MYALGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS (M.E.)

Clinical Manifestations
  • M.E. is a chronic disease characterized by:
    Disabling fatigue
    Exhaustion
    Muscle pain
    Headaches
    Joint pain
    Confusion
    Poor concentration
    Poor memory
    Insomnia
    Light-headedness
    Dizziness
    Blurred vision
    Eye pain
    Light sensitivity
    Gastrointestinal disturbances
    Abdominal pain
    Depression
    Fever
    Chills
    Night sweats
    A recurrent sore throat
    Lymph node tenderness
    Skin rashes
    Neurological complaints
  • It frequently follows a viral infection
  • It can occur as a sequela to:
    Otitis media
    Hepatitis
    Glandular fever
  • Acute Stage:
    Continuous or repeated flu-like symptoms
    Pharyngalgia
    Blocked or runny nose
    Chills
    Swollen glands
    Nausea
    Vomiting
    Diarrhea
    Cough
    Genera; fatigue
    Lack of energy
    Exhaustion
    Weariness
    Lack of expression
    Memory loss
    Lack of concentration
    Reduced capacity for work
    Insomnia
    dizziness
    Nervousness
    General migratory soreness and pain in the:
    Muscles
    Neck
    Head
    Body
    Stomach
    Costal and hypochondriac regions
    Abdomen
  • Chronic Stage:
    The acute symptoms may recur occasionally
    General exhaustion
    Fatigue
    Insomnia
    Drowsiness
    Forgetfulness
    Reduced or lost capacity for work
    Easily infected by pathogenic factors
    Aching or pain in the muscles (worse with Dampness)
Treatment Principle
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Alternating chills and fever
  • Restlessness
  • Irritability
  • Anorexia
  • Sometimes fatigue
  • Nausea
  • Occasional vomiting
  • Headaches (side of head)
  • Hypochondriac pain and fullness
  • Dry throat
  • Rib pain
  • Achiness
  • Ear infection
  • Hearing difficulty
  • Red eyes
  • Blurred vision
  • Stiff shoulders
  • Throat pain
  • Hip pain
  • T: Normal with bumps or dots on side
  • C: Thin white or White and slippery on one side only
  • P: Wiry
Treatment Principle
  • Harmonize the Liver and Gall Bladder
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • High fever
  • No chills
  • Aversion to Heat
  • Cough
  • Asthma
  • Restlessness
  • Thirst
  • Dark yellow urine
  • Dyspnea
  • Chest pain
  • Shortness of breath
  • Thick yellow Phlegm
  • T: Red
  • C: Thick and yellow, maybe dry and sticky
  • P:  Rapid, maybe slippery, maybe forceful
Treatment Principle
  • Clear Heat in Lungs
  • Strengthen when weak or elderly
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • High fever or
  • Fever
  • Aversion to Heat
  • Irritability
  • Restlessness (neither activity nor resting brings relief)
  • Heat sensation in the chest
  • Thirst
  • Has urge to vomit but cannot
  • May have dark yellow urine
  • T: Red
  • C: Yellow
  • P: Rapid or Forceful and rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Clear Heat
  • Remove Obstructions
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Alternating chills and fever
  • Bitter taste in mouth
  • Thirst
  • Dry throat
  • Rib pain (doesn't like touch)
  • Hypochondriac pain
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Hypogastric pain and distension
  • T: Red
  • C: Yellow
  • P: Rapid and wiry
Treatment Principle
  • Relieve Gallbladder Heat
  • Pacify the Liver and Gallbladder
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Severe, dry hacking cough
  • No sputum expectorated
  • Small amounts of difficult to expectorate sputum
  • Blood tinged sputum (when Yin Deficiency Fire is present)
  • Afternoon fever
  • Night sweats
  • Malar flush (especially in afternoon)
  • Five Sole Heat
  • Dry mouth and throat
  • Itching in throat
  • Hoarse voice, low voice or loss of voice
  • Exhaustion
  • Emaciation
  • T: Red and dry
  • C: None
  • P: Thready and rapid or Floating and empty
Treatment Principle
  • Nourish Yin
  • Moisten the Lungs
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • No appetite or
  • Famished but with no desire to eat
  • Dry mouth
  • Thirst with no desire to drink or a desire to drink in small sips
  • Fatigue
  • Abdominal distention after meals
  • Dry stools
  • Irritability with low grade fever
  • Maybe dry retching or
  • Hiccups
  • Slight epigastric pain
  • Malar flush
  • T: Red
  • C: Little and dry
  • P: Thready and rapid or Floating and empty
Treatment Principle
  • Nourish Yin
  • Nourish the Stomach
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Low back pain
  • Exhaustion
  • Depression
  • Lack of drive and will power
  • Weak knees and legs
  • Dizziness
  • Tinnitus
  • Deafness
  • Dry mouth and throat which are worse at night
  • Night sweats
  • Malar flush
  • Insomnia (wakes in the middle of the night
  • Thin body
  • T: Red
  • C: Little or None
  • P:Thready and rapid or Floating and empty
Treatment Principle
  • Nourish Yin
  • Tonify the Kidneys
  • Strengthen the will power
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Body cold
  • Limbs icy
  • Complexion white and shiny
  • Low back, knees and abdomen feel cold and painful
  • Sensation of Cold in the back
  • A bright, white facial complexion
  • Lower abdomen feels cold and painful
  • Loose stools containing undigested food
  • “Cock-crow” diarrhea (occurs at about 5 am)
  • Edema of face and limbs
  • Dysuria
  • Impotence
  • Premature ejaculation
  • Lack of sexual desire
  • Lassitude
  • Abundant, clear urination
  • Apathy
  • Edema of the ankles
  • Infertility
  • Severe: Abdominal ascites
  • T: Pale, moist and swollen
  • C: Thin and white or White and greasy
  • P: Deep, thready, weak and maybe slow
Treatment Principle
  • Warm and Reinforce the Spleen and Kidneys
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Lack of energy
  • Fatigue
  • Heaviness of the whole body
  • Edema in the lower legs
  • Thin Leukorrhea
  • T: Pale and fat with teethmarks
  • C: White
  • P: Weak and thready
Treatment Principle
  • Warm Yang
  • Purge water
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Epigastric distress
  • A dry mouth
  • A dull complexion
  • Weight loss
  • Afternoon or evening tidal fever
  • Irritability
  • Insomnia
  • T: Deep red
  • C: Scanty and white
  • P: Thready
Treatment Principle
  • Tonify Yin
  • Eliminate Dampness
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • A bloated sensation with pain in the Stomach
  • Abdominal distention
  • Borborygmus
  • A poor appetite
  • Loose stools
  • Lack of energy
  • Drowsiness
  • Shortness of breath
  • Disinclination to speak
  • A pale complexion
  • A puffy face
  • T: Pale
  • C: White
  • P: Thready and slippery
Treatment Principle
  • Reinforce Qi
  • Dry or drain Dampness
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Muscle fatigue with no or only slight aching
  • Thirst
  • Insomnia
  • Cough with scanty, yellow sputum
  • Fatigue
  • Breathlessness on exertion
  • Weight lossDry throat
  • T: Red with a redder tip
  • C: Yellow
  • P: Rapid and slightly wiry
Treatment Principle
  • Clear Interior Heat
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Whole body soreness and stiffness
  • Vague aches and pains
  • Drowsiness
  • Insomnia
  • Poor memory
  • Blurred vision
  • Dizziness
  • Loose stools
  • Leukorrhea
  • T: Pale red
  • C: Greasy and white
  • P: Slippery
Treatment Principle
  • Drain Dampness
  • Regulate Qi
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Blurred vision
  • Dizziness
  • A feeling of distention and pain in the Stomach
  • Cold limbs
  • Loose stools or
  • Diarrhea
  • A cold sensation in the lower abdomen
  • Soreness and aching of the whole body
  • Lack of energy
  • Fatigue
  • Drowsiness
  • Insomnia
  • A poor memory
  • T: Pale
  • C: White
  • P: Slow and slippery
Treatment Principle
  • Warm Cold
  • Dispel Dampness
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Not much Dampness
  • Pain and heaviness in the head and body
  • irritability
  • Insomnia
  • Tinnitus
  • Bitter taste and smell in the mouth
  • Fullness and distention of the chest
  • Constipation
  • Hiccups
  • Frequent sighing
  • Fullness and pain in the hypochondria region, chest and back
  • A dry, gritty sensation in the eyes
  • T: Red
  • C: Yellow and greasy
  • P: Wiry and Rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Clear Heat
  • Dry Dampness
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • A dry, sore throat
  • Turbid nasal discharge
  • Tinnitus
  • Headache
  • Pain in the:
    Shoulders
    Neck
    Back
  • T: Light red
  • C: Thin, yellow and greasy
  • P: Soft
Treatment Principle
  • Clear Lung Heat
  • Resolve Exterior Dampness
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • A dry, sore throat
  • Turbid nasal discharge
  • Tinnitus
  • Headache
  • Pain in the:
    Shoulders
    Neck
    Back
  • T: Light red
  • C: Thin, yellow and greasy
  • P: Soft
Treatment Principle
  • Clear Lung Heat
  • Resolve Exterior Dampness
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • A poor appetite
  • Fullness and distention in the abdomen
  • Loose stools or
  • Diarrhea or
  • Constipation
  • Nausea
  • Aching, heaviness and stiffness in the limbs and back
  • A weary feeling in the whole body
  • Lack of energy
  • Scanty urine
  • Leukorrhea
  • A dull, blank complexion
  • Dull responses
  • T: Red
  • C: Yellow and greasy
  • P: Slippery
Treatment Principle
  • Expel Heat
  • Drain Dampness
  • Clear the water passages of the San Jiao
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Aches in the muscles
  • Fatigue
  • Sleepiness
  • Heavy sensation in the body or head
  • Muscle fatigue after even light exercise
  • Anorexia
  • A feeling of stuffiness in the chest or epigastrium
  • A sticky taste in the mouth
  • Lack of concentration
  • A foggy sensation in the brain
  • Poor short-term memory
  • Dull headache
  • T: Normal
  • C: Sticky and yellow
  • P: Slippery
  • With Heat predominant:
    Thirst
    Dark urine
    Yellow vaginal discharge
    Mucus in the stools
    A burning sensation in the anus on defecation
    Possible Blood in the stools
    Possible night sweats
  • With Damp-Heat entering the Liver and Gallbladder:
    A bitter taste in the mouth
    Hypochondriac pain and distention
    Possible jaundice
    T.C.: Sticky and yellow on the sides
  • With Damp-Heat affecting the Bladder:
    Urinary difficulty
    Turbid urine
    Burning urination
    T.C.: Sticky and yellow at the root with red spots
  • With no Heat:
    No thirst
    T.C.: Sticky and white
Treatment Principle
  • Clear Heat
  • Resolve Dampness
Herb Formulas
Points