The information provided here is not a replacement for a doctor. You shouldn't use it for the purpose of self-diagnosing or self-medicating but rather so you can have a more informed discussion with a professional TCM practitioner.
Possible causes and remedies:
Heat and Blood Stagnation in the Lower Burner
Symptoms: Thirst Amenorrhea Night fever and five other symptoms
Recommended formula: Tao He Cheng Qi Tang
Exterior Cold invading with Interior Heat from Stagnation
Symptoms: Thirst Irritability Generalized body pain and one other symptom
Recommended formula: Da Qing Long Tang
In Chinese Medicine, erysipelas can be associated with four so-called "patterns of disharmony". Chinese Medicine sees the body as a system, not a sum of isolated parts. A "pattern" is when the system's harmony is disrupted. It is not equivalent to the Western concept of "disease", as a matter of fact here erysipelas can be caused by four different patterns.
To understand whether someone's erysipelas might be caused by a given pattern, one needs to look for signs and symptoms associated with the pattern beyond what one might typically experience from erysipelas alone. For instance when erysipelas is caused by the pattern Heat and Blood Stagnation in the Lower Burner, patients also experience symptoms such as lower abdominal pain, night fever, delirious speech and irritability. Similarly, patients with Heat and Blood Stagnation in the Lower Burner typically exhibit choppy (Se) or full (Shi) pulses.
We've listed below a description of the four patterns associated with erysipelas so that you can start to get an understanding of the various possibilities according to Chinese Medicine.
Once identified, patterns are often treated using herbal formulas. Drinking herbal infusions is the most common remedy in Chinese Medicine, together with acupuncture. Here we detail below four formulas that can help treat the various patterns associated with erysipelas, depending on which pattern fits your profile.
The Triple Burner is a so-called "Fu" Organ. Learn more about the Triple Burner in Chinese Medicine
Pulse type(s): Choppy (Se), Full (Shi)
Recommended herbal formula: Tao He Cheng Qi Tang
Symptoms: Thirst Amenorrhea Night fever Irritability Dysmenorrhea Restlnessness Delirious speech Lower abdominal pain
Erysipelas might be due to Heat and Blood Stagnation in the Lower Burner if the condition is paired with typical pattern symptoms such as lower abdominal pain, night fever, delirious speech and irritability. Similarly, patients with Heat and Blood Stagnation in the Lower Burner typically exhibit choppy (Se) or full (Shi) pulses.
Read more about Heat and Blood Stagnation in the Lower Burner here
Ephedra (Ma Huang) is the key herb for Da Qing Long Tang, a formula used for Exterior Cold invading with Interior Heat from Stagnation
Pulse type(s): Floating (Fu), Tight (Jin)
Recommended herbal formula: Da Qing Long Tang
Symptoms: Thirst Irritability Generalized body pain Severe fever and chills without sweating
Erysipelas might be due to Exterior Cold invading with Interior Heat from Stagnation if the condition is paired with typical pattern symptoms such as severe fever and chills without sweating, generalized body pain, thirst and irritability. Similarly, patients with Exterior Cold invading with Interior Heat from Stagnation typically exhibit floating (Fu) or tight (Jin) pulses.
Read more about Exterior Cold invading with Interior Heat from Stagnation here
Ephedra (Ma Huang) is the key herb for Da Qing Long Tang, a formula used for Phlegm-Fluids in the limbs
Pulse type(s): Tight (Jin), Wiry (Xian)
Tongue coating: Sticky coating, Thick white coating
Tongue shape: Swollen
Recommended herbal formula: Da Qing Long Tang
Symptoms: Thirst Irritability Absence of sweating Feeling of heaviness Generalized body pain Alternating fever and chills Superficial edema in the extremities
Erysipelas might be due to Phlegm-Fluids in the limbs if the condition is paired with typical pattern symptoms such as feeling of heaviness, generalized body pain, superficial edema in the extremities and alternating fever and chills. Similarly, patients with Phlegm-Fluids in the limbs typically exhibit tight (Jin) or wiry (Xian) pulses as well as a tongue with sticky coating, thick white coating.
Honeysuckle Flowers (Jin Yin Hua) is the key herb for Wu Wei Xiao Du Yin, a formula used for Toxic Heat
Pulse type(s): Rapid (Shu)
Tongue coating: Yellow coating
Tongue color: Red
Recommended herbal formula: Wu Wei Xiao Du Yin
Symptoms: Boils Sores Erythema Swellings Carbuncles
Erysipelas might be due to Toxic Heat if the condition is paired with typical pattern symptoms such as boils, carbuncles, erythema and swellings. Similarly, patients with Toxic Heat typically exhibit rapid (Shu) pulses as well as a red tongue with yellow coating.
The top herbs in Da Qing Long Tang are Ephedra (Ma Huang), Gypsum (Shi Gao) and Cinnamon Twigs (Gui Zhi)
Source date: 220 AD
Number of ingredients: 7 herbs
Key actions: Promotes sweating. Releases the Exterior. Clears Interior Heat.
Because it is a formula often recommended to help with the patterns Exterior Cold invading with Interior Heat from Stagnation and Phlegm-Fluids in the limbs which are sometimes associated with erysipelas. If any of these patterns look like something you might suffer from, this formula might help (although please seek confirmation with a professional practitioner beforehand).
The top herbs in Tao He Cheng Qi Tang are Peach Kernels (Tao Ren), Rhubarb (Da Huang) and Cinnamon Twigs (Gui Zhi)
Source date: 220 AD
Number of ingredients: 5 herbs
Key actions: Dispels Heat and. Eliminates Blood Stagnation.
Because it is a formula often recommended to help treat Heat and Blood Stagnation in the Lower Burner, a pattern sometimes associated with erysipelas. If it looks like you might suffer from Heat and Blood Stagnation in the Lower Burner, this formula might help (although please seek confirmation with a professional practitioner beforehand).
Source date: 1742 AD
Number of ingredients: 5 herbs
Key actions: Clears Heat. Resolves Toxicity. Cools the Blood. Reduces swelling.
Because it is a formula often recommended to help treat Toxic Heat, a pattern sometimes associated with erysipelas. If it looks like you might suffer from Toxic Heat, this formula might help (although please seek confirmation with a professional practitioner beforehand).
Source date: 1308 AD
Number of ingredients: 9 herbs
Key actions: Induces sweating . Dispels Dampness. Expels Wind-Cold. Clears Interior Heat .
Because it is a formula often recommended to help treat , a pattern sometimes associated with erysipelas. If it looks like you might suffer from , this formula might help (although please seek confirmation with a professional practitioner beforehand).