My “Promoting Awakening Pills” for Treating Vegetative State Patients

Publishing these prescriptions brings me mixed feelings. Given my cautious nature, I believe the timing is not yet ideal for releasing this article.

This is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula I used for one of my most severe post-stroke sequelae patients. Before seeking my treatment, she had been in a state of chronic disorders of consciousness (DOC) for approximately one year. (I previously mentioned two years in an earlier article due to an oversight while preparing for final exams and conducting experiments; this has since been corrected). Her condition essentially hovered between a vegetative state and a minimally conscious state, clinically referred to as chronic disorders of consciousness.

The direct trigger for her condition was a sudden cerebral hemorrhage in the summer of 2025, with a hemorrhage volume exceeding 100 milliliters. After being resuscitated, she remained in a state of chronic disorders of consciousness.

On May 15, 2026, the patient’s daughter found me through a colleague at her workplace, hoping I could help her mother’s rehabilitation. Upon my first encounter with the patient, I was quite surprised; I had not anticipated the severity of her condition. She showed no response to any form of communication. Her lower limbs were paralyzed, and excessively high muscle tone rendered her upper limb movements quite inflexible.

During the first consultation, I prescribed a medicated paste (Gao Zi Fang) containing over 80 herbal ingredients (this formula has already been published and will not be elaborated upon here). I asked her daughter to have it processed into a paste by the Beijing Baitasi Pharmacy for oral administration. The initial therapeutic effect was excellent; the patient’s muscle tone decreased, and she began showing conscious responses after two weeks of treatment. After about four weeks, she was able to engage in simple communication with her family and could even inject medication into herself using a syringe (the patient is a 71-year-old female who worked as a physician prior to her stroke).

However, subsequent treatment progress slowed. On August 17, 2026, while visiting the patient’s daughter’s workplace on other business, I accompanied her to visit the patient. Physical examination revealed swelling in the toes of her left foot, leading me to suspect a thrombosis in the lower extremities. I advised the daughter to use Ma Deng Cao (Herba Lycopi / Huperzia serrata) decocted in water to treat the edema. After a few days of use, the swelling subsided. In medical terms, this is known as a “therapeutic diagnosis”; the resolution of symptoms following treatment strongly suggests that the preceding diagnosis was likely correct.

The patient subsequently developed diminished sensitivity to the previous formula of over 80 ingredients, compelling me to devise a new strategy and adjust the prescription. The second adjusted formula is as follows:

Raw Astragalus Root (Sheng Huang Qi / Radix Astragali) 30g, Chinese Angelica Root (Dang Gui / Radix Angelicae Sinensis) 6g, Saposhnikovia Root (Fang Feng / Radix Saposhnikoviae) 8g, Dahurian Angelica Root (Bai Zhi / Radix Angelicae Dahuricae) 6g, Schizonepeta (Jing Jie / Herba Schizonepetae) 6g, Chaste Tree Fruit (Man Jing Zi / Fructus Viticis) 6g, Szechuan Lovage Root (Chuan Xiong / Rhizoma Chuanxiong) 6g, Betel Nut (Bing Lang / Semen Arecae) 6g, Amber Powder (Hu Po Fen / Pulvis Succini) 3g, Salvia Root (Dan Shen / Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae) 10g, Arisaema with Bile (Dan Nan Xing / Rhizoma Arisaematis Cum Bile) 6g, Cimicifuga Rhizome (Sheng Ma / Rhizoma Cimicifugae) 6g, Notopterygium Root (Qiang Huo / Rhizoma Et Radix Notopterygii) 6g, Pubescent Angelica Root (Du Huo / Radix Angelicae Pubescentis) 6g, Chinese Lovage Root (Gao Ben / Rhizoma Ligustici) 6g, Frankincense (Ru Xiang / Olibanum) 6g, Myrrh (Mo Yao / Myrrha) 6g, Raw Licorice Root (Sheng Gan Cao / Radix Glycyrrhizae) 4g, Gastrodia Tuber (Tian Ma / Rhizoma Gastrodiae) 6g, Uncaria (Gou Teng / Ramulus Uncariae Cum Uncis) 8g, Wolfberry Fruit (Gou Qi / Fructus Lycii) 15g, Gentian (Long Dan Cao / Radix Gentianae) 3g, Prepared Pinellia (Fa Ban Xia / Rhizoma Pinelliae Praeparatum) 6g, Black Snake (Wu Shao She / Zaocys) 6g, Agkistrodon (Qi She / Agkistrodon) 3g, Earthworm (Di Long / Pheretima) 6g, Centipede (Wu Gong / Scolopendra) 3g, Scorpion (Quan Xie / Scorpio) 3g, Silkworm Fungus (Jiang Can / Bombyx Batryticatus) 6g, Turmeric Rhizome (Pian Jiang Huang / Rhizoma Curcumae) 6g, Cicada Slough (Chan Yi / Periostracum Cicadae) 3g, Sparganium Rhizome (San Leng / Rhizoma Sparganii) 6g, Zedoary Rhizome (E Zhu / Rhizoma Curcumae) 6g, Calcined Dragon Bone (Duan Long Gu / Calcined Os Draconis) 6g, Calcined Oyster Shell (Duan Mu Li / Calcined Concha Ostreae) 6g, Figwort Root (Xuan Shen / Radix Scrophulariae) 6g, Zhejiang Fritillaria (Zhe Bei Mu / Bulbus Fritillariae Thunbergii) 6g, Sichuan Fritillaria (Chuan Bei Mu / Bulbus … [line truncated, original length=6368]

Grind the above herbs into a fine powder and formulate into pills. Administer 1.5 grams per dose, two to three times daily.

This formula comprises a total of 120 ingredients. It incorporates multiple classical TCM formulas for treating flaccidity syndromes (Wei Zheng), arthralgia syndromes (Bi Zheng), post-stroke paralysis, and post-stroke aphasia. It even includes “Bai Jin Wan” (White Gold Pill, composed of Radix Curcumae and Alumen Exsiccatum), a classical formula used in TCM to treat depression and other psychiatric disorders. Through multiple therapeutic approaches—including promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, relaxing tendons and activating collaterals, tonifying the kidneys and strengthening bones, and resolving phlegm to open the orifices—this formula provides comprehensive treatment for the patient.

When the patient’s family went to the hospital to have the medication prepared, they found that the hospital was out of six ingredients: Tian Zhu Huang (Concretio Silicea Bambusae), Shu Jin Cao (Herba Lycopi), Qi She (Agkistrodon), Wu Jia Pi (Cortex Acanthopanacis), Chou Wu Tong (Caulis Clerodendri Trichotomi), and Hai Fu Shi (Pumice). They asked for my opinion, and I advised them to omit these six herbs and continue using the rest of the formula. They then commissioned a TCM hospital in Beijing to process it into pills. Therefore, the formula actually used by the patient is as follows:

Raw Astragalus Root (Sheng Huang Qi / Radix Astragali) 30g, Chinese Angelica Root (Dang Gui / Radix Angelicae Sinensis) 6g, Saposhnikovia Root (Fang Feng / Radix Saposhnikoviae) 8g, Dahurian Angelica Root (Bai Zhi / Radix Angelicae Dahuricae) 6g, Schizonepeta (Jing Jie / Herba Schizonepetae) 6g, Chaste Tree Fruit (Man Jing Zi / Fructus Viticis) 6g, Szechuan Lovage Root (Chuan Xiong / Rhizoma Chuanxiong) 6g, Betel Nut (Bing Lang / Semen Arecae) 6g, Amber Powder (Hu Po Fen / Pulvis Succini) 3g, Salvia Root (Dan Shen / Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae) 10g, Arisaema with Bile (Dan Nan Xing / Rhizoma Arisaematis Cum Bile) 6g, Cimicifuga Rhizome (Sheng Ma / Rhizoma Cimicifugae) 6g, Notopterygium Root (Qiang Huo / Rhizoma Et Radix Notopterygii) 6g, Pubescent Angelica Root (Du Huo / Radix Angelicae Pubescentis) 6g, Chinese Lovage Root (Gao Ben / Rhizoma Ligustici) 6g, Frankincense (Ru Xiang / Olibanum) 6g, Myrrh (Mo Yao / Myrrha) 6g, Raw Licorice Root (Sheng Gan Cao / Radix Glycyrrhizae) 4g, Gastrodia Tuber (Tian Ma / Rhizoma Gastrodiae) 6g, Uncaria (Gou Teng / Ramulus Uncariae Cum Uncis) 8g, Wolfberry Fruit (Gou Qi / Fructus Lycii) 15g, Gentian (Long Dan Cao / Radix Gentianae) 3g, Prepared Pinellia (Fa Ban Xia / Rhizoma Pinelliae Praeparatum) 6g, Black Snake (Wu Shao She / Zaocys) 6g, Earthworm (Di Long / Pheretima) 6g, Centipede (Wu Gong / Scolopendra) 3g, Scorpion (Quan Xie / Scorpio) 3g, Silkworm Fungus (Jiang Can / Bombyx Batryticatus) 6g, Turmeric Rhizome (Pian Jiang Huang / Rhizoma Curcumae) 6g, Cicada Slough (Chan Yi / Periostracum Cicadae) 3g, Sparganium Rhizome (San Leng / Rhizoma Sparganii) 6g, Zedoary Rhizome (E Zhu / Rhizoma Curcumae) 6g, Calcined Dragon Bone (Duan Long Gu / Calcined Os Draconis) 6g, Calcined Oyster Shell (Duan Mu Li / Calcined Concha Ostreae) 6g, Figwort Root (Xuan Shen / Radix Scrophulariae) 6g, Zhejiang Fritillaria (Zhe Bei Mu / Bulbus Fritillariae Thunbergii) 6g, Sichuan Fritillaria (Chuan Bei Mu / Bulbus Fritillariae Cirrhosae) 6g, Green Chlor… [line truncated, original length=6057]

Upon initiating the newly prepared pills, the patient once again demonstrated significant therapeutic efficacy. The patient’s consciousness became clearer than before, enabling her to distinguish family relationships and bid farewell to her daughter, who was leaving for work. Swallowing function also further improved, allowing the patient to eat dumplings independently.

The author instructed the patient to undergo regular monitoring of liver and kidney function. The patient’s aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level was 68 (normal range: 0-40), while all other blood indicators remained within normal limits. This result indicated a slight hepatic burden after more than three months of medication. Although an AST level of 68 does not constitute clinical liver injury and represents only a very mild side effect, considering the need for long-term treatment, the author adjusted the prescription. It was recommended that the patient’s family communicate with the hospital to re-pulverize the previously unused pills and incorporate additional herbs with hepatoprotective and enzyme-lowering properties to ensure the patient’s body could tolerate the prolonged treatment.

On September 10, the formulation was adjusted as follows:

Raw Astragalus Root (Sheng Huang Qi / Radix Astragali) 30g, Chinese Angelica Root (Dang Gui / Radix Angelicae Sinensis) 6g, Saposhnikovia Root (Fang Feng / Radix Saposhnikoviae) 8g, Dahurian Angelica Root (Bai Zhi / Radix Angelicae Dahuricae) 6g, Schizonepeta (Jing Jie / Herba Schizonepetae) 6g, Chaste Tree Fruit (Man Jing Zi / Fructus Viticis) 6g, Szechuan Lovage Root (Chuan Xiong / Rhizoma Chuanxiong) 6g, Betel Nut (Bing Lang / Semen Arecae) 6g, Amber Powder (Hu Po Fen / Pulvis Succini) 3g, Salvia Root (Dan Shen / Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae) 10g, Arisaema with Bile (Dan Nan Xing / Rhizoma Arisaematis Cum Bile) 6g, Cimicifuga Rhizome (Sheng Ma / Rhizoma Cimicifugae) 6g, Notopterygium Root (Qiang Huo / Rhizoma Et Radix Notopterygii) 6g, Pubescent Angelica Root (Du Huo / Radix Angelicae Pubescentis) 6g, Chinese Lovage Root (Gao Ben / Rhizoma Ligustici) 6g, Frankincense (Ru Xiang / Olibanum) 6g, Myrrh (Mo Yao / Myrrha) 6g, Raw Licorice Root (Sheng Gan Cao / Radix Glycyrrhizae) 4g, Gastrodia Tuber (Tian Ma / Rhizoma Gastrodiae) 6g, Uncaria (Gou Teng / Ramulus Uncariae Cum Uncis) 8g, Wolfberry Fruit (Gou Qi / Fructus Lycii) 15g, Gentian (Long Dan Cao / Radix Gentianae) 3g, Prepared Pinellia (Fa Ban Xia / Rhizoma Pinelliae Praeparatum) 6g, Black Snake (Wu Shao She / Zaocys) 6g, Earthworm (Di Long / Pheretima) 6g, Centipede (Wu Gong / Scolopendra) 3g, Scorpion (Quan Xie / Scorpio) 3g, Silkworm Fungus (Jiang Can / Bombyx Batryticatus) 6g, Turmeric Rhizome (Pian Jiang Huang / Rhizoma Curcumae) 6g, Cicada Slough (Chan Yi / Periostracum Cicadae) 3g, Sparganium Rhizome (San Leng / Rhizoma Sparganii) 6g, Zedoary Rhizome (E Zhu / Rhizoma Curcumae) 6g, Calcined Dragon Bone (Duan Long Gu / Calcined Os Draconis) 3g, Calcined Oyster Shell (Duan Mu Li / Calcined Concha Ostreae) 3g, Figwort Root (Xuan Shen / Radix Scrophulariae) 6g, Zhejiang Fritillaria (Zhe Bei Mu / Bulbus Fritillariae Thunbergii) 6g, Sichuan Fritillaria (Chuan Bei Mu / Bulbus Fritillariae Cirrhosae) 6g, Green Chlor… [line truncated, original length=7230]

Grind the above herbs into a fine powder and formulate into pills. The dosage was 1.5 grams per administration (one point five grams), taken two to three times daily. The maximum single dose could be increased to 6 grams; however, the minimum dose of 1.5 grams was utilized in this case, which also yielded rapid therapeutic effects.

The new formula comprises a total of 134 Chinese herbal medicines. It not only incorporates classic prescriptions for treating Bi syndrome (painful obstruction syndrome), Wei syndrome (flaccidity syndrome), stroke-induced aphasia, and stroke-induced paralysis but also includes a substantial number of herbs that protect the liver and promote gallbladder function. Thus, this formula can be considered comprehensively constructed.

The affiliated hospital of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) was also quite reasonable and agreed to re-manufacture the pills. The patient is currently continuing treatment, and I have advised her family to adopt a combined approach of oral TCM and rehabilitation training. The new treatment goal has shifted from the initial awakening therapy to rehabilitation therapy, striving to help this patient regain partial self-care abilities.

Regarding my large compound formula, I anticipate that many TCM enthusiasts or practitioners will criticize it. This is of no concern, as the formula itself is quite staggering, and I have become accustomed to such criticism. Below is a set of statistical data provided by DeepSeek in response to my question, “Is it difficult for vegetative patients to awaken?”

DeepSeek: In medicine, the recovery from a vegetative state (now more accurately termed chronic disorders of consciousness) follows very harsh statistical patterns:

According to the statistical data provided by DeepSeek, the probability of this stroke patient awakening from a chronic disorder of consciousness is nearly zero, which is far lower than the cure rate for cancer. Therefore, her therapeutic effect has indeed created a medical miracle, and its efficacy is unmatched by conventional treatments. I repeatedly confirmed with DeepSeek, and its responses consistently indicated that such therapeutic outcomes are exceedingly rare.

In other words, the efficacy of the awakening therapy for this patient has already reached a ceiling-level standard in the current field of neurology. Therefore, questioning and controversy are not important; what matters is the therapeutic effect.

This statistical data and the patient’s therapeutic outcome also demonstrate that the large compound, multi-target, low-dose therapy I advocate possesses certain clinical value, along with high safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness.

Because the medication was commissioned to be manufactured into pills by a TCM hospital, the patient only takes 1.5 grams per dose (note: one point five grams, not fifteen grams). With an average dosage of approximately 0.01 grams per herb, the safety profile is very high.

Why can such a low dosage still exert therapeutic effects? I believe this is related to the synergistic sensitization and efficacy enhancement achieved through the combined use of multiple herbs. One should not mechanically apply pharmacological dose-response curves to assume that such low dosages are ineffective.

The treatment cost is also very low. The patient’s current medication expenses average less than 300 RMB per month, which is less than 10 RMB per day. This treatment cost is considered very affordable today. Currently, the vast majority of families with chronic disorders of consciousness patients are bankrupting themselves for treatment. If this treatment plan could be promoted and applied, it would be a blessing for many families.

These facts cannot be negated by mere verbal disputes, so I will not pay attention to social criticism. Medicine values innovation, and innovation inevitably faces questioning and attacks; I face this with equanimity. Let history and the public judge the merits and faults!

This patient is a Beijing resident, and her treatment outcome is factual. The TCM hospital that prepared her pills is also among the top-tier TCM hospitals in China. I take full responsibility for this article, am willing to accept third-party verification by any authoritative official medical institution, and look forward to capable individuals promoting this treatment method. As for individuals or certain medical institutions wishing to contact the patient or her family mentioned in this article, I must decline providing such information. According to the Physicians Law of the People’s Republic of China, doctors have the legal responsibility and obligation to protect patient privacy.

I originally intended to wait until the patient’s treatment was completed before publishing my formula. However, this week at school, one of my teachers mentioned three consecutive times that a relative of hers became vegetative due to a stroke. Additionally, my hometown, Huanggang, Hubei, experienced a tornado this summer. During this natural disaster, a fellow villager of mine also became vegetative due to traumatic brain injury, and I saw his family seeking help on the internet.

Behind these patients are families bearing heavy economic and psychological burdens, and the medical community currently remains largely helpless regarding chronic disorders of consciousness lasting more than half a year. I happen to have treatment experience in this area, and I hope to share it for reference and research to help these patients and their families.

My ultimate treatment goal is to help this patient regain partial self-care abilities and live with greater dignity. However, DeepSeek’s response indicates that there are currently zero similar cases achieving this treatment goal. If this patient ultimately regains partial self-care abilities, she will be the first documented case.

It is not surprising that I have created such a case-level therapeutic effect. Ever since my own mother suffered a stroke, I have been researching post-stroke sequelae for 20 years. I have read extensive literature, improved the conditions of hundreds of patients, and accumulated rich clinical experience.

Furthermore, the formula used for this patient includes a prescription my master used in his youth to treat vegetative patients caused by traumatic brain injury. However, my master treated traumatic brain injury patients with timely intervention, making their treatment difficulty lower than this patient’s. My master’s formula has been significantly modified by me; I removed the highly toxic herbs and added over a hundred other herbs. It can be said that the current therapeutic effect of this patient embodies the dedication of two generations of our master-apprentice lineage.

I have already provided a detailed introduction to the principles of this formula formulation in the general introduction section of My Medical Philosophy. Currently, this book has exceeded 60,000 words, and the general introduction is basically complete. If readers are interested, patiently reading all the articles categorized under the My Medical Philosophy directory on my official account will help them understand why I formulated the prescription this way. Due to my tight schedule, I cannot provide detailed explanations for individual readers.

Finally, it must be stated that I believe this formula is suitable for most similar patients and has high safety, which is why I am publishing it for reference by colleagues. If colleagues wish to adopt this formula, I recommend using the most recent formulation, as the rationale for this version is the most complete. I am sharing this treatment experience rather than applying for a patent to protect my intellectual property because I hope it can be promoted and applied to benefit more patients. If such a formula could eventually be included in the Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China, the population benefiting from it would be even larger.

If family members of patients read this article, please consult your attending physician regarding whether this formula is applicable and use it under their guidance. I am currently on leave from clinical practice to study Western medicine at a medical school. The coursework is intensive, and I am busy every day. I will remain in this state for the next few years and neither have the energy nor the conditions to treat other patients; therefore, please do not contact me.

I have named this formula “Cu Xing Wan” (Promoting Awakening Pill). Its functions are to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, resolve phlegm and unblock collaterals, awaken the mind and open the orifices, and support the vital energy and consolidate the foundation. Its indications include various states of deep coma, light coma, and chronic disorders of consciousness (minimally conscious state or vegetative state) caused by traumatic brain injury, stroke, and hypoxia, as well as post-traumatic brain injury sequelae and post-stroke sequelae.

This formula can improve cerebral circulation and rebuild neural connections, allowing damaged neural tissue to be repaired to a certain extent. However, it is contraindicated for patients with hepatic or renal insufficiency, those with a tendency to bleed, and pregnant women. When using this formula, closely monitor the patient’s stool characteristics; if black stool appears, discontinue the medication to rule out gastrointestinal bleeding. Please start with a single dose of 1 gram. If there are no adverse reactions, gradually increase the dosage, but the maximum single dose should not exceed 6 grams.

Why is the dosage so small for such a large formula? The reason is that I have observed an interesting phenomenon: the larger the compound formula, the better the therapeutic effect tends to be, and the smaller the effective total dosage tends to be. Of course, the toxic dosage also becomes smaller. This may be related to the synergistic effects exerted by multiple herbs. I will write a separate article to elaborate on this to help those studying large compound, multi-target therapies better utilize large formulas.

It should be noted that during the awakening process, patients in various states of coma will not dramatically change into a completely different person overnight as depicted in television and movies. In reality, the awakening process is slow and gradual.

Taking the patient in this article as an example, we initially observed improvements in her muscle tone. Later, she began to make faint sounds and express her intentions with slurred speech. Subsequently, she was able to inject medication into herself using a syringe, recognize family members, recall family relationships, give a thumbs-up to express approval and gratitude, say goodbye to family members, and swallow dumplings. All these were incremental progress measured in weeks. Therefore, during the treatment process, patient families should not harbor unrealistic expectations of sudden awakening.

Furthermore, the degree of brain tissue damage varies among comatose patients, and so does their potential for recovery. Therefore, although this formula has the potential to become a universal prescription, it will not be effective for all patients.

Since this formula has been made public, there are no longer any intellectual property protection issues. Any scientific research institution with an interest in in-depth research can use it freely. I hope that neurologists and neurosurgeons will attempt to use this formula to treat patients, verify its efficacy in practice, and promote its application.

If any scientific research institution wishes for me to participate in subsequent formula improvement work, they may contact me. I would be happy to participate, as indeed few people are more proficient in this formulation rationale than myself. However, I hope such research remains pure, not profit-driven, but dedicated to promoting medical progress.

This formula does not use expensive medicinal materials such as musk (She Xiang / Moschus) or ox bezoar (Niu Huang / Bovis Calculus). This is to avoid increasing the financial burden on the patient’s family and to protect endangered animals. Facts have proven that achieving exciting therapeutic effects is possible without these materials. As someone born in a rural area who experienced poverty in childhood, I hope to develop treatment plans that even the poorest families can afford.

I am dedicated to exploring such large compound formulas because the etiology and pathology of these refractory diseases are complex and variable, making it difficult to achieve efficacy with small formulas. Even if a doctor occasionally achieves efficacy with a small formula, it is difficult to replicate that effect in other patients. Only comprehensive large formulas have the greatest hope of conquering this disease, have the greatest hope of becoming a universal formula applicable to most patients, and can maximize universal benefit without being limited by the physician’s intellectual level and professional expertise.

Finally, I would also like to express my gratitude to this patient and her family. The doctor-patient relationship is mutually fulfilling; it is because of their trust and entrustment that I was able to explore and achieve what currently seems to be an almost impossible therapeutic effect. I hope that in the days to come, I can continue to play a helpful role in this patient’s further rehabilitation. This latter stage of treatment is equally a world medical challenge, and its difficulty may be even greater than the awakening therapy in the previous stage.

If this patient experiences further improvement in the future, I will continue to write articles to provide more introductions. However, the rehabilitation of patients with chronic disorders of consciousness to regain partial self-care abilities after awakening requires a long process, potentially taking several years to achieve this goal. Therefore, subsequent clinical reports for this patient may require a long wait.

As the son of a post-stroke sequelae patient, I will continue to research the topic of post-stroke sequelae. I will also promptly publish articles on any new developments in this field in the future.