Headache due to Menopause (Climacteric Syndrome)

Treatment according to different syndromes:

In TCM, treating headache due to menopause involves treating the human body as a whole. Whereas more emphasis is given to the symptom of headache, the fact is that the doctrine and therapeutic principles can actually be utilized to treat menopause itself.

There are, in general, three different syndromes involved. They are:

1.      Uplifting of liver-fire due to deficiency of kidney-yin

2.      Deficiency of kidney-yang

3.      Deficiency of heart-blood

Type 1: Uplifting of liver-fire due to deficiency of kidney-yin

Clinical manifestations/Indications: Headache of dull pain, most often accompanied with vertigo, tinnitus, dreaminess, insomnia, proneness to anger, hot sensation in extremities and heart, sometimes with mild fever.

Therapeutic Principle: Submerging fire by nourishing the yin, tonifying kidney and tranquilizing the mind.

Main Ingredients: Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Radix Paeoniae Alba, Radix, Polygalae, Fructus, Schisandrae, Fructus Lycii, Plastrum Testudinis, Rhizoma Ligustici Chuanxiong.

The formula is a combination of the decoction of four ingredients and other herbs that tranquilize the mind, nourish kidney-yin.

Type 2: Deficiency of kidney-yang

Clinical manifestations/Indications: Headache with dizziness, lassitude in the loins, legs and feet, cold sensation in the lower part of the body, abdominal distension, loose stool, mild edema. Bulgy and pale tongue, faint and deep pulse.

Therapeutic Principle: Warming up kidney-yang and middle-jiao.

Main Ingredients: Radix Aconiti Praeparata, Fructus Corni, Colla Cornus Cervi, Cortex Eucommiae, Semen Cuscutae, Rhizoma Ligustici Chuanxiong.

The formula combines the both essence of  Bolus of  Kidney-Yang-Tonic and Bolus for Regulating the Function of Middle-warmer, both of which serve to boost up the yang energy of kidney and spleen. Added in is a few herbs for headache relieving.

Type 3: Deficiency of heart-blood

Clinical manifestations/Indications: Headache of mild and hollow pain, accompanied with dryness in the eyes, fatigue, palpitation, shortness of breath, insomnia, dreaminess, vertigo with fire work like visual sensation.

Therapeutic Principle: Nourishing and regulating blood, nourishing qi and tranquilizing the mind.

Main Ingredients: Radix Paeoniae Rubra, Rhizoma Ligustici Chuanxiong, Radix Codonopsis, Poria, Radix Astragali seu Hedysari, Radix Ledebouriellae.

The formula mimics the therapeutic principle of (decoction of eight precious jewels)* as a blood and qi tonic.