WHAT POINTS AND HERBS COULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR ANOSMIA--(LACK OF SMELL)?
HAVE BEEN USING LI19, LI20, ST5, BL3, LU3 & HAVE REACHED PLATEAU IN EFFECT. SUGGESTIONS.....?
Need help with anosmia case - treating lack of smell
Anosmia - Have you tried herbs?
Has this patient been evaluated by an ENT Physician for Polyps, and/or Chronic Sinusitis? Also, I am assuming this is a recent condition - not something they were born with (there is a genetic disorder called Kallmans' Syndrome with Anosmia as one of it's signs/symptoms).
It would be nice to know some of the patient's other differential diagnoses related to their pattern of disharmony in order to construct an appropriate herbal formula and treatment plan.
Ray Rubio, D.A.O.M., L. Ac. FABORM
President ABORM
Anosmia
Perhaps Jiao style scalp acupuncture may offer some help -- sensory perhaps?. A friend is working with an Anosmia patient post trauma with good results (Jiao + body points).
Of course, I agree with Ray in that more info about the patient would be great. . . :-)
Anosmia Patient History
Thank you for your responses re the pt with anosmia. I've been treating this pt for 7 weeks now and have plateaued. She is a very vital/active/happy 72 yo and dearly misses the joys of taste and smell. She exercises 3 x's/wk, drinks lots of water, and diet is more damp as her wt shows.
Has hx: kidney stone in 2002 required 5 lithotripsies, HTN/hi chol/borderline DM--takes medication for all 3, has urinary freq/nocturia. Has hx of asthma/bronchitis.
In Jan 07 pt got virulent cold virus and developed anosmia--got better in time, but never back to normal. In May 08 pt got bronchitis, took prescribed nasal spray, cold better in 2 days but no taste or smell since. She's seen specialists--ENT,neurologists, etc, has had CT scans, brain scans, full body scans, etc--all neg.
Pulse is always slippery with varying xu/wiry,
Tongue is always greasy yellow coat with varying redness, varying redder tip/edges, horiz cracks in MJ, and subling vein dist.
Have used varying combinations of these pts in past: LI19, LI20, LU7, LI4, PC6, BL3, ST5, LU3, ST40, SP9, KI3, SP6,ST36, LI11, massage base of great toe, essential oils to DU26, BL2.
Since beginning acupx, pt is now able to smell/taste intermittently oranges, lemon, coffee, and chocolate.
I would greatly appreciate any input you might have on this case.
Thoughts & Suggestions for recovering sense of smell
Ok. It sounds like this patient's anosmia is obviously secondary to the use of the nasal spray taken in May, 2008. Maybe it was a steroidal spray given to reduce the inflammation in the sinuses, and as is the case so many times when steroids are prescribed - say, for example, in cases of eczema - the steroids end up trapping the pathogen within the body. The result is often the secondary pathogens of localized blood stasis and phlegm in the channels and collaterals. From the look of her tongue coat and pulse as described above, it sounds like there is some phlegm, some heat, and some qi stagnation at least, maybe some blood stasis as well.
So, what to do? If she is willing and able to take herbs, I would try the following Rx: Xin Yi San Jia Jian
Xin Yi 10g
Cang Er Zi 9g
E Bu Shi Cao 10g
Bai Zhi 6g
Jin Yin Hua 10g
Shi Chang Pu 10g
Lu Lu Tong 10g
Ge Gen 10g
Bo He 6g
Chuan Xiong 9g
Mu Tong 10g
Jie Geng 9g
Huang Qin 10g
Gan Cao 6g
For Acupuncture, most of what you are doing sounds pretty right on. The key, again, is to move the qi/xue as much as possible, to drive out the phlegm and blood stasis in the local channels and collaterals. Although it might be too strong for this patient, given her age, if you were able to bleed LU 11, and LI 1, it might help to dredge the channels more vigorously. SJ 17 is also a good point to needle in order to move qi/xue in the naso-pharynx. Also, maybe using e-stim on LI 20 and Bitong could more powerfully move the Qi/Xue. Perhaps moxa on UB 12/13 and Du 14 could help to more powerfully invigorate her wei qi, and tiger-thermie warmer on the ST/LI channels of the face could help to move the qi & xue.
Just some thoughts, hope it helps,
Ray Rubio, D.A.O.M., L. Ac. FABORM
President ABORM
Joined: 2007-09-19