TCM Formulas for Craniocerebral Trauma and Brain Tumors
Craniocerebral trauma and intracranial tumor compression can both cause headache, dizziness, lethargy/unconsciousness, nausea, and vomiting. Because ordinary drugs cannot cross the blood-brain barrier, ordinary formulas have poor effect on the headache, dizziness, vomiting, and coma caused by craniocerebral trauma and intracranial tumors; one must use orifice-opening and spirit-awakening herbs such as shexiang (musk) and zisu (Perilla). However, natural musk is now basically unobtainable; patients using musk can substitute artificial musk. This article introduces three relatively famous formulas for treating headache caused by brain trauma and intracranial tumors: Suqi Decoction, Duoming Pills, and Linao Xiaoyu Decoction.
Suqi Decoction
Suqi Decoction comes from Records of Pattern Differentiation (Bian Zheng Lu). It is composed of moyao (Myrrh), ruxiang (Frankincense), and dahuang (Rhubarb), each one qian (3g); shanyangxue (goat blood) 0.5 qian (1.5g); suye (Perilla leaf), jingjie (Schizonepeta), and mudanpi (Moutan bark), each three qian (9g); danggui (Angelica sinensis), baishao (White Peony root), and yangzhizhe (Rhododendron molle), each five qian (15g); and taoren (Peach kernel) 14 pieces. Decoct in water for oral use.
This formula has the effects of activating blood and moving qi, and unblocking the portals and opening the orifices. It is mainly used for unconsciousness from a fall from height, presenting with a history of falling from height, loss of consciousness, and broken bones and injured sinews. This formula can also relieve coma, headache, and dizziness in patients with primary or secondary brain tumors.
Duoming Pills
Duoming Pills comes from Supplement to Traumatology (Shang Ke Bu Yao). It is made into pills from dangguiwei (Angelica tail), dahuang (Rhubarb), taoren (Peach kernel), xuejie (Dragon's blood), ercha (Black catechu), honghua (Safflower), tubiechong (Eupolyphaga), ruxiang (Frankincense), moyao (Myrrh), gusuibu (Drynaria), duan zitong (calcined Pyritum), zhusha (Cinnabar), and shexiang (Musk). The recipe is: dangguiwei 90g, dahuang 90g, taoren 90g, xuejie 15g, ercha 15g, tubiechong 45g, ruxiang 30g, moyao 30g, gusuibu 30g, duan zitong 60g, zhusha 15g, shexiang 1.5g.
Except for cinnabar, the remaining herbs are ground together into powder and made into pills with huangmingjiao (donkey-hide glue), each pill 3g, coated with cinnabar. Take 1 pill each time. Clinically, the main indication is brain stasis swelling, coma, headache, dizziness, and vomiting caused by internal or external brain injuries; such symptoms are also seen in patients with primary or secondary brain tumors causing stasis swelling or edema due to tumor enlargement.
Linao Xiaoyu Decoction
This formula comes from Chinese Orthopedics and Traumatology. It is composed of shexiang (Musk) 6g, chuanxiong (Ligusticum) 6g, xuejie (Dragon's blood) 6g, danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) 15g, chishao (Red Peony root) 9g, taoren (Peach kernel) 9g, honghua (Safflower) 9g, ruxiang (Frankincense) 9g, moyao (Myrrh) 9g, sanleng (Sparganium) 9g, xiangfu (Cyperus rhizome) 9g, tubiechong (Eupolyphaga) 9g. Decoct in water for oral use. Musk does not tolerate prolonged decoction and is a costly herb; it is generally taken as a powder swallowed directly. The 6g of musk used here, if natural, would be extremely expensive and unaffordable for ordinary families; nowadays artificial musk is mostly used as a substitute.
This formula activates blood, moves qi, and stops pain. It is used for stabbing headache and stasis swelling caused by intracranial trauma, or for unconsciousness, nausea and vomiting, and a dark tongue with thin white coating. It can also be used for patients with primary or secondary intracranial tumors presenting with the above symptoms.
For acute brain trauma emergencies, decoctions take effect quickly, but tumor patients have long treatment courses and long-term use of decoctions is inconvenient. Therefore, when tumor patients use the above three formulas, they may all be made into pills according to the original formula, taking 3–10g each time, while simultaneously taking other anti-tumor drugs (such as Brucea javanica emulsion capsules). In addition, these three formulas made into pills can also be used to treat stroke sequelae.