Bloating: The Application of Da Chai Hu Tang in the Treatment of Severe Abdominal Distention

Recently, I treated a patient suffering from severe bloating. His abdomen was so distended that it resembled a large balloon, and even a small amount of food would make him feel overwhelmingly full. He had seen several Western doctors and undergone numerous tests, but nothing conclusive was found. After taking his pulse, I noticed that his left guān position was strong and forceful, a typical indication for Da Chai Hu Tang (along with other issues not discussed here).

I initially prescribed him herbal medicine with 6 grams of  Da Huang(Rhubarb). After the first consultation, the patient reported that his bowel movements remained unchanged, just as before. I began to wonder if his constitution was too robust and if the dose of  Da Huang had been too low. In the second consultation, I increased the dose to 12 grams. The patient responded that his bowel movements had slightly increased for one day, but his bloating had improved by around 30-40%. He was already quite satisfied with this result.

However, based on the pulse diagnosis, I believed that the effectiveness should not be limited to just 40%. My diagnosis was correct, so I started to suspect that the herbal medicine he was using might not meet my standards. I then instructed him to switch to a brand of Chinese herbal granules that I’ve used for many years, and I adjusted the *Da Huang* dose back to 6 grams. I told him that this would improve his bloating by at least 70-80%.

Sure enough, after taking the medicine for a little over a week, the patient returned and reported that his bloating had completely disappeared. He had passed a large amount of black, oily stool, and his distended abdomen had returned to normal.

I also informed him that the formula could help with the residual symptoms of his facial paralysis from years ago. He replied, “Yes, that’s true! I used to feel stiffness and discomfort on one side of my face whenever I was tired. I’ve been very busy recently, but I haven’t experienced any of that discomfort.”

This case once again reinforced the importance of accurate diagnosis, proper treatment, and the critical role that high-quality Chinese herbs play in achieving successful outcomes.

Case NO.100  @ Melbourne

Note: TCM doesn’t ‘treat’ any certain WM disease name. TCM has its own system and method to rebalance the human body, release the symptoms and help the body truly recover on its own. TCM treatment methods and effects are different according to individual differences, and the sharing of the case study does NOT constitute treatment recommendations.