Fire has the characteristics of inflammation, and the fire caused by stagnation of liver qi disturbs the mind and can cause insomnia. Therefore, people who suffer from insomnia usually find it difficult to fall asleep, or even can't sleep all night. Even if I fall asleep, I always dream and wake up easily. At the same time, it will be accompanied by irritable temper, fullness in chest and hypochondrium, like getting angry, sighing, red eyes and bitter taste, not thinking about diet, urinating Huang Chi, constipation and other symptoms of liver depression and liver fire. To put it simply, as long as you have three symptoms at the same time: difficulty in falling asleep, impatience and irritability, red eyes and bitter taste, it means that the main reason that affects your sleep is that liver depression turns into fire.
So, how to choose medicine for this type of insomnia? We know that the fire of liver depression is the real liver fire. The method of treating excess liver fire is to clear liver and purge fire. Therefore, when choosing drugs, patients with insomnia due to stagnation of liver-qi should choose those drugs with the function of clearing liver-fire and purging fire. For example, Longdan Xiegan Pill (decoction) is the most representative.
Longdan Xiegan Pill is a commonly used prescription for treating damp-heat due to excess fire in liver and gallbladder channels, which comes from Wang Ang's Collection of Prescriptions in Qing Dynasty. Consists of Gentiana macrophylla, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, Gardenia (stir-fried), Akebia stem, Alisma orientalis, salt plantain seeds, Bupleurum, Rehmannia glutinosa, Radix Angelicae Sinensis with wine, Radix Glycyrrhizae Preparata, etc. Gentiana herb in the prescription is bitter and cold, which can purge excess fire in liver and gallbladder and clear damp-heat in lower energizer. It is a special medicine for purging excess fire and damp-heat in liver and gallbladder meridians. Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi and Gardenia are bitter and cold, and with Gentiana, the power of purging fire will be stronger; Akebia stem, Alisma orientalis and salt plantain seeds have the functions of clearing away heat and promoting diuresis, and can excrete damp heat in urine; Bupleurum can not only relieve the qi of liver and gallbladder, but also calm the liver heat; Rehmannia glutinosa can nourish yin and clear heat, while angelica sinensis with wine has the effect of nourishing blood and promoting blood circulation. The combination of the two can prevent liver and gallbladder fire or bitter and cold drugs from damaging yin and blood, and play the role of reinforcing diarrhea and eliminating evil without damaging healthy qi. Finally, herbs are mixed with roasted licorice to remove heat and toxic substances. The compatibility of these 10 drugs can achieve the efficacy of purging excess fire in liver and gallbladder and clearing damp-heat in lower energizer. Women with insomnia, impatience, irritability, hypochondriac pain, bitter taste, red eyes, deafness, ear swelling, red urine and yellow odor can be treated with this medicine.
However, it should be noted that there are many bitter and cold medicines in Longdan Xiegan Pills, which will hurt the spleen and stomach. Therefore, spleen and stomach deficiency and cold, diarrhea in stool, pregnant women, the elderly and the weak should be used with caution. Even if the patient is physically strong, he should stop the disease in the middle, that is, if he is well, he should stop taking medicine. As long as he is well, he should eat, not too much, not for a long time. In addition, Bupleurum in the prescription may cause allergies, and people with allergies must take medicine carefully.
Longdan Xiegan Pills are mainly water pills, not honey, just to ensure that the bitter cold is not relieved by honey and can go straight to the disease. Generally, 6 grams each time, twice a day is enough. Never increase the dose without authorization. Some people eat Longdan Xiegan pills and drink Kuding tea to clear fire, in order to get rid of fire as soon as possible. This is over, you know, too bitter and too cold will hurt your stomach. It is not worth the loss to hurt the stomach in order to reduce the fire. If the stool frequency increases after taking Longdan Xiegan Pill, and it is not formed, it means that the medicine is too cold and unbearable for the stomach. At this time, the dosage should be reduced as appropriate. During taking the medicine, you should also pay attention to keeping your mood comfortable. The diet is light, so you can eat celery, mung beans, oranges, kumquat and other foods that clear the liver and regulate qi. But don't eat nourishing drugs and food. Eat less or not eat fat, sweet and spicy food. Quit smoking and drinking, because these things help the heat. In addition, patients can also appropriately increase physical exercise, which can relieve their mood, regulate their qi and relax their menstruation, which is very helpful to relieve insomnia.