“My Medical Philosophy”: The “Awakening Pill” I Used to Treat a Vegetative Patient

Publishing these formulas leaves me with mixed feelings. By my cautious nature, this is not yet the best moment to release this article.

This is the Chinese herbal formula used by the most severe post-stroke sequelae patient I have ever treated. Before she came to me, she had already been in a state of chronic disorders of consciousness (DOC) for about a year (in an earlier article I mistakenly wrote two years because I was busy preparing final exams and doing experiments; I have since corrected that article). Her condition lay roughly between a vegetative state and a minimally conscious state; the professional medical term for this condition is chronic disorders of consciousness.

The direct cause of her condition was a sudden cerebral hemorrhage in the summer of 2025, with a bleeding volume of more than 100 mL at the time. After she was rescued, she remained in a chronic disorder of consciousness.

On May 15, 2026, the patient's daughter was referred to me by a colleague at her workplace, hoping I could help the patient recover. On first seeing the patient, I was taken aback; I had not expected her condition to be so severe. No communication with her elicited any response. Her lower limbs were paralyzed, and excessively high muscle tone made movement of her upper limbs very limited as well.

On the first visit I prescribed an herbal paste (gaozi) formula of more than 80 herbs (this formula has already been published and is not repeated here), and had her daughter commission the Beijing Baitasi Pharmacy to process it into an herbal paste for her. The initial treatment was highly effective: the patient's muscle tone decreased; after 2 weeks of treatment she began to show conscious responses; after about 4 weeks she could hold simple conversations with her family and could even inject medicinal solution into her own mouth with a syringe (the patient is a 71-year-old woman who was a doctor before her stroke).

Subsequent progress, however, slowed. On August 17, 2026, I had business at the patient's daughter's workplace and stopped by with her to visit the patient. On examination I found swelling of the toes on her left foot and suspected a thrombus in the lower limb. I advised the daughter to decoct Madengcao (Herba Asplenii) in water for the foot swelling; after a few days of use, the swelling resolved. In medicine this is called a "therapeutic diagnosis"—resolution of symptoms after treatment suggests the prior diagnosis was likely correct.

The patient's sensitivity to the previous 80-plus-herb formula had diminished, forcing me to devise another adjusted prescription. The second adjusted formula was as follows:

Sheng Huangqi 30g, Danggui 6g, Fangfeng 8g, Baizhi 6g, Jingjie 6g, Manjingzi 6g, Chuanxiong 6g, Binglang 6g, Hupo Fen 3g, Danshen 10g, Dannanxing 6g, Shengma 6g, Qianghuo 6g, Duhuo 6g, Gaoben 6g, Ruxiang 6g, Moyao 6g, Sheng Gancao 4g, Tianma 6g, Gouteng 8g, Gouqi 15g, Longdancao 3g, Fabanxia 6g, Wushaoshe 6g, Qishe 3g, Dilong 6g, Wugong 3g, Quanxie 3g, Jiangcan 6g, Pian Jianghuang 6g, Chanyi 3g, Sanleng 6g, Ezhu 6g, Duan Longgu 6g, Duan Muli 6g, Xuanshen 6g, Zhebeimu 6g, Chuanbeimu 6g, Qing Mengshi 6g, Haifushi 6g, Lufengfang 6g, Weilingxian 8g, Chao Jineijin 8g, Huainiuxi 6g, Cheqianzi 6g, Jili 6g, Shichangpu 6g, Yuanzhi 6g, Bixie 6g, Mugua 15g, Yiyiren 15g, Honghua 3g, Taoren 3g, Lingyangjiao Fen 1g, Bohe 3g, Shijueming 6g, Zhizi 6g, Duzhong 6g, Yimucao 10g, Luoshiteng 6g, Kufan 3g, Guang Yujin 12g, Tianzhuhuang 6g, Zhuru 6g, Baiji 6g, Wuzeigu 6g, Qinjiao 6g, Xixiancao 6g, Chouwutong 6g, Xianhecao 30g, Shudi 10g, Shujincao 6g, Shenjincao 6g, Lulutong 6g, Shanzhuyu 6g, Sangjisheng 6g, Wujiapi 6g, Gouji 6g, Haifengteng 6g, Shayuanzi 6g, Tusizi 6g, Mohanlian 6g, Nüzhenzi 6g, Luxiancao 6g, Qiannianjian 6g, Cangzhu 6g, Houpo 6g, Muxiang 6g, Xiangfu 6g, Fuling 6g, Zhuling 6g, Gusubu 6g, Guiban 12g, Huangbai 6g, Renshen 3g, Chaihu 6g, Huangqin 6g, Guizhi 6g, Baishao 6g, Ganjiang 6g, Shanzha 6g, Chao Maiya 6g, Xiaoji 12g, Sanqi 3g, Puhuang 6g, Tubiechong 6g, Jixueteng 15g, Suanzaoren 6g, Xiakucao 12g, Hehuanpi 6g, Mudanpi 6g, Sangbaipi 6g, Tinglizi 6g, Buguzhi 6g, Rougui 6g, Roudoukou 6g, Wuyao 6g, Yuanhu 6g, Baihe 6g, Zhimu 6g.

Grind the above herbs together into fine powder and form into pills; take 1.5 g each time, 2–3 times daily.

The above formula contains 120 herbs and already incorporates many classical TCM formulas for treating atrophy syndrome (weizheng), impediment syndrome (bizheng), wind-stroke paralysis, and post-stroke aphasia. It even includes Baijin Wan ("White Gold Pill," composed of Yujin and Kufan), which TCM uses for depression and other mental disorders. It addresses the patient from multiple angles—activating blood and resolving stasis, relaxing sinews and unblocking collaterals, tonifying the kidney and strengthening bone, resolving phlegm and opening the orifices, and anti-depressive action—providing comprehensive treatment.

When the patient's family went to the hospital to fill the prescription, they found that the dispensing hospital lacked six herbs: Tianzhuhuang, Shujincao, Qishe, Wujiapi, Chouwutong, and Haifushi. They asked my opinion; I told them to simply omit these six herbs and continue with the formula. They commissioned a Beijing TCM hospital to process it into pills. Thus the formula the patient actually used was:

Sheng Huangqi 30g, Danggui 6g, Fangfeng 8g, Baizhi 6g, Jingjie 6g, Manjingzi 6g, Chuanxiong 6g, Binglang 6g, Hupo Fen 3g, Danshen 10g, Dannanxing 6g, Shengma 6g, Qianghuo 6g, Duhuo 6g, Gaoben 6g, Ruxiang 6g, Moyao 6g, Sheng Gancao 4g, Tianma 6g, Gouteng 8g, Gouqi 15g, Longdancao 3g, Fabanxia 6g, Wushaoshe 6g, Dilong 6g, Wugong 3g, Quanxie 3g, Jiangcan 6g, Pian Jianghuang 6g, Chanyi 3g, Sanleng 6g, Ezhu 6g, Duan Longgu 6g, Duan Muli 6g, Xuanshen 6g, Zhebeimu 6g, Chuanbeimu 6g, Qing Mengshi 6g, Lufengfang 6g, Weilingxian 8g, Chao Jineijin 8g, Huainiuxi 6g, Cheqianzi 6g, Jili 6g, Shichangpu 6g, Yuanzhi 6g, Bixie 6g, Mugua 15g, Yiyiren 15g, Honghua 3g, Taoren 3g, Lingyangjiao Fen 1g, Bohe 3g, Shijueming 6g, Zhizi 6g, Duzhong 6g, Yimucao 10g, Luoshiteng 6g, Kufan 3g, Guang Yujin 12g, Zhuru 6g, Baiji 6g, Wuzeigu 6g, Qinjiao 6g, Xixiancao 6g, Xianhecao 30g, Shudi 10g, Shenjincao 6g, Lulutong 6g, Shanzhuyu 6g, Sangjisheng 6g, Gouji 6g, Haifengteng 6g, Shayuanzi 6g, Tusizi 6g, Mohanlian 6g, Nüzhenzi 6g, Luxiancao 6g, Qiannianjian 6g, Cangzhu 6g, Houpo 6g, Muxiang 6g, Xiangfu 6g, Fuling 6g, Zhuling 6g, Gusubu 6g, Guiban 12g, Huangbai 6g, Renshen 3g, Chaihu 6g, Huangqin 6g, Guizhi 6g, Baishao 6g, Ganjiang 6g, Shanzha 6g, Chao Maiya 6g, Xiaoji 12g, Sanqi 3g, Puhuang 6g, Tubiechong 6g, Jixueteng 15g, Suanzaoren 6g, Xiakucao 12g, Hehuanpi 6g, Mudanpi 6g, Sangbaipi 6g, Tinglizi 6g, Buguzhi 6g, Rougui 6g, Roudoukou 6g, Wuyao 6g, Yuanhu 6g, Baihe 6g, Zhimu 6g.

As soon as the patient began taking the newly made pills, the formula again showed striking efficacy: her consciousness became clearer than before; she could identify family relationships among her relatives; she could say goodbye to her daughter when she left for work; and her swallowing function further improved, so that she could eat dumplings on her own.

I asked the patient to have her liver and kidney function rechecked periodically. Her aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was 68 (normal 0–40); all other blood indices were normal. This indicated that after more than three months of medication the liver was under a somewhat heavy load. Although AST of 68 does not, medically, constitute liver damage—only a very mild side effect—given that the patient needs long-term treatment, I still adjusted the prescription. I advised the family to discuss with the hospital: re-grind the remaining pills and add some new liver-protecting, enzyme-lowering herbs so that her body could tolerate a longer course of treatment.

On September 10, I again adjusted the formula as follows:

Sheng Huangqi 30g, Danggui 6g, Fangfeng 8g, Baizhi 6g, Jingjie 6g, Manjingzi 6g, Chuanxiong 6g, Binglang 6g, Hupo Fen 3g, Danshen 10g, Dannanxing 6g, Shengma 6g, Qianghuo 6g, Duhuo 6g, Gaoben 6g, Ruxiang 6g, Moyao 6g, Sheng Gancao 4g, Tianma 6g, Gouteng 8g, Gouqi 15g, Longdancao 3g, Fabanxia 6g, Wushaoshe 6g, Dilong 6g, Wugong 3g, Quanxie 3g, Jiangcan 6g, Pian Jianghuang 6g, Chanyi 3g, Sanleng 6g, Ezhu 6g, Duan Longgu 3g, Duan Muli 3g, Xuanshen 6g, Zhebeimu 6g, Chuanbeimu 6g, Qing Mengshi 3g, Lufengfang 6g, Weilingxian 8g, Chao Jineijin 8g, Huainiuxi 6g, Cheqianzi 6g, Jili 6g, Shichangpu 6g, Yuanzhi 6g, Bixie 6g, Mugua 15g, Yiyiren 15g, Honghua 3g, Taoren 3g, Lingyangjiao Fen 1g, Bohe 3g, Shijueming 6g, Zhizi 6g, Duzhong 6g, Yimucao 10g, Luoshiteng 6g, Kufan 3g, Guang Yujin 12g, Zhuru 6g, Baiji 6g, Wuzeigu 6g, Qinjiao 6g, Xixiancao 6g, Xianhecao 30g, Shudi 10g, Shenjincao 6g, Lulutong 6g, Shanzhuyu 6g, Sangjisheng 6g, Gouji 6g, Haifengteng 6g, Shayuanzi 6g, Tusizi 6g, Mohanlian 6g, Nüzhenzi 6g, Luxiancao 6g, Qiannianjian 6g, Cangzhu 3g, Houpo 6g, Muxiang 6g, Xiangfu 6g, Fuling 6g, Zhuling 6g, Gusubu 6g, Guiban 12g, Huangbai 3g, Renshen 3g, Chaihu 6g, Huangqin 6g, Guizhi 6g, Baishao 6g, Ganjiang 6g, Shanzha 6g, Chao Maiya 6g, Xiaoji 12g, Sanqi 3g, Sheng Puhuang 6g, Tubiechong 6g, Jixueteng 15g, Suanzaoren 6g, Xiakucao 12g, Hehuanpi 6g, Sangbaipi 6g, Tinglizi 6g, Buguzhi 6g, Rougui 6g, Roudoukou 6g, Wuyao 6g, Yuanhu 6g, Baihe 6g, Zhimu 6g, Xiyangshen 3g, Yinchen 15g, Chuipencao 6g, Dandouchi 6g, Jinqiancao 6g, Sheng Maiya 12g, Zhiqiao 6g, Baizhu 6g, Foshou 6g, Huoxiang 3g, Peilan 6g, Banbianlian 12g, Jiaogulan 6g, Chushizi 6g, Mudanpi 12g, Shidi 6g, Lianqiao 6g, Jinyinhua 6g, Wuweizi 6g, Maidong 6g, Tiandong 6g.

Grind the above herbs into fine powder and form into pills; take 1.5 g (one point five grams) each time, twice daily.

The new formula contains 134 herbs. It not only incorporates the famous classical TCM formulas for impediment syndrome, atrophy syndrome, post-stroke aphasia, and post-stroke paralysis, but also adds a considerable number of liver-protecting and gallbladder-benefiting herbs. At this point, the formula can be said to have been assembled very thoroughly.

The TCM hospital was reasonable and agreed to reprocess the pills. The patient is continuing treatment, and I have advised her family to combine oral Chinese medicine with rehabilitation training. The new treatment goal has shifted from the initial awakening therapy to rehabilitation, striving to restore some degree of self-care to this patient.

Regarding this large compound formula of mine, I can well predict that many TCM enthusiasts or TCM physicians will criticize it. That does not matter, because the formula is sensational enough in itself, and I am already used to such criticism.

Here is a statistic that Deepseek gave when I asked it, "Is it very difficult for a vegetative patient to awaken?"

Deepseek: Medically, recovery from a vegetative state (now more accurately called chronic disorders of consciousness) follows a very sobering statistical pattern:

According to the statistics Deepseek provided, the probability of this stroke patient awakening from chronic DOC is almost zero—far lower than the cure rate for cancer. Her outcome has therefore truly created a medical miracle, and its efficacy is beyond comparison with ordinary treatments. I repeatedly confirmed with Deepseek, and each time it answered that such an outcome is extremely rare.

In other words, the efficacy of the awakening therapy for this patient has reached the ceiling of current neurology. So doubts and controversies do not matter; what matters is the therapeutic effect.

These statistics and this patient's outcome also show that the large-compound, multi-target, low-dose therapy I advocate has definite clinical value, with high safety, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness.

Because the pills were commissioned from a TCM hospital, each dose the patient took was only 1.5 g (note: one point five grams, not fifteen grams), and the average amount of each herb was about 0.01 g—hence the very high safety.

Why does such a low dose still work? I believe this is related to the way multiple herbs used together mutually enhance sensitivity and potency. One must not mechanically apply the pharmacokinetic dose–response curve and conclude that such a low dose is ineffective.

The cost of such treatment is also very low. This patient's current medication costs on average less than 300 yuan per month, averaging less than 10 yuan per day—quite cheap by today's standards. At present, the families of the vast majority of chronic DOC patients are treating themselves into bankruptcy, and some families even fall apart as a result. If this treatment regimen could be promoted and applied, it would be a blessing to many families.

These things cannot be denied by a few words of argument, so I will not mind public criticism. Medicine prizes innovation, and innovation inevitably invites doubt and attacks; I accept this calmly. The verdict of history is for others to make.

This patient is a Beijing resident, her treatment outcome is factual, and the TCM hospital that compounded the pills is among the top TCM hospitals in the country. I stand by this article and am willing to accept third-party verification by any authoritative official medical body, and I look forward to those who are able promoting this treatment. As for individuals or medical institutions wishing to contact the patient and her family, I regret that I cannot provide that information, because under China's Physicians Law, doctors have the legal responsibility and obligation to protect patient privacy.

I had originally hoped to wait until the patient's treatment ended before publishing my formula, but this week in class one of my teachers mentioned three times that a relative of hers had become a vegetative patient after a stroke and is currently receiving ineffective care at a wellness facility in Beijing. This summer a tornado hit my hometown, Huanggang, Hubei; in that disaster a fellow townsman of mine also became vegetative due to traumatic brain injury, and I saw his family appealing for help on the internet.

Behind these patients lie families burdened with heavy financial and emotional loads, while the medical community is generally at a loss for such chronic DOC cases lasting more than half a year. I happen to have this treatment experience, and I want to share it for others' reference and research, to help these patients and their families.

My ultimate treatment goal is to restore some self-care to this patient so she can live with more dignity. But Deepseek replied that there are currently zero similar patients who have reached this goal. If this patient eventually regains some self-care ability, she will be the first reported case.

It is not surprising that such a case outcome was achieved by me: ever since my own mother had a stroke, I have studied post-stroke sequelae for 20 years. I have read a vast amount of literature, treated hundreds of patients, and accumulated rich clinical experience.

Moreover, the formula this patient uses also contains one my master used in his youth for vegetative patients caused by traumatic brain injury. My master's case, however, was a traumatic brain injury treated promptly; according to the statistics above, that patient was easier to treat than this one. I have greatly improved my master's formula: I removed the more toxic herbs and added more than a hundred other herbs. One could say the current outcome embodies the effort of two generations—my master and me.

I have explained the principles of such formula construction in detail in the general-theory section of my book My Medical Philosophy, which has now reached more than 60,000 words and is basically complete in its general-theory part. Readers who are interested can patiently read all the articles in my WeChat official account and personal website that are categorized under the "My Medical Philosophy" directory; then they will understand why I compose formulas this way. My time is tight, so I regret that I cannot give detailed explanations to individual readers.

Finally, I should note that I am publishing this formula because I believe it applies to most similar patients and is highly safe, so that other colleagues may refer to it. If colleagues wish to draw on this formula, I recommend using the last version, because its rationale is the most complete. I am sharing this treatment experience rather than patenting my intellectual property because I hope it will be promoted and applied to benefit more patients. If such a formula were eventually included in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China as a national legal prescription, it would benefit even more people.

If any patient's family reads this article, please ask your attending physician whether this formula is applicable and take the medicine under their guidance. I am currently studying Western medicine full-time at school; the medical curriculum is intense and I am busy every day, and this will continue for the next few years. I have neither the capacity nor the conditions to take on new patients, so please do not contact me.

I have named this formula "Cuxing Wan" (Awakening Pill). Its effects are to activate blood and resolve stasis, resolve phlegm and unblock the collaterals, arouse the spirit and open the orifices, and bolster the healthy qi and secure the root. Its indications include various deep coma, light coma, and chronic disorders of consciousness (minimally conscious state or vegetative state) caused by traumatic brain injury, stroke, or hypoxia, as well as post-traumatic brain-injury and post-stroke sequelae.

This formula can improve cerebral circulation, rebuild neural connections, and repair the patient's damaged neural tissue to a certain extent. However, it is contraindicated in those with impaired liver or kidney function, bleeding tendency, and pregnant women. While using this formula, closely monitor the patient's stool; if black stools appear, stop the medication and rule out gastrointestinal bleeding. Recheck liver and kidney function every 2 weeks initially, then every 3 months once stable. Start at a single dose of 1 g; if no adverse reaction occurs, gradually increase, but the maximum single dose should not exceed 6 g.

Why is such a large formula used in such a small dose? I have observed an interesting phenomenon: the larger the compound, the better the efficacy tends to be, and the smaller the effective total dose tends to be—and, of course, the smaller the toxic dose. This may be related to the synergistic effect of multiple herbs acting together. I will write separately about this to help those who study the large-compound, multi-target therapy better master large formulas.

Note that comatose patients in various states do not, as depicted on TV and in films, suddenly and dramatically wake up as a changed person. In reality, awakening is a slow and gradual process.

Take the patient in this article: what we observed first was improvement in her muscle tone. Later we could hear her utter faint sounds, expressing herself in slurred speech. Still later she could inject medicinal solution into her own mouth with a syringe, recognize family members and recall her kinship, give a thumbs-up to show approval and gratitude, say goodbye to her family, and swallow dumplings. These were all improvements measured in weeks, little by little. So during treatment, families should not harbor unrealistic expectations of a sudden awakening.

Moreover, the degree of brain-tissue injury differs among comatose patients, and so does the degree of recovery. Although this formula may become a universal one, it will not work for every patient.

Now that this formula has been made public, there is no intellectual-property restriction. Any research institution interested in in-depth study may use it freely. I hope neurologists and neurosurgeons will try using this formula to treat patients, verify its efficacy in practice, and promote its application.

If any research institution wishes me to participate in further formula refinement, they may contact me; I would be glad to take part. Few people indeed understand this approach to formula construction better than I do. But I hope such research remains pure, not profit-driven, but dedicated to advancing medicine.

This formula does not use precious materials such as musk or calculus bovis (niuhuang). One reason is to avoid adding to the patient's family's financial burden; the other is to protect endangered animals. Experience has shown that heartening efficacy can still be achieved without these materials. As someone born in the countryside who experienced poverty as a child, I hope to develop treatments that even the poorest families can afford, so that patients can afford treatment and survive.

I devote myself to exploring such large compound formulas because these refractory diseases have complex and variable etiologies and pathologies that can hardly be addressed by small formulas. Even if a doctor occasionally succeeds with a small formula, the result is hard to reproduce in other patients. Only a comprehensive large formula has the best chance of conquering such a disease and becoming a universal formula suitable for most patients, rather than being limited by a particular doctor's intelligence and expertise, thereby offering the greatest public benefit.

Finally, I would like to thank this patient and her family. Doctor and patient achieve something together; it is precisely because of their trust and entrustment that I was able to explore this outcome, which at present seems almost impossible. I hope to continue helping this patient with her further rehabilitation in the days ahead. Because this latter stage of treatment is likewise a world-class medical challenge, and may be even more difficult than the earlier awakening stage.

If this patient improves further in the future, I will continue to write about it. However, for a chronic DOC patient after awakening to recover to the point of partial self-care takes a long process, possibly several years. So subsequent clinical reports on this patient may be a long time coming.

As the son of a post-stroke patient, I will continue to study post-stroke sequelae. Whenever there are new advances in this field, I will promptly write about them publicly.