Chan Tui Decoction helps you sleep, while Danggui Huangqi Wolfberry Drink treats dysmenorrhea. Can the “ancient recipes” in Meng Hua Lu be used today?

Recently, the popular TV series "Dream of Splendor" has come to a successful conclusion. The traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions in this costume drama have also attracted people's attention. "Cicada Tui Tang" helps sleep, and "Danggui Huangqi Wolfberry Drink" treats dysmenorrhea. Are these two "prescriptions" used by the ancients in the drama still applicable today?

Cicada molt calms the nerves and helps with sleep

Plot reenactment:

In episode 32, Chen Lian communicated with Zhaodi and said that his boss Gu Qianfan had not appeared for so long because he was seriously injured and was taking medicine every day. Zhaodi revealed to him that Zhao Paner also had to drink "Cicada Shell Soup" every day to fall asleep.

Explanation : "Cicada slough" is the skin and shell that falls off when the nymphs of the Cicadidae insect black grasshopper emerge from their shells. It is usually collected in summer and autumn, and then the sand is removed and dried. Cicada slough is sweet and cold in nature. It enters the lung and liver meridians and has the effects of dispersing wind and heat, relieving sore throat, clearing rashes, removing cataracts, and relieving spasms.

Modern medical research has shown that cicada slough can significantly reduce the spontaneous activity of normal mice, prolong the sleep time of sodium pentobarbital, counteract the excitatory effect of caffeine, and has a calming and soothing effect. Clinically, cicada slough is often used to treat children's night crying or night convulsions, and it also has a certain effect on adult insomnia. From this perspective, there is a medical basis for Zhao Pan'er drinking cicada slough soup when she can't sleep in the play.

There are three points to note when using cicada shells:

1. Cicada shells are cold in nature and are effective for insomnia caused by fire in the liver meridian.

2. Cicada slough can be used in combination, or it can be ground into powder and taken alone. The dosage for general diseases should be small, while the dosage for stopping spasms should be large.

3 Modern pharmacological studies have shown that cicada shells have a significant excitatory effect on the isolated uterine smooth muscle of rats, which can increase the duration of its contraction wave, enhance the contraction tension and uterine activity, so pregnant women should use it with caution.

Danggui Huangqi Wolfberry Drink for Dysmenorrhea

Plot reenactment:

In episode 19, Gao Hui suffered from constant abdominal pain due to her sudden menstruation, so Zhao Paner prepared a drink of "Danggui Huangqi Wolfberry Drink" for her to drink, saying that it "can regulate menstruation and unclog blood vessels, and girls in Jiangnan drink this when they are inconvenient."

Explanation of doubts : Angelica sinensis replenishes blood, Astragalus membranaceus replenishes Qi, and Lycium barbarum replenishes yin and yang and nourishes the liver and kidneys. Therefore, "Angelica Astragalus Membranaceus Drink" can replenish Qi, nourish blood and regulate menstruation. It is more effective for dysmenorrhea caused by deficiency of both Qi and blood and insufficient kidney Qi.

For dysmenorrhea, the clinical treatment principle of "treating the symptoms in an emergency and treating the root cause in a slow manner" is generally adopted. During dysmenorrhea, sedation, analgesia, and antispasmodics can be given first, and at other times, syndrome differentiation and conditioning are used to treat the root cause. Therefore, a decoction of angelica, astragalus, and wolfberry can be used for daily conditioning of dysmenorrhea of ​​qi and blood deficiency type, but because of their limited analgesic and antispasmodic effects, if used for acute pain relief, it may not be as immediate as shown in TV dramas. Dysmenorrhea is generally divided into five types: kidney qi deficiency, qi and blood deficiency, qi stagnation and blood stasis, cold coagulation and blood stasis, and damp-heat accumulation. The treatment methods of tonifying the kidney and replenishing essence, tonifying qi and nourishing blood, promoting qi and activating blood circulation, warming the meridians and dispersing cold, and clearing heat and removing dampness should be adopted according to the syndrome. During diagnosis and treatment, the treatment plan needs to be adjusted according to the specific situation of the patient.

Chinese medicine emphasizes "one person, one symptom" and "one symptom, one prescription" in treating diseases, and treats according to the symptoms. Whether you suffer from insomnia or dysmenorrhea, it is best to go to a regular hospital for treatment.

The content of this article is for popular science purposes only. Please consult a professional for specific diagnosis and treatment.