The goal of herbal therapy in the treatment of cold and flu is to reduce or eliminate symptoms, recover more quickly and reduce the use of antibiotics unless they are absolutely necessary
Classically, in Chinese medicine, a differentiation between Wind Cold and Wind Heat is necessary. A Wind Heat invasion usually corresponds to a flu and is characterized by fever, sweating, cough, sore throat, headache, yellow sputum. Pulse tends to be floating and rapid; tongue is red and may have a thin, white coating.
A wind cold invasion is characterized by, absence of fever or a slight fever, chills, sneezing, cough, white or clear sputum, severe aches and pains, headache, absence of sweating. The pulse is floating, the tongue may be pale or unchanged.
People get sick due to the following reasons: Exposure to germs, overwork, lowered immune system. In our own climate, which is more moderate, I find a true Wind Cold invasion rare, and so I always recommended Isatis Gold coupled with an appropriate adjunct. If the patient has a temperature, use Isatis Gold alone; in the absence of fever, I recommend Isatis Gold with freshly grated ginger tea. Boil a teaspoon of fresh ginger for five or more minutes and then drink. Wind cold invasion is more prevalent in not only cold climates, such as Alaska, but households lacking modern heating systems. If I were practicing in a colder climate, I might be inclined to use more warming therapies.
Most of us, especially those of us with young children, are overwhelmed with germs. We can’t keep kids home, if both parents are working, therefore our children, when ill, spread germs to others in school or daycare. Once our child is well, they are exposed to other ill children whose parents are also unable to keep them home. Recirculated air in airplanes, poorly ventilated work environments, and in general, population density add to the problem. Therefore, I always initially recommend some anti-toxin herbs, such as found in Isatis Gold or Yin Chao Jin. For best results, the following products should be taken at the first sign of a cold or flu and should be taken every few hours until the condition is cleared. Once the condition has cleared, discontinue taking these products.
Probably the most widely known Chinese herbal remedy for cold and flu is Yin Chao. Versions of this formula are produced in the US, as well as in China. However, many of the versions produced in China contain antihistamines, caffeine and aspirin. The contains Chinese herbs that clear Heat and relieve toxicity. Herbs in this category have infection fighting, anti-inflammatory, and diuretic functions. In producing Yin Chao Jin, we have added an extract of isatis root and leaf (ba lang gen and da qing ye), which has powerful anti-viral and anti-bacterial effects. Therefore, we see this formula is specific for the early stages of a cold and flu, particularly when a sore throat is present.
My colleague, Dr. Fung Fung, developed a modification of this formula for children, called Yin Chao Jr. It is in liquid form and contains additional phlegm resolving herbs, and some warming herbs, so that it is not as cold as the original formula. The general dosage is 1-3 droppers full every few hours. It may be added to juice for better compliance. I also recommend Yin Chao Jr. formula to adults who are unable to swallow tablets or capsules.
Some of the same herbs are represented in Isatis Gold, a formula that has been successfully used for decades. Isatis Gold features the widely used western herbs echinacea and goldenseal. Echinacea has been used by Native Americans for hundreds of years, as well as naturopathic doctors for a century. Well studied in Germany, echinacea seems to stimulate immunity, which explains its traditional use in bacteria and viral infections, inflammations, fevers, and even tissue injuries. There are three widely used species of echinacea, and Health Concerns uses the echinacea purpurea, the species that has been most extensively researched. The other western herb found in Isatis Gold is goldenseal, which is traditionally combined with Echinacea for cold and flu treatment. It is used as an anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, to dry the mucous membranes, and aid digestion. In addition, Isatis Gold contains isatis extract (da qing ye & ban lan gen), platycodon (jie geng), and ligusticum (chuan xiong). Platycodon helps soothe the throat, and ligusticum improves blood flow and is specific for headaches. My clinical experience is that Isatis Gold is one of the most effective cold and flu formulas, as it can be used in the first, second, or third stages of a cold or flu. It is an excellent formula for patients to have on hand, particularly those most susceptible to catching colds and flus; such as patients with autoimmune disease (whose immune system can be weakened by cold and flus) and families with young children, who can pick up germs at day care or school, bring them home, and then take them back to school.
It is important to take these formulas, at least three capsules every few hours. Patients who are constitutionally sensitive, or have weak digestive systems, should take lower dosages and combine Isatis Gold with Quiet Digestion.
It is not uncommon for clients to have relied too heavily on either echinacea products or Yin Chao. In this case it is important to use an alternate formula. For example, I had a chronic fatigue client who reported that the Yin Chao prescribed by her acupuncturist no longer worked, and so I had her take home a bottle of Isatis Gold to use at the first feeling of a cold or flu. Generally, the first symptoms might include a tickle in the throat, fatigue, and increased mucous production.
I had another client, a nurse who was treating herself with daily Echinacea to prevent infection. Her pulse was also weak, and tongue extremely pale, indicating a need for tonification. I recommended she use Astra C, which strengthens the defensive energy, and to use Yin Chao Jin at the first stages of a cold or flu. I counseled her to discontinue the daily use of echinacea, which many Western herbalist feel is counterproductive for long-term administration.
As mentioned earlier, if patients are constitutionally sensitive, or have weak digestive symptoms, I recommended taking Isatis Gold or Yin Chao Jin, in combination with Quiet Digestion. If the patient comes down with a gastrointestinal flu, Quiet Digestion is particularly good with Isatis Gold. General dosage is, two of each formula, 4-6 times per day on an empty stomach.
If the patient comes down with sneezing or a watery nose, I recommend differentiating between the color and the severity of the sputum. If the sputum is constant, consider combining Isatis Gold with Clear Phlegm. If sneezing is constant and there is colored phlegm, consider combining Isatis Gold with Nasal Caps 2. For a sinus infection, consider Nasal Caps 2 and Coptis Purge Fire; for antibiotic resistant ear infections, the same protocol may be used. For chronic ear infections without heat signs, consider Nasal Caps 2 and Clear Phlegm.
Lingering Colds & Flu Frequently clients come in with lingering colds and flu that have resisted rest, over the counter remedies, or herbs. A careful diagnosis is important. In this case, harmonizing formulas are used in Chinese herbal treatment. For example, Ease 2 (Chai Hu Qui Zhi Tang) releases the muscles and treats epigastric pain. Bupleurum (chai hu), has anti-pathogenic properties, and has an ascending property which is considered useful to help rid the body of virus and bacteria. Chinese Skullcap (huang qin) drains heat from the liver and gallbladder and also has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. Ginseng (ren shen) helps tonify the body so that pathogens are not able to further weaken the body. Chinese peony (bai shao) helps treat digestive symptoms and has pain relieving effects.
When more tonifying and less harmonizing is required, the Astra Isatis formula may be used. Astra Isatis has been useful in treating chronic viral conditions such as mononucleosis, herpes, chronic fatigue syndrome, and HIV, as this formula contains the tonic herbs astragalus (huang qi), codonopsis (dang shen), Barrenwort (epimedium; yin yang huo), lycium fruit (gou qi zi) and white atractylodes (bai zhu). It also contains the anti-toxin herbs isatis (da qing ye & ban lan gen), licorice (gan cao); and kombu (laminaria; kun bu), which is useful for lymphatic swelling.
Power Mushrooms is used to tonify the immunity more strongly than Ease 2. Red ganoderma (rei shi; ling zhi), tremella (bai mu er), poria (fu ling), have immune enhancing effects. It has warming properties in terms of TCM. I often use Ease 2 and Power Mushrooms together when a client has been struggling with a cold for over five days and there is no fever; however there might be muscle pain, gastrointestinal weakness, or headaches. General dosage is two capsules of each formula, 4-6 times per day. Power Mushrooms seems particularly good at helping fatigue due to virus, so it is also recommended in conjunction with Astra Isatis for chronic viral conditions with cold signs.
With heat signs, such as temperature, fast pulse, excessive sweating, red flushed appearance or red tongue, Clear Heat can be used. If there is extreme fatigue with a temperature, use Clear Heat with Astra Isatis. With a productive cough and fever, use Clear Air with Clear Heat. After several days, particularly of a Wind Heat invasion, there may be dry cough, if patients have history of pneumonia or bronchitis this may develop fairly soon.
There are many cases where antibiotics have been repeatedly attempted, further weakening the patient and causing digestive disruption such as abdominal cramping, bloating and intestinal gas. In this case, Six Gentlemen and Quiet Digestion are the protocols of choice. If there is diarrhea and loose stools, consider Colostroplex with heat signs, and Source Qi with cold signs.
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