minor Qì-Coordinating Decoction (小承气汤 xiǎo chéng qì tāng), adding persimmon calyx (Kaki Calyx, 柿蒂 shì dì) to downbear qì. For phlegm-damp, use Inula and Hematite Decoction (旋覆花代赭石汤 xuán fù huā dài zhě shí tāng) minus ginseng (Ginseng Radix, 人参 rén shēn), raw licorice (Glycyrrhizae Radix Cruda, 生甘草 shēng gān cǎo), and jujube (Jujubae Fructus, 大枣 dà zǎo), plus poria (Poria, 茯苓 fú líng) and tangerine peel (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, 陈皮 chén pí). If the root cause is food damage, add stir-fried barley sprout (Hordei Fructus Germinatus, 麦芽 mài yá), stir-fried millet sprout (Setariae Fructus Germinatus, 谷芽 gǔ yá), crataegus (Crataegi Fructus, 山楂 shān zhā), and medicated leaven (Massa Medicata Fermentata, 神曲 shén qū) to rectify qì and disperse food.

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on ST, LR, and PC. Main points: BL-17 (Diaphragm Transport, 膈俞 gé shù), PC-6 (Inner Pass, 内关 nèi guān), CV-17 (Chest Center, 膻中 shān zhōng), ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), CV-14 (Great Tower Gate, 巨阙 jù què), ST-25 (Celestial Pivot, 天枢 tiān shū), and LR-3 (Supreme Surge, 太冲 tài chōng).

Point selection according to cause: For stomach fire, add LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ) and ST-44 (Inner Court, 内庭 nèi tíng). For phlegm-damp, add ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge, 丰隆 fēng lóng) and SP-9 (Yīn Mound Spring, 阴陵泉 yīn líng quán). For food damage, add CV-10 (Lower Stomach Duct, 下脘 xià wǎn), Lǐ Inner Court (里内庭 lǐ nèi tíng), and CV-21 (Jade Swivel, 璇玑 xuán jī); Drain all points.