Mr. A, 61岁, 来自南美, 肌萎缩侧索硬化症（渐冻人）
Picture taken on September 28, 2005, in the in-patient room of our Huaihua Red Cross Hospital, Dr. Ming is introducing the treatment to the international students from England and Israel about an international patient from South America who suffers from ALS. His weight is increased one and half kilograms after about 70 days comprehensive treatment here. This case is listed on our website on December 25, 2005. (Christmas Day)
Record Of Hospitalization
Name: Mr. A Sex: Male
Age: 61 Nationality: Chile, South America
Height: 1.91 m Weight: 82.5 kilograms
Profession: Manager
Time of Hospitalization: September 23, 2005, 14:00.
Major complaint:
Loss of muscles and weakness of the limbs for one and half years.
One and half years ago, there is no obvious reason that Mr. A felt that the right thumb almost very hard to use the key to operate the engine of the car. 2003, the March, he felt the weakness of the tendons of the right elbow, maybe due to hard work on computer for two weeks or playing tennis.
So in August of 2004, the local hospital made an electromyography to report neuro motor disease. In December, 2004, Mr. A went to Miami, USA to see a famous Dr. Richard Bradley to show all his laboratory check result made in Chile, thus Dr. Richard Bradley confirmed ALS. No treatment was offered there. But Rilutek was given. Two tablets each day. It means that Mr. A has been using this tablet for ten months already. No obvious side effects such as headache, dizziness, vomiting and so on.
In January, Mr. A came to Beijing and Shanghai to see four TCM doctors without special treatment. In February, when Mr. A was in Lima of Peru, he started to feel feeble right leg, inconvenient walking of the right leg. So step by step, the right leg was losing both muscles and power. In mid February, the right arm began to lose power and muscles.
In May, 2005,, Mr. A began to feel pain and discomfort on the back.
In mid May, Mr. A flew to China again to Shanghai to get TCM treatment, including herbal tea, herbal powder, acupuncture, injection, almost 24 days treatment a month for four months in Shanghai TCM University Affiliated Hospital. No obvious improvement.
In the mid July, Mr. A fell down in the street, broken his nose. So stitches in the mouth and nose. The patient was in bed for three days. After that, Mr. A feels more feeble. Before the accident, Mr. A could walk at least three kilometers with some difficulty. But after the accident, Mr. A felt much more weaker to walk.
During recent nine months, Mr. A has lost three kilograms in weight. Also after this accident, Mr. A felt the left hand and left leg are influenced.
Right now, the patient feels no headache, no dizziness, no tinnitus. No runny nose. No bitterness in the mouth. No thirst. Both the hot water and cold water, he could drink. Do not drink much daily. No smoking and no drinking of alcohol. No sore throat. Ten percent problem of swallowing. The speaking ability is not influenced. No phlegm in the throat. No chest oppression, no palpitations. No shortness of breath. No liver pains.
No stomach distention, no vomiting sense. The appetite is good. There is no obvious fatigue in the daytime. The average sleep is 8 hours a day. The average night urination is two the three times.
The bowel movement is once a day, normal shape. There is no urinary urgency and frequent urination. The urine is sometimes yellowish and sometimes whitish.
There is no heavy sense over the body. Sometimes, there are spasms on the arms, the rib-side and lower abdomen.
From May to August, it is winter in Chile, and Mr. A felt a little bit cold sense in the hands and feet.
There is no hot sense in the soles and palms in the afternoon. Rarely sweat.
There is no emotional frustration and stressful experience. There are not many dreams in sleep.
The right hand is hard to comb the hair. He could not squat. He could bend down with the hand touching the feet.
Typing with the right hand, writing with the right hand, seem to be very difficult. To tie the buttons is very difficult as well.
The power of the hands is obviously weak when I shake his hands. The right side is weaker.
The right fingers could not straighten well and shake a little bit.
The right pulse is moderate and slightly slippery. The left pulse is moderate, slightly slippery and excessive.
The slightly red tongue, with granules on the tongue and slightly yellowish coating. The weight today is 82.5 kilograms. The eyelid is not so pale, the lips have slight blood stasis. The nails are slightly pale.
The chest bone are becoming sharper on two sides, the middle line of the chest is sinking. The muscle loss on the right hip is more obvious than the left hip.
Diagnosis:
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) Western Medicine
Deficiency of liver and kidney, yin deficiency and blockade of channels (TCM)
Treatment strategy: Tonify the spleen, enrich the livery and kidneys, quicken blood circulation, opening channels, moisten yin.
Formula:
codonopsis root 15g, ovate atractylodes root 15g, poria 10g, mulberry 15g, cuscuta seed 10g, lycium berry 10g, etc.
Dr. Ming
September 24, 2005. Today the treatment starts, including herbal tea, twice a day, 180 milliliters each time, and acupuncture and general body massage once a day.
Dr. Ming
September 25, 2005. The patient said yesterday evening, it is easier to sleep. In the past a few months, it took one hour to go to sleep. Only one night urination last night, in the past, always two to three times of night urination. He gets used to the herbal tea, acupuncture and massage. The tongue is less moist, slightly yellowish coating, teeth marks seen.
poria 10g, mulberry 15g, cuscuta seed 10g, lycium berry 10g, earthworm 10g, turtle shell 20g, etc.
Dr. Ming
The power of muscle of the right hand is IV degree. The power of muscles of the left hand is V degree.
September 26, 2005. It took 20 minutes for the patient to go to sleep last night. He got up three times to urinate. The energy is returning to the state when he was in Shanghai for 4 months after his journey from Shanghai to Huaihua.
The appetite is normal. Yesterday the acupuncture on his legs made him feel painful locally. Today, he has electricity feeling as to the acupuncture. The acupuncture and massage are carried out by Dr. Li Jinguang. The tongue coating is slightly less yellowish.
Dr. Ming
September 27, 2005. Last night, he took more than half an hour to go to sleep. Got up to urinate once. But turned and tossed on the bed a little bit. He said that yesterday afternoon, he walked 40 meters, then he felt tired; in the past a few weeks, he walked 20 meters, then felt tired. The appetite is the same. The energy of the body has no change.
astragalus root 15g, ovate atractylodes root 15g, turtle shell 20g, cimicifuga root 7g, etc.
Dr. Ming
September 28, 2005. Mr. A could walk 180 meters on the third floor of our hospital before felt tired. The appetite is the same. Half an hour to go to sleep. Twice night urination. The third floor is about 56 meters long.
Dr. Ming
September 29, 2005. Mr. A could walk 180 meters on the third floor before felt tired. Half an hour to go to sleep. Once night urination. The tooth marks are not so obvious. The tongue coating is slightly yellowish. The blood pressure is 130/90mmHg. In the past a few days, it is 140/90mmHg to 150/90mmHg.
millettia root and stem 10g, earthworm 10g, turtle shell 20g, turmeric 12g chaenomeles fruit 10g, etc.
Dr. Ming
September 30, 2005. Mr. A walks 225 meters on the third floor before felt tired. More than half an hour to go to sleep. Twice night urination. The tongue coating is little bit thicker and yellowish. The pulse is less tight. When the neck turns to the right side, there is no point pains on the neck. The neck turns to the left side with point pains. The appetite is normal. Slight coughing.
Dr. Ming
October 1, 2005. Mr. A walks 225 meters on the third floor before felt tired. Fast to go to sleep. Twice urination at night. A little bit more difficult to use the left thumb and index finger. The tongue coating is slightly yellowish. Strengthen to tonify the qi and yin fluids.
crataegus fruit 10g, codonopsis root 30g, astragalus root 15g, ovate atractylodes root 15g, poria 10g, mulberry 15g, cuscuta seed 10g, etc.
Dr. Ming
October 3, 2005. Mr. A walks 450 meters on the third floor before felt tired. The sleep is not so calm. Twice night urination. The tongue is moist. The tongue coating is little bit less. Make a relatively bigger change to the formula.
codonopsis root 30g, ovate atractylodes root 15g, poria 10g, mulberry 15g, cuscuta seed 10g, lycium berry 10g, anemarrhena root 10g, etc.
Dr. Ming
October 5, 2005. Mr. A walks 560 meters on the third floor before felt tired. He said from today he feels his legs could walk a little bit longer. The night urination twice. The pulse is little bit less tight. The tongue coating is thin and slightly yellowish. The previous formula for 2 days.
Dr. Ming
October 6, 2005. Mr. A walks 670 meters on the third floor before felt tired. The night urination is twice. The tongue coating is thin and slightly yellowish.
Dr. Ming
October 8, 2005. Mr. A walks 780 meters on the third floor before felt tired. The sleep is calm and one night urination. The sleep is calm and one night urination. The tongue coating is little wider, and thin and very slightly yellowish. The appetite is OK and the spirit is normal. Add turmeric 10g in the previous formula.
Dr. Ming
October 9, 2005. Mr. A walks 670 meters on the third floor before felt tired. The sleep is calm and two night urination. The appetite is OK.
Dr. Ming
October 10, 2005. Mr. A walks 670 meters. The blood pressure is dropping to 120/78mmHg which is normal range. The pulse is milder. The tongue coating is thin and yellowish.
Dr. Ming
October 11, 2005. Mr. A walks a lot in another western hospital for muscle check. The appetite is good and pulse is milder and blood pressure is normal 126/78mmHg.
codonopsis root 30g, ovate atractylodes root 15g, anemarrhena root 7g, cinnamom twig 10g, mulberry twig10g, earthworm 10g, etc.
Dr. Ming
October 12, 2005. Mr. A walks 560 meters. The appetite and spirit are normal. The pulse is little string-like. The blood pressure is 140/90mmHg. Teeth marks on the edges of the tongue.
Dr. Ming
October 13, 2005. Mr. A walks 670 meters. The appetite and spirit are normal. The muscles on the two upper arms are not so much water-like when you touch them. The tongue coating is slightly greasy.
Dr. Ming
October 14, 2005. Mr. A walks 728 meters. Everything seems to be stable. The muscles on two upper arms are not so water-like as before. The weight today is 82 kilos. Add amomum fruit 10g, fritillaria bulb 10g in the previous formula.
Dr. Ming
October 15, 2005. Mr. A did not walk. Everything is stable. Now the muscles on the upper hands, and two thighs seem to be tight and stronger. Also the muscles on the back and scapula seem to be stronger. The major muscle loss part focus on two hips, and the two shoulders.
codonopsis root 30g, anemarrhena root 10g, turmeric 10g, mulberry twig 10g, earthworm 10g, amomum fruit 10g, etc.
Dr. Ming