Picks-at-Flies's Cystic Fibrosis Blog

I suffer from the genetic condition Cystic Fibrosis. I generally keep myself comparatively well with Western antibiotics (and steroids, and vitamins and...), Osteopathy (generally to tackle tightness on the lungs) and Acupuncture. Unfortunately I tend to lose track of how I was behaving this time last year so I have started this blog to help me keep track of things. You are also welcome to look. For more on Cystic Fibrosis see the CF Trust website http://www.cftrust.org.uk.

Articles: Chinese medicine, CF and Me :=: Another year on :=: Top ten ways of staying healthy
Reference: Description of herbs :=: List of herbs :=: About this blog

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Links

> pwcf.com
A "fan" site created by People With CF. Highly recommended.

> CF Trust
Official site for this excellent British charity. Includes extremely well populated forums - highly recommended.

> What is Cystic Fibrosis?
A pictorial guide to the key parts of CF and to living with it.

> Cystic Fibrosis Medicine
A somewhat thin internation site for CF patients and specialists.

Other blogs

> Breath of Life
Another CF blog, rather more complete than mine!

> Cystic Fibrosis and Me: A Personal Journey
(Clockwatcher sadly passed away 2006; the site seemed to follow him)

I seem to have lost my links to other CF blogs. If you want yours added, give me an email.

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Fri, Aug 20 2004

Formulae reference guide

Standard formulae:

  • Pinellia
    Phlegm disperser with a slight lung tonic. Mainly for the cold phlegm stage. The first formula I took and still a staple, although the range tinctures - particularly nos. 2 and 3 - have tended to overshadow it.
  • Limpid Sea/Lucid Channel
    Lung tonic with some amount of phlegm dispersal. Mainly for a stage above cold phlegm. The second of three one-time staples: all treatment originally stemmed from the three until early 2004. Lucid Channel is virtually identical to Limpid Sea but the latter is from the cheaper supplier.
  • Prosperous Farmer
    A lung tonic with some spleen tonic. The third of the original three staples, taken when otherwise healthy.

Custom formulae. My incapacity to remember the names of the contents of these formulae led to each one being given a number. All but no.6, a powder formulae, are tinctures.

  1. See no. 3.
  2. See no. 3.
  3. Numbers 1 and 2 were steps along the way to no. 3. Both 1 & 3 add a single herb to the no. 2 formula. It is hard to explain why nos. 1 & 2 failed, but I think no. 1 had too much tonic and so did not disperse enough sputum, and no.2 dried my lung out too much. Or something - it was a long time ago. No.3 got the balance about right although for a time I mixed nos. 2 & 3.
    Looking back after eighteen months - with different lungs - no.3 has extra benefits. It has elements which open up airways and elements which cool the lungs (thus helping against asthma effects and damp heat) as well as a bit of spleen tonic. When going away of tackling an unknown lung problem, no.3 is the formula of choice.
  4. Pass. Not a successful formula.
  5. This formula specifically tackles asthma-type effects: these are typically brought on by a reaction to things like pollen, pollution and aspergillus (ABPA). To specific for general use, I hold onto it in case I need it again.
  6. Formerly my "magic bullet" and the only formula which was purpose made to fight Phlegm Heat. Once when I was becoming infected, I took this for 3-4 days: if the infection remained then it was time for IVs. However I no longer accellerate so fast into infection and there is more time for the herbs to take effect. There is also the probablity that an increase in phlegm is not a case of infection but one of the others listed. Replaced by no. 10
  7. Tackles damp heat. The tincture seems to turn green after a month and, although I am assured that it is just one herb dying and that it is safe and only slightly less effective to drink, I have not plucked up the courage to take it in this state. No.7b was also made, once referred to as no.8 due to confusion. This is no.7 with added expecterant, more suitable since I produce a reasonable amount in times of damp heat (which in turn can lead to an infection). Since damp heat can make me incredibly lethargic, these two formulae have made an incredible difference.
  8. (Sept 2004) A strong spleen tonic, it was found to contain far too much dryness which caused my lungs to tighten dramatically.
  9. (Oct 2004) A gentle spleen tonic with light phlegm clearance.
  10. (Dec 2004) A powder like no. 6, but more focused on tackling heat than phlegm. This has proved extremely effective and even better than no. 6. This is an example of both personalisation and change of need.
  11. (Jan 2005) After much illness and coughing, I was diagnosed as having stagnant chi (the equivalent of having trapped energy). This is a tincture specifically for that.
  12. (Nov 2005) A kidney formula. Unfortunately it did not seem to tackle other important symptoms, notably dryness.
  13. (Jan 2006) A tincture version of the magic bullet no. 10, but specifically anti-heat. Still too drying!
  14. (Feb 2006) No.13 with even more herbs removed to give a very focussed, non-drying anti-heat formula. It has been very effective and was my staple for about 3 months, although its necessity has dropped significantly since I realised how central ABPA was to my problems.
  15. (April 2006) Both a non-drying anti-heat formula and an anti-inflammatory, this tincture aims to reduce both ABPA and hay fever.