liver qi stagnation, Complementary and Alternative Healing University

Complementary and Alternative Healing University
中藥詞典 Chinese Herb Dictionary

Liver Qi Stagnation (gan qi yu jie) 肝氣鬱結

Gan qi yu jie (liver qi stagnation)

Liver qi stagnation is a term used in Traditional Chinese medicine. It has nothing to do with the physical organ liver.

The syndrome includes:

Primary: fullness and pain in the chest; depressed mood.

Secondary: tightness and discomfort in the chest area, frequent sighing, lack of appetite, difficulty in ejaculation during intercourse, premature ejaculation, impotence (male), dislike talking, pain before and during menses (female), fullness in the breasts or breasts with lumps, pale tongue with thick fur, tight pulse.

A study using Beck Depression Inventory shows that most of the gan qi yu jie (liver qi stagnation) patients were depressed.

Another study shows that the increase of antidiuretic hormone is a significant correlative index of gan qi yu jie ((liver qi stagnation). Gan qi stagnation is closely related with the function of regulating emotion of the central nervous system.

Herb therapy:

Name of formula: chai hu shu gan tang

Composition:

chen pi 6 g, chai hu 8 g, zhi ke 9 g, xiang fu zi 9 g, chuan xiong 10 g, bai shao 10 g, gan cao 5 g.

Adjustments:

Blood deficient: add dang gui

Blood stasis, insomnia, anxiety: add yan hu suo

Urination difficulty: add chuan lian zi

Weak digestion: add yu jin

Editor's Note:

The increase of antidiuretic hormone is usually caused by shenyangxu condition which is common among the gan qi stagnation patients. Also, the patients usually show condition of blood stasis (xue yu).

Antidiuretic hormone (ADH), is a water-retaining hormone, promotes water retention by increasing the permeability of nephrons (filtering units of the kidneys).

Liver qi stagnation can cause inflammatory changes in the gastric mucosa. Liver qi stagnation causes reduced levels of free gastric mucus, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels and gastric tissue superoxide dismutase, nitric oxide. This is one of the pathophysiological basis that causes inflammation of the gastric mucosa. [1]

[1] Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 1992 Sep;12(9):519-20, 515.

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肝氣鬱結

主要症狀﹕胸脅脹痛痛或串痛，情志抑鬱。

次证：胸悶不舒，常嘆息，食慾不振，月經不調，經期腹痛，乳脹或結塊，舌淡苔薄, 性交時不能射精，陽萎, 早泄﹐ 寡言少歡，性慾低下﹐脉弦。

肝氣鬱結可致胃黏膜產生炎性改變。胃液游離黏液量、前列腺素E2 (PGE2)含量及胃黏膜組織超氧化物歧化酶（SOD)、一氧化氮水平降低, 是肝氣鬱結引起胃黏膜炎症的病理生理基礎之一。【1】

【1】中國中西醫結合雜誌，1992 年，九月;12(9):519-20, 515.

處方﹕柴胡疏肝湯

組成﹕

陳皮 6 g, 柴胡 8 g, 枳殼 9 g, 香附子 9 g, 川芎 10 g, 白芍 10 g, 甘草 5 g.