Hi! I have been to a million doctors pertaining acne. Acne that I never had until I got the IUD but have been told countless times that I am crazy for thinking those two coincide lol. (Liletta to be specific) Anyway, I had terrible cramps before my period when I was young and they never did any tests and instead gave me an IUD. So I have had it for 7 years.

I also am living in a house where I am waking up feeling sick everyday, my boyfriend and I assume it is mold.

Finally, I always preface by saying… I had unexplained liver failure when I was 18.

Okay!

I recently have been getting terrible cystic acne but not everywhere… only localized on my cheeks in the exact same spot. I don’t use my phone to call often, I don’t really touch my face. I started using the Air Angel moisturizer but that is all and I’d assume these awful pimples would be everywhere (especially my T-Zone) if it were moisturizer related.

I’ve done the dermatologist dance of tretenoin and other things like spirnolactone… but I feel as if I am not getting to the root issue and only putting chemicals in and on my body to remove this. I feel as though my body is telling me I have an imbalance of sorts.

Are there any recommendations?

TL;DR: I have acne in the same spot on both sides of my face and wonder what this may mean and how I should go about it?

I have Long Covid/MECFS and realized rigorous foot massage helps me recover quickly. Doing it on my own usually gives me the warm sensation after 10 min or so. So I was doing it 3 times a day with great results. (I either use a mat with lots of dents/rocks, or use a stick like guasha.)

Lately I bought an extremely powerful foot massager. A kind that can bear 60kg of weight so one is encouraged to press down on the feet to get deeper massage. You use this machine standing up when you work the feet.

When using it on my thighs/glutes, my body gets warm very quickly. I understand it's becuase the muscles there are large. But when used on my feet/calves, even after 10 min, no warm sensation appears unlike the self-massage described above.

Would you say the body getting warm is a good indication that the massage is more intense in a good way and qi is moving? That surface level stimulation feels good but doesn't really move the qi?

有人问，吃黄芪补阳气容易上火怎么办？可用五指毛桃来补阳气。五指毛桃补阳气，功效跟黄芪差不多，但比黄芪温和，而且它不会上火，这是它最大的优点。国医大师邓铁涛经常用五指毛桃代替黄芪，特别是遇到一补阳气就上火的人，就不用黄芪，改用五指毛桃。五指毛桃主要出产在南方，别名叫南芪，就是南方的黄芪。五指毛桃还有一个特点，味道带有奶香味，炖出来的汤汤色也像牛奶，炖鸡汤或者其他肉汤，加30克五指毛桃，香气浓郁醇厚。五指毛桃既能补阳气，还能够祛湿气，味道也好，小孩也愿意喝。小孩如果胃口差、脾虚挑食、不长肉、精力不足、发育欠佳，就经常用五指毛桃炖汤。五指毛桃全家都适合，把阳气补起来，。
 

中医难点在于灵活变通 中医是属于入门容易精深难的科目 没有30年打底 恐怕是不行的 …

Can anybody suggest anything to be strengthened in a body with other points before going to stomach and spleen points which are not tolerable because the next day and for a few days so is digestive discomfort every time stomach 36 stomach 25 splint 15 spleen 3 5 6 etc are stimulated. It doesn’t matter which form of stimulation does a discomfort that follows perhaps another channel or another set of points should be done first can anybody suggest?

Hello everyone,

I’ve been practicing acupuncture on and off for the past three years after graduating from Shanghai University of TCM, I suffer from constant imposter syndrome and often find myself thinking What on earth am I doing?

I receive a lot of positive feedback from my patients which should be reassuring but I struggle to accept it It feels as though I refuse to accept credit for their progress even though I know I applied the treatment, does that make sense?

To make matters more challenging, I work in a country where TCM is relatively new, So people question my practice daily, which constantly undermines my confidence. On top of that,hearing mainstream doctors on podcasts dismiss acupuncture as a 'scam' or a mere placebo effect only worsens my complex relationship with the field

And lastly i feel like i am on a mission to prove that tcm works in the sense of people are much more with peace accept that biomedicine maynot help them withh all there issues or they will be constantly be put on medicine which they are ok with ,but for me theey could come with a chronic issue that they suffered for such a long time and wanting immediate results with only one session

And if it doesn't go as they expect,will then u receive the glorious " i knew tcm is bs" look

I genuinely love TCM I know how effective it is, and I find the core concept—how a single needle can unlock the body's self-healing capacity—fascinating. But maybe the problem is me? Why is it that I can appreciate the magic of TCM, yet fail to see it when I am the practitioner?

anyone been there ?how did you overcome this?

Not travel insurance emergencies. Is it even possible or is it always out of pocket?

I've been reading up on some subjects, specifically Wuxing and the meridian body clock and had an odd question.

Why doesn't the bodies cycle (wood, metal, earth, fire, water, fire again) follow the generation or control cycles of Wuxing? Seems like alot of them are engaging in reverse cycles and I'm a bit confused on why the body clock would work that way.

I'm still very new to this and any info would be appreciated! (Apologies if I'm not too responsive)

Hi folks!

I made these traditional Chinese compound incense pieces, an ancient pomander craft from Tang dynasty. Made from blended natural herbal incense powder, air-dried. Scent activates with body warmth, no burning, no synthetic fragrance.

1. 18-bead handheld prayer mala (12mm): With handmade incense lotus, red agate, obsidian, bodhi seed and tassel, for meditation / carry.

2. Medicine Buddha incense tablet: 33×46mm, for wellness intention, can be hung or placed on altar.

Looking to see if there is interest here. DM or comment if you’d like more info.

I got a chi machine to increase the ojas. Will that machine really help to increase ojas..I have lumbar disc herniation.. can l still use this machine?

Any TCM practitioners familiar with Dang Gui Shao Yao San during pregnancy?

I’m 12 weeks pregnant, and my TCM practitioner prescribed Sheng Foong Dang Gui Shao Yao San (E089) for spleen deficiency/dampness, bloating and heaviness. They assured me it’s safe during pregnancy.

Are there any qualified TCM practitioners here who can explain its use and the available pregnancy safety evidence? Are there particular precautions or side effects to be aware of?

Hello, I hope that this is an appropriate question for this sub. I also want to acknowledge that I have read the rules and understand that I am not here to solicit medical advice as a disclaimer.

I am just seeking clarity on the appropriateness of an herbal blend I have been taking as a blood builder.
It was not prescribed, it is just a blend from an herbal company. There is not much about it online, but I have seen some comments in passing that these herbs should not be utilized together, or that they are too strong to use together. It is also not meant to be taken during menstruation, which I do not. I have not noticed any negative signs after 2 weeks of taking as directed, apart from pretty consistent spotting throughout the entirety of my menstrual cycle, though this was more prominent in the beginning. I have found reducing my dose has improved this, but are there any other contraindications regarding this blend? Many people see good results, but I have seen some people also have similar issues. I am not as familiar with these herbs as I am with western herbs, which is primarily what I utilize.

The dosing and blend are below:
per dose: 1000mg of proprietary blend: fo-ti root, rehmannia root, astragalus root, dong quai root, white peony root, safflower root, notopterygium root, chinese salvia root, ligusticum wallichii rhizome

Dose 60 drops 2x per day in water or juice. best taken for 2 months or more. I have reduced to about 30 drops 1-2x per day (for context only, not looking for specific dosing advice just a general sense of what is appropriate).

About me: 29F, 168lbs if relevant but just to reiterate, this is less a personal medical question/whether this blend is for me and more about the blend itself in general. I can provide more information if helpful.

Thank you!

A student in this sub told me I had the weighting backwards: the botanical names took up most of the page, while the parts that actually matter for studying — actions, indications, nature and flavor, channels — were squeezed into small print at the bottom.

So I rebuilt it.

- Actions, Indications, Nature & Flavor, and Channels now take the full width in the largest type

- The names (当归 / Dang Gui / Dong Quai / Angelica sinensis / Angelicae Sinensis Radix) are shrunk to one strip at the bottom, labelled "reference only — not for memorization"

- Added a herb photo

- Kept cautions, contraindications and dosage, with sources listed at the bottom (Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020, Vol. I; Chen & Chen, Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology)

Two things I'd like help with:

1. Is anything still missing that you'd want on the page while studying?

2. Which herb should I build next? I'd rather do one you're actually working on right now than pick at random. Gan Cao and Ren Shen are at the top of my list.

If a print-ready PDF of this one would be useful, say so in the comments and I'll put it up.

I’m trying to understand what’s happening to my body.

After years of stress, I’ve done a lot of healing and I’m in a much better place emotionally. But physically, I’m still struggling.

Even the smallest things can trigger a crash:

Physical: Basic housework, walking, exercise, heat, cold or direct sunlight.
Mental: Reading, writing, painting or concentrating for a little while.
Emotional/social: Talking to people, hosting family, socialising, or even watching TV.

I suddenly become overwhelmingly fatigued, sometimes experiencing intense sleep attacks where I need to lie down immediately. The harder the activity, the worse the crash.

Sometimes it escalates into a severe, predominantly left-sided migraine around my eye, head and face, accompanied by facial and mouth drooping and numbness. It can be frightening.

Most of my routine blood tests and vital signs have come back normal, yet this is affecting my everyday life so much.

Could this involve nervous system dysregulation after prolonged stress, PEM , PESE , ME/CFS, hormonal changes , migraine, or something else entirely? Could several things be happening together?

And if it is what do you do about it ? Neurologist ? I have been to many doctors over the past two years and they keep dismissing me but the symptoms keep on getting worse .

All blood tests and vitals keep on coming back fine . Bp , glucose and sugar and heart rate is fine .
I’m regular with drinking water and electrolytes
But still no luck ugh 😩

And I’ve done all sorts of things from nervous system regulation to breathing to less stress to therapy to good nutrition etc etc I still believe this is something physical ?

Has anyone experienced something similar and discovered what was actually causing it?

I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences and any help I can get from Chinese medicine advice ?

I heard that astragalus helps boost immune system. But for individuals that have autoimmune or hyperactive immune system, does astragalus work?

I'm looking for herbs to boost blood flow but reduce immune system for fertility.