Diabetic Gastroparesis

Diabetic gastrointestinal disease is a common chronic digestive complication of diabetes. It results from diabetes-related dysfunction of the visceral autonomic nervous system and can affect any part of the digestive tract, from the esophagus to the rectum. Conditions include esophageal syndromes, diabetic gastroparesis, diabetes-associated diarrhea or fecal incontinence, and diabetic constipation. In TCM, diabetic gastrointestinal disease falls within the categories of “glomus and fullness,” “vomiting,” “constipation,” and “diarrhea.”

TCM Pattern Differentiation and Medication Reference

| Common Symptoms

Clinical description:

Epigastric and abdominal fullness and oppression, preference for warmth and pressure, nausea and retching, poor appetite, fatigue and lack of strength, loose stools, pale tongue with a white coating, and a deep, thready pulse.

In everyday terms:

  • The upper abdomen and belly feel full, bloated, and uncomfortable.
  • Warmth and pressure feel soothing; a warm compress or gentle massage may bring relief.
  • Nausea and retching, with a persistent unsettled feeling in the stomach.
  • Poor appetite, with little desire to eat or difficulty eating even when food is available.
  • Feeling tired and weak throughout the body, and becoming easily fatigued with even light activity.
  • Loose, poorly formed stools that may be watery.
  • The tongue appears pale, with a white coating.
  • The pulse is felt more clearly with deeper pressure and is fine and weak.

| Treatment Approach

Clinical description:

Warm the middle and harmonize the Stomach.

In everyday terms:

  • Warm and support the Yang of the Spleen and Stomach, helping the middle burner feel warmer and function with greater strength.
  • Harmonize the Stomach’s receiving and digestive functions, with the aim of easing bloating, acid reflux, and nausea.

| Related Products

The products below are provided for informational reference only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Refer to the product packaging and instructions, and use under the guidance of a physician or pharmacist.

Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang

| Common Symptoms

Clinical description:

Epigastric fullness and distension, chest oppression and belching, nausea and vomiting, chest oppression, unsatisfactory bowel movements, relief after belching or passing gas, a thin white tongue coating, and a wiry pulse.

In everyday terms:

  • The upper abdomen feels full and distended, with a sense of pressure and discomfort.
  • The chest feels tight, and belching or upward-moving gas occurs frequently.
  • Nausea and retching, sometimes with vomiting.
  • The chest continues to feel tight, and breathing may feel less comfortable.
  • Bowel movements are difficult or incomplete, with a lingering feeling that more stool needs to pass.
  • Bloating and discomfort ease after belching or passing gas.
  • The tongue coating is thin and white, rather than thick or greasy.
  • The pulse feels taut and firm under the fingers, like a drawn string, rather than soft.

| Treatment Approach

Clinical description:

Soothe the Liver, regulate qi, and harmonize the Stomach.

In everyday terms:

  • Ease constraint in the Liver and help qi flow more freely, relieving a sense of tightness or oppression.
  • Harmonize the Stomach’s receiving and digestive functions to help it feel more comfortable.

| Related Products

The products below are provided for informational reference only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Refer to the product packaging and instructions, and use under the guidance of a physician or pharmacist.

| Common Symptoms

Clinical description:

Upper abdominal distending pain, early satiety or marked fullness after eating, poor appetite, heartburn, nausea and vomiting, a white and greasy or thick and greasy tongue coating, and a slippery pulse.

In everyday terms:

  • The upper abdomen feels distended and painful, with a sense of pressure and considerable discomfort.
  • You feel full very quickly, or the fullness worsens after eating.
  • Poor appetite and little desire to eat, even when looking at food.
  • A hot, burning sensation behind the breastbone, like heartburn.
  • Nausea and retching, sometimes followed by vomiting.
  • The tongue coating is white and greasy, or noticeably thick and sticky-looking.
  • The pulse feels smooth and flowing under the fingers.

| Treatment Approach

Clinical description:

消积导滞

In everyday terms:

  • Disperse food stagnation to help ease the burden on the digestive system.
  • Promote the downward movement of what is stagnant to help relieve bloating and oppression.

| Related Products

The products below are provided for informational reference only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Refer to the product packaging and instructions, and use under the guidance of a physician or pharmacist.

Zhi Shi Dao Zhi Wan

References

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