🌿 Folk Prescriptions

1. Clinical Data
This group included 43 patients: 19 males, 24 females; age range from 7 to 24 years, average 15.5 years; disease duration from 3 months to 2 years. All exhibited symptoms such as chest tightness, shortness of breath, dizziness, palpitations, fatigue, and listlessness. Electrocardiogram showed ST-T changes, flattened or inverted T waves, S-T segment depression >0.05mv, premature beats, and conduction block.
2. Treatment Method
Formula: Jing Ji Tang: Trichosanthes 15g, Salvia 15g, Red Peony 15g, Poria 15g, Citrus Aurantium 12g, Platycladi Seed 12g, Sophora 12g, Prince’s Ginseng 12g, Pinellia 10g, Typhonium 10g, Raw Dragon Bone (boiled first) 30g, Raw Oyster Shell (boiled first) 30g. Decocted, one dose daily, divided into morning and evening doses. Three weeks constitute one course.
Adjustments based on symptoms: For severe chest tightness and shortness of breath with abundant white sticky phlegm, add Citrus Aurantium 12g, Ephedra 6g, remove Dragon Bone and Oyster Shell; for yang deficiency with cold extremities, shortness of breath, add Prepared Aconite 10g, Cinnamon Twig 12g, remove Sophora; for blood deficiency with palpitations and pale complexion, add Astragalus 30g, Angelica 15g, remove Pinellia; for yin deficiency with palpitations, restlessness, insomnia, add Ophiopogon 20g, Sour Jujube Seed 15g, Schisandra 10g, remove Red Peony and Typhonium.
3. Treatment Outcomes
Excellent response (complete disappearance of chest tightness, shortness of breath, palpitations, dizziness, fatigue; normal ECG): 28 cases; Effective (relief of chest tightness, dizziness, fatigue; nearly normal ECG): 11 cases; Ineffective (no improvement in symptoms or signs, ECG not normalized): 4 cases. Excellent response rate: 65.1%.
4. Typical Case
Liu, male, 36 years old, first visit on March 7, 1995. Chief complaint: chest tightness, shortness of breath, palpitations, irritability for over 4 months, worsening in the past two weeks. Accompanied by fatigue, abundant white sticky phlegm, poor sleep with vivid dreams, restless sleep, poor appetite. ECG showed ST-T changes, sinus arrhythmia, frequent atrial premature beats. Diagnosed with viral myocarditis. After ineffective treatment with antivirals, myocardial nutrition support, and antiarrhythmic drugs, he came to our department for treatment.
Examination revealed thin white tongue coating with thick root, indicating heart-lung qi stagnation and phlegm-blood obstruction. Treatment aimed to promote lung function, relieve depression, activate blood, resolve phlegm, open orifices, and unblock meridians. Formula: Jing Ji Tang with additional Citrus Aurantium 12g, Ephedra 6g. Decocted, one dose daily, taken twice daily. After 6 doses, chest tightness and shortness of breath greatly reduced, other symptoms improved. The treatment matched the condition, so continued with adjustments for 28 doses. Symptoms including chest tightness, shortness of breath, palpitations, irritability, and fatigue disappeared, patient felt energetic, appetite improved. Follow-up ECG was normal. To consolidate results, continued original formula for another 10 doses. Follow-up to date shows no recurrence.
5. Experience
Viral myocarditis falls under the TCM categories of "Palpitations," "Zhengchong," and "Xiongbì." The cause is deficiency of righteous qi, followed by invasion of external pathogens, allowing toxic pathogens to invade the heart and reside in the blood vessels. Prolonged illness damages spleen qi, leading to phlegm accumulation; weak qi fails to circulate blood, causing qi stagnation and blood stasis. Phlegm and blood stasis interlock, obstructing heart vessels, impairing qi and blood flow, resulting in palpitations and Zhengchong. Treatment should focus on promoting lung function, relieving depression, activating blood, resolving phlegm, and tonifying qi and strengthening spleen.
Jing Ji Tang formula: Trichosanthes, Citrus Aurantium, Pinellia, and processed Typhonium promote lung function, relieve depression, open the chest, disperse phlegm, and open orifices; Salvia and Red Peony activate blood and resolve stasis, nourish blood and move qi; Prince’s Ginseng, Sophora, Poria, and Platycladi Seed tonify qi, strengthen spleen, and calm the spirit (Sophora has antiarrhythmic properties); Dragon Bone and Oyster Shell heavily tranquilize the spirit to relieve palpitations without restraining pathogenic factors. The entire formula has functions of promoting upper, smoothing middle, and draining lower, enabling smooth qi and blood flow, phlegm removal, and recovery of healthy state, treating both root and branch.