Patient's question:
I am 28 years old this year. After suffering from dysfunctional uterine bleeding, my menstruation has been irregular and my ovarian function is disordered, lacking corpus luteum. I would like to ask the doctor, which is better for treating dysfunctional uterine bleeding: acupuncture or Chinese herbal medicine? Also, there is now weight loss acupuncture. Since getting dysfunctional uterine bleeding, I have gained 30 pounds, and the doctor said it is due to endocrine disorder. Can I choose acupuncture for weight loss to regulate my endocrine system?Doctor's answer:
Hello! Please go to a regular hospital for proper diagnosis and treatment.1. Quick hemostasis for symptoms, followed by traditional Chinese medicine for root treatment
For patients with heavy bleeding, married women should undergo a uterine curettage, while unmarried women can receive intramuscular injections of 2ml compound ethinylestradiol and 2mm estradiol benzoate. Hemostasis can be achieved within 6 to 24 hours. Subsequently, 2ml of compound ethinylestradiol should be administered weekly as a maintenance dose for 4 weeks, followed by discontinuation of the medication. After bleeding stops or reduces, treatment can be adjusted based on clinical manifestations and syndrome differentiation. For those with blood heat, cooling and consolidating the (midstream) is recommended; for those with qi deficiency, strengthening the spleen and boosting qi to consolidate the is appropriate; for those with kidney deficiency, tonifying the kidneys to consolidate the is necessary; and for those with blood stasis, using methods to remove stasis and regulate menstruation to clarify the source and reinforce the foundation. This approach combines the advantages of Western medicine's rapid hemostasis and traditional Chinese medicine's long-lasting efficacy, addressing the immediate symptom of bleeding while creating favorable conditions for root treatment with traditional Chinese medicine. This integrated Western and Chinese medical treatment leverages the strengths of both, yielding satisfactory short-term and long-term results.
2. Combining qi-boosting and-consolidating hemostatic drugs with antifibrinolytic drugs for treating adolescent dysfunctional uterine bleeding
Most adolescent dysfunctional uterine bleeding patients exhibit irregular vaginal bleeding, continuous spotting, or anemia, with other symptoms being mild. Monotherapy with Western medicine or traditional Chinese medicine is often ineffective. The bleeding characteristics of adolescent dysfunctional uterine bleeding are typically heavy and continuous. Due to significant or prolonged bleeding, qi is depleted along with blood, making qi-boosting and-consolidating hemostatic treatment appropriate. Additionally, patients with dysfunctional uterine bleeding have increased fibrinolytic products in their serum and menstrual blood, inhibiting the closure of spiral arteries at the endometrial apex and the coagulation process, leading to heavy bleeding. Antifibrinolytic drugs are often effective. Therefore, this condition can be treated by combining qi-boosting and-consolidating hemostatic drugs with antifibrinolytic agents. The qi-boosting and-consolidating hemostatic method is formulated based on the basic prescription of GuChong Decoction. Ingredients: 20g white, 35g huangqi (astragalus), 20g longgu (dried dragon bone), 20g mu li (dried oyster shell), 25g bai shao (white peony root), 15g qian cao (root of persica), 15g hai zhao (cuttlefish bone), 25g zong tan (powdered pinewood), 25g di yu (powdered di huang), 15g ce bei (powdered chinese pine needle), 15g da ji (large burdock root), 40g hong ji (red crow's beak), 20g xu duan (root of asparagus). Decoction: Boil the herbs and drink the decoction. Take 1g of Yunnan Baiyao three times daily, mixed with the decoction. Antifibrinolytic drugs: 0.4g tranexamic acid added to 40–50ml of 10% glucose solution for intravenous injection. Alternatively, 10mg of anlu blood can be given twice daily via intramuscular injection, or 10mg of anlu blood tablets can be taken three times daily orally. Both therapies should be used concurrently. This integrated approach yields good results in treating adolescent dysfunctional uterine bleeding.
3. Combining supportive treatment with qi-tonifying and blood-nourishing methods to enhance the body's disease resistance
Patients with prolonged or heavy bleeding often suffer from anemia and physical weakness, with insufficient qi and an inability to properly govern blood, leading to uncontrolled bleeding and long-term recovery issues. Therefore, supporting and reinforcing qi is the foundation and a crucial aspect of treatment, as the saying goes, "When internal qi is abundant, external pathogens cannot invade." Qi support: Tenquan Dabu Decoction (pill), Baizhen Decoction, Ren Shen Yang Rong Decoction (pill), Gui Pi Decoction, or Ren Shen Gui Pi Pill are commonly used. Supportive therapy: Small, intermittent transfusions of fresh whole blood, 100–200ml per session, once weekly for three weeks, should be administered. Both methods should be performed simultaneously. Through these treatments, the patient's condition can be improved, and subsequent treatment is more likely to be effective.