Keith,My belief is that if something has come up, been discovered or created by the body, the body can bring itself back to homeostasis (or at least close to it) with orthomolecular medicine. I will give you my thoughts, both east and west:
- With a client like this, I would run the Comprehensive Organix Profile from Metametrix in order to see where the kinks, bottlenecks, and defiency’s are within his metabolic pathways. I have mentioned it before, as I do it with clients. You can learn more about it by going to www.metametrix.com or give me a call.
- I would focus 100% of your education on the foundation NLC principles that you know of to assist with detoxification, normalization of physiology and so forth.
East:
- In TCM, there is what is called visible and invisible phlegm. The main cause of Phlegm is Spleen deficiency. If the Spleen fails to transform and transport Body Fluids, these will accumulate and change into Phlegm. The Lungs and Kidneys are also involved in the formation of Phlegm. If the Lungs fail to disperse and lower fluids and if the Kidneys fail to transform and excrete fluids, these may accumulate into Phlegm. However, the Spleen is always the primary factor in the formation of Phlegm. The spleen is like the boiling pot of soup that needs to be stirred and moved by the lungs and kidneys in order for it not to turn into phlegm. There are about 16 different kind of phlegm patterned pathologies in TCM. So my first rec would be to refer him to a TCM practitioner. Below are a list I cut and pasted from a website on the web (ref. Rebecca Avern, L.Ac):
Wind-Phlegm
Severe dizziness, nausea, vomiting, numbness of the limbs, coughing of phlegm, a feeling of oppression of the chest, blurred vision, a rattling sound in the throat, slurred speech, Swollen tongue with sticky coating, Wiry-Slippery pulse. In case of Wind-Stroke: aphasia, deviation of eyes and mouth, hemiplegia, Swollen-Deviated tongue.
Three Treasures remedies: Clear Yang, Peaceful Sunset (in the case of Wind-Stroke)
Phlegm-Heat
Cough with expectoration of profuse yellow sputum which may be blood-tinged, a feeling of oppression of the chest, dark eye sockets, red cheek bones, red face, thirst, oily skin, breathlessness, chest pain, insomnia, dark urine, feeling of heat, mental restlessness, Red-Swollen tongue with sticky-yellow coating, Rapid-Slippery pulse.
Three Treasures remedies: Ringing Metal, Clear the Soul
Cold-Phlegm
Cough with expectoration of white-watery sputum, feeling cold, cold hands and feet, nausea, vomiting, a feeling of oppression of the chest and epigastrium, dull-white complexion, pale urine, Pale-Swollen tongue with wet-white coating, Slippery-Slow pulse.
Three Treasures remedies: Limpid Sea
Damp-Phlegm
Cough with easy expectoration of profuse, sticky-white sputum, a feeling of oppression of the chest and epigastrium, breathlessness, rattling sound in the throat, dark eye sockets, sallow-greyish complexion, a feeling of heaviness, tendency to obesity, swollen hands and feet, poor appetite, nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, oily skin, Swollen tongue with sticky coating, Slippery pulse.
Three Treasures remedies: Limpid Sea
Dry-Phlegm
Sputum in the chest that is difficult to expectorate, bouts of dry cough followed by expectoration of sticky sputum, breathlessness, dull-white complexion, dark eye sockets, dry throat, dry nose and lips, dry mouth but no desire to drink, Swollen tongue with sticky-dry coating, Slippery pulse.
Three Treasures remedy: Limpid Sea and Jade Spring
Qi-Phlegm
A feeling of lump in the throat, difficulty in swallowing, a feeling of oppression of the chest and diaphragm, mental depression, irritability, nausea, sighing, Wiry pulse.
Three Treasures remedy: Open the Heart
Food-Phlegm
Cough with abundant sputum, nausea, vomiting, sour regurgitation, belching, a feeling of fullness in the epigastrium, a feeling of oppression of the chest and epigastrium, epigastric pain after eating that is better after bowel movement, Swollen tongue with thick-sticky tongue coating, Slippery pulse.
Phlegm with Blood Stasis
A feeling of oppression of the chest, numbness and tingling of the limbs, pain in the joints, stiffness and rigidity of joints, abdominal masses, fibroids, goitre, mental restlessness, insomnia, dark eye sockets, Purple-Swollen tongue with sticky coating, Slippery-Wiry or Slippery-Firm pulse.
Three Treasures remedies: Peaceful Sunset or Clear the Soul with Red Stirring
Phlegm-Fluids
Phlegm-Fluids in Stomach and Intestines (Tan Yin): abdominal fullness and distension, nausea, vomiting of watery fluids, splashing sound in the stomach, dry mouth without desire to drink, palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, a feeling of oppression of the chest, loose stools, loss of weight, Swollen tongue with sticky coating, Deep-Wiry or Deep-Slippery pulse.
Phlegm-Fluids in the hypochondrium (Xuan Yin): hypochondrial pain which is worse on coughing and breathing, a feeling of distension and pulling of the hypochondrium, shortness of breath, Swollen tongue with sticky coating, Deep-Slippery-Wiry pulse.
Phlegm-Fluids in the limbs (Yi Yin): a feeling of heaviness of the body, pain in the muscles, absence of sweating, no desire to drink, cough with profuse watery sputum, swelling of the limbs, lethargy, breathlessness, Swollen tongue with sticky coating, Wiry-Slippery or Tight-Slippery pulse.
Phlegm-Fluids above the diaphragm (Zhi Yin): cough with white-watery sputum, breathlessness, swelling of limbs, dizziness, inability to lie down, swollen face, feeling cold, Swollen tongue with white-sticky coating, Slippery pulse.
Phlegm Under the Skin
Lumps or nodules under the skin, nerve-ganglia swellings, swelling of lymph-nodes, swelling of the thyroid, lipoma.
Phlegm in the Channels
Numbness and tingling in the limbs.
Phlegm Misting the Heart
Inappropriate laughter or crying, dull thinking, hypomania, manic behaviour, manic depression, psychosis.
Three Treasures remedies: Clear the Soul
Phlegm in the Joints
Swelling and deformities of joints seen in Chronic Painful Obstruction Syndrome (often seen in rheumatoid arthritis).
Three Treasures remedies: Benefit the Sinews
Phlegm in the Gall Bladder
Gall-Bladder stones.
Phlegm in the Kidneys
Kidney stones.
Shock-Phlegm
Pain in the heart region, a feeling of oppression in the chest, anxiety, mental restlessness following a shock, Moving pulse. This pattern occurs when a severe shock displaces the Spirit from the Heart and its place is taken
by Phlegm.
Three Treasures remedy: Clear the Soul
Wine-Phlegm
Nausea, vomiting, a feeling of fullness of the epigastrium, foul breath, a rattling sound in the throat, purple nose, purple complexion, a feeling of oppression of the chest, Reddish-Purple and Swollen tongue with a sticky-yellow coating, Slippery pulse. This pattern is seen in older people with Phlegm deriving from excessive alcohol consumption.
Three Treasures remedy: Peaceful Sunset
