My Experience Treating Four Cerebral Infarction Patients with Buyang Huanwu Tang
Buyang Huanwu Tang is an experienced formula of the famous Qing-dynasty physician Wang Qingren. I have previously written an article about Buyang Huanwu Tang (see link for details), introducing its use in treating stroke sequelae and brain tumors. Here I share my experience using Buyang Huanwu Tang to treat four cerebral infarction patients for everyone's reference.
First, let me introduce the dosage I commonly use: Sheng Huangqi (raw Astragalus) 120g, Dangguiwei (Angelica Tail) 6g, Chishao (Red Peony) 5g, Dilong (Earthworm) 3g, Chuanxiong (Sichuan Lovage) 3g, Honghua (Safflower) 3g, Taoren (Peach Kernel) 3g. Decoct with water or half water and half yellow wine; one dose per day, divided into two equal portions after decocting, taken once after breakfast and once after dinner. Patients who cannot tolerate the taste of yellow wine or who have liver disease should not use yellow wine in decocting; patients with normal liver function who can tolerate the taste of yellow wine will achieve better results by decocting with half yellow wine and half water.
The dose of raw Huangqi in this formula is very large, so much so that family members often ask me if I added an extra zero. Let me clarify: there is no mistake; the original formula is like this. If Huangqi is used in smaller amounts, it won't work.
This formula is very suitable for cerebral infarction patients, but nowadays most cerebral infarction patients first go to the neurology department for Western medical treatment; only a few patients who do not respond well to Western treatment seek TCM. I personally also tend to let patients first receive Western treatment, then use TCM if Western treatment is ineffective; this is less risky for both patient and doctor.
However, patients who do not achieve satisfactory results with Western treatment can try Buyang Huanwu Tang; for some patients, the effect of Buyang Huanwu Tang may be better than Western thrombolytic therapy.
At the end of 2018, an ovarian cancer patient under my care suddenly had a cerebral infarction. The patient's son called me saying his mother had fallen; my experience told me this might be a stroke, so I told the family to immediately take the patient to the hospital for a brain MRI to rule out stroke.
After the results came out, the patient indeed had a cerebral infarction. She was treated at a hospital in Fangshan District, Beijing, with unsatisfactory results. The patient had weak limbs, hemiplegia, and difficult bowel movements. Her son took me to their home in Fangshan to see his mother. After the consultation, I prescribed the original Buyang Huanwu Tang formula. After taking it, the effect was immediate: symptoms improved significantly, she was able to pass stool normally, and she could walk.
At the end of 2019, an elderly ovarian cancer patient in Qinhuangdao, Hebei, also suddenly fell — note that cerebral infarction tends to occur in winter; if elderly people (especially those with a history of high or low blood pressure) fall for no apparent reason in winter, they should go to the neurology department for examination to see if it is a stroke. After the fall, the patient lost her ability to speak and was paralyzed. Because the patient had low platelets, thrombolytic therapy carried greater risk, and the family asked me to try TCM first. I again prescribed the original Buyang Huanwu Tang. After taking it, the patient had four to five bowel movements a day, but after three days she could walk and had recovered her speech.
At the end of 2020, a cholangiocarcinoma patient in Shijiazhuang, Hebei, also suddenly had a cerebral infarction. His wife came to me for help. I again prescribed Buyang Huanwu Tang. Because the family did not provide timely feedback, I do not yet know what changes occurred before and after taking the medicine. But as far as I know, the patient is currently living a normal life.
Just a few days ago, the father of a medicinal materials merchant in Baoding, Hebei, was diagnosed with suspected lung cancer and cerebral infarction. Because this merchant is a close acquaintance, he came to me for help immediately. His father had received thrombolytic therapy at the local hospital's neurology department with unsatisfactory results, so he hoped I could help. I again prescribed the original Buyang Huanwu Tang. After taking it, the patient sweated quite a bit but recovered very quickly — in just two or three days he could walk and was discharged home to continue taking the medicine.
I have not specifically studied the treatment of cerebral infarction; it is just that among the cancer patients I care for, a few occasionally have cerebral infarctions. I almost always use Buyang Huanwu Tang first, and the results are indeed quite good, so I have personally experienced that Buyang Huanwu Tang is a very good formula for treating cerebral infarction. Treatment of cerebral infarction must be timely; the earlier the better. For cerebral infarction patients who have had it for more than half a year, the effect of Buyang Huanwu Tang is also poor.