Congealing cold-damp amenorrhea

Amenorrhea due to cold-damp contending and binding with the blood and blocking the thoroughfare (chōng) and controlling (rèn) vessels. Congealing cold-damp amenorrhea is characterized by smaller abdominal cold pain, physical cold and cold limbs, and copious white vaginal discharge. Where cold is prevalent, it is associated with thin watery vaginal discharge and a slow pulse. Where dampness is prevalent, it is usually associated with abdominal distension and sloppy stool, in some cases with swelling of the lower limbs.

Medicinal therapy: Cold patterns are treated by warming the channels and dispersing cold with Channel-Warming (Menses-Warming) Decoction (温经汤 wēn jīng tāng), whereas dampness patterns are treated by drying dampness and transforming turbidity with Zhu Dan-Xi’s Damp Phlegm Formula (朱丹溪治湿痰方 zhū dān xī zhì shī tán fāng), which contains atractylodes (Atractylodis Rhizoma, 苍朮 cāng zhú), white atractylodes (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, 白朮 bái zhú), pinellia (Pinelliae Rhizoma, 半夏 bàn xià), poria (Poria, 茯苓 fú líng), talcum (Talcum, 滑石 huá shí), cyperus (Cyperi Rhizoma, 香附子 xiāng fù zǐ), chuanxiong (Chuanxiong Rhizoma, 川芎 chuān xiōng), and Chinese angelica (Angelicae Sinensis Radix, 当归 dāng guī).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on CV, SP, and ST. Select CV-3 (Central Pole, 中极 zhōng jí), GB-26 (Girdling Vessel, 带脉 dài mài), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), SP-10 (Sea of Blood, 血海 xuè hǎi), SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), SP-9 (Yīn Mound Spring, 阴陵泉 yīn líng quán), and LR-3 (Supreme Surge, 太冲 tài chōng). Needle with drainage and large amounts of moxa. Where cold is prominent, add CV-4 (Pass Head, 关元 guān yuán), and CV-6 (Sea of Qì, 气海 qì hǎi). Where dampness is prominent, add CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct, 中脘 zhōng wǎn), ST-25 (Celestial Pivot, 天枢 tiān shū), and BL-20 (Spleen Transport, 脾俞 pí shù).