Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disease characterized by elevated blood glucose levels, which may be accompanied by dyslipidemia and other features. It results from an absolute or relative deficiency in insulin secretion (an insulin secretory defect) and/or reduced sensitivity of target tissues or organs to insulin (an insulin action defect). In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), diabetes is classified under categories such as “pi dan” and “xiao ke.”

TCM Pattern Identification and Medication Reference

|Common Symptoms

Clinical description:

Weight loss, fatigue and weakness, easy sweating, dry mouth, palpitations and insomnia, a red tongue with a thin white coating, and a weak, fine pulse.

In plain language:

  • A thin build, with difficulty maintaining weight or a decrease in weight.
  • Frequent fatigue and weakness; even brief activity may leave you feeling drained.
  • Easy sweating, even with slight activity or exertion.
  • A persistently dry mouth and a frequent desire to drink water.
  • A fluttering or uneasy feeling in the chest, with difficulty falling asleep or frequent waking at night.
  • The tongue appears somewhat red overall.
  • The tongue coating is thin and white.
  • The pulse feels weak and fine. At rest, while seated, it may be difficult to feel with light pressure at the radial artery but detectable with moderate pressure. It is generally about four to five beats per breath cycle (approximately 60–80 beats per minute), and is distinguished from a faint pulse that is barely palpable and a fine pulse that is not weak.

|Treatment Approach

Clinical description:

Tonify qi and nourish yin.

In plain language:

  • Support energy and vitality to help reduce feelings of weakness and fatigue.
  • Nourish and moisten the body to help ease dryness, such as dry mouth and throat.

|Related Products

The products listed below are provided for informational reference only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Refer to the outer packaging and package insert, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.

Yuquan Powder

|Common Symptoms

Clinical description:

Weight loss, dry and bitter mouth, palpitations and insomnia, a red tongue with scant moisture, a thin, dry white coating or little coating, and a weak, fine, rapid pulse.

In plain language:

  • A thin build, with difficulty maintaining weight or gradual weight loss.
  • A dry mouth and desire to drink, with a bitter taste in the mouth that occurs often.
  • A fluttering or uneasy feeling in the chest, with difficulty falling asleep or frequent waking at night.
  • The tongue appears somewhat red, and the mouth has little saliva and feels dry.
  • The tongue coating is very thin, white, and dry, or almost absent.
  • The pulse feels weak, fine, and relatively rapid. At rest while seated, it may be over 90 beats per minute when felt at the radial artery, equivalent to more than four beats per breath cycle. It is distinguished from a pulse that is fine but not rapid, rapid but not fine, or faint and barely palpable.

|Treatment Approach

Clinical description:

Tonify qi, nourish yin, and clear heat.

In plain language:

  • Support energy and vitality to help reduce feelings of weakness and fatigue.
  • Nourish and moisten the body to help ease dryness of the mouth, throat, and skin.
  • Clear internal heat to help ease discomfort such as irritability, feeling hot, or heat in the hands and feet.

|Related Products

The products listed below are provided for informational reference only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Refer to the outer packaging and package insert, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.

|Common Symptoms

Clinical description:

Fatigue and weakness, dry mouth and increased thirst, numbness in the limbs, a dusky tongue with stasis spots underneath, and a taut, fine pulse.

In plain language:

  • Frequent fatigue and weakness; even light activity may cause tiredness.
  • A persistently dry mouth and a strong desire to drink, with more fluid intake than usual.
  • Numbness in the arms or legs, with reduced sensation or a tingling, crawling feeling.
  • The tongue appears dusky, with possible stasis spots or patches underneath.
  • The pulse feels taut like a stretched string and fine like a thread—tense, straight, and narrow to the touch.

|Treatment Approach

Clinical description:

Invigorate blood and unblock the collaterals.

In plain language:

  • Promote smoother blood flow and help clear areas thought to be obstructed.
  • Help ease numbness, tingling pain, cold sensations, and distending pain.

|Related Products

The products listed below are provided for informational reference only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Refer to the outer packaging and package insert, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.

|Common Symptoms

Clinical description:

Fatigue and weakness, dry mouth and increased thirst, a heavy feeling in the head and a heavyset build, nausea and expectoration of phlegm, a swollen tongue with a white, greasy coating, and a slippery pulse.

In plain language:

  • Frequent fatigue and weakness; even slight activity may leave you feeling drained.
  • A dry mouth and a frequent desire to drink, with noticeably more fluid intake than usual.
  • A heavy feeling in the head and a heavier build, with movement that may feel cumbersome.
  • Nausea or an urge to vomit, with excess phlegm or saliva in the mouth; vomit may often contain sticky phlegm.
  • The tongue appears swollen and enlarged.
  • The tongue coating is white and greasy, like a sticky white film.
  • The pulse feels smooth and rolling under pressure, like beads rolling beneath the fingers. It is readily felt with light, moderate, or firm pressure and has a regular rhythm. After resting for five minutes, the radial pulse at the wrist is often 60–90 beats per minute (about four to five beats per breath cycle). It is distinguished from a rough, hesitant pulse and a taut, straight, tense pulse, and is often associated with pronounced phlegm-dampness or food retention.

|Treatment Approach

Clinical description:

Dry dampness and transform phlegm; tonify qi and nourish yin.

In plain language:

  • Address excess dampness in the body and transform sticky phlegm, with the aim of easing cough with phlegm, chest tightness, and a heavy or foggy feeling in the head.
  • Support energy and vitality to help reduce fatigue.
  • Nourish and moisten the body to help ease dryness of the mouth and throat.

|Related Products

The products listed below are provided for informational reference only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Refer to the outer packaging and package insert, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.

|Common Symptoms

Clinical description:

Frequent urination, cloudy urine resembling a thick paste, soreness and weakness of the lower back and knees, dizziness and tinnitus, heat in the palms, soles, and chest, low-grade fever and flushed cheeks, dry mouth and throat, vivid dreams and nocturnal emissions, a red tongue with little coating, and a fine, rapid pulse.

In plain language:

  • Frequent urination, with a noticeable increase in daytime and nighttime trips to the bathroom.
  • The urine looks cloudy and thick, as if mixed with oil.
  • Soreness and weakness in the lower back and knees, which may feel worse after prolonged standing or walking.
  • Dizziness or lightheadedness, often accompanied by tinnitus.
  • Heat in the palms, soles, and chest, with feelings of restlessness.
  • A low-grade fever and flushing over the cheekbones.
  • Dry mouth and throat, with a frequent desire to drink.
  • Frequent vivid dreams; in men, involuntary ejaculation during sleep may occur.
  • The tongue appears somewhat red, with little or almost no coating.
  • The pulse feels fine and relatively rapid, often over 90 beats per minute at rest.

|Treatment Approach

Clinical description:

Nourish yin and tonify the kidneys.

In plain language:

  • Nourish and moisten the body to help ease dryness of the mouth, throat, and skin.
  • Support the body’s underlying vitality and help maintain energy, stamina, sleep, and reproductive functions.

|Related Products

The products listed below are provided for informational reference only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Refer to the outer packaging and package insert, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.

Liu Wei Di Huang Wan

|Common Symptoms

Clinical description:

Frequent urination and increased nighttime urination, cloudy urine resembling oil or a thick paste, or even drinking and urinating in equal measure; heat in the palms, soles, and chest; dry mouth and throat; fatigue; dry, withered earlobes; a dark complexion; soreness and weakness of the lower back and knees; aversion to cold and cold limbs; cool extremities; erectile dysfunction; swelling of the lower limbs, in severe cases with generalized edema; a pale tongue with a dry white coating; and a deep, fine, weak pulse.

In plain language:

  • A noticeable increase in urination throughout the day.
  • More frequent nighttime urination, often waking you from sleep with the urge to urinate.
  • Urine that looks cloudy or whitish, like oil or a thick paste.
  • Needing to urinate soon after drinking, sometimes seeming to pass nearly as much as was just consumed.
  • Heat in the palms, soles, and chest, with feelings of restlessness.
  • Dry mouth and throat, with a frequent desire to drink.
  • Fatigue and low energy, with daytime drowsiness and weakness.
  • The skin of the outer ears appears dry and withered, with little moisture or elasticity.
  • A dark, dull complexion that appears to lack healthy color.
  • Soreness and weakness in the lower back and knees, which may feel worse after prolonged standing or walking.
  • Pronounced sensitivity to cold, with hands and feet that are often cold and slow to warm up.
  • The limbs feel cool to the touch.
  • In men, difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection or reduced sexual function.
  • Swelling of the lower legs and ankles that leaves an indentation when pressed and may not resolve easily after activity.
  • In severe cases, swelling may affect not only the legs and feet but the whole body.
  • The tongue appears pale or whitish overall.
  • The tongue coating is white and somewhat dry, with little moisture.
  • The pulse is felt only with deeper pressure and feels fine and weak.

|Treatment Approach

Clinical description:

Nourish yin and tonify yang.

In plain language:

  • Nourish and moisten the body to help ease dryness of the mouth, throat, and skin.
  • Support the body’s warmth and vitality to help with energy and cold sensitivity, and support metabolic function.

|Related Products

The products listed below are provided for informational reference only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Refer to the outer packaging and package insert, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.

Gui Lu Er Jiao Wan

References

  1. Tong Xiaolin. Standards for TCM Prevention and Treatment of Diabetes (Draft) [M]. Beijing: Science Press, 2014: 11.
  2. China Association of Chinese Medicine. Guidelines for TCM Prevention and Treatment of Diabetes: An Interpretation of the Guidelines [M]. Beijing: China Press of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2009: 148–151.
  3. Liao Eryuan. Endocrinology and Metabolism [M]. 3rd ed., vol. 2. Beijing: People’s Medical Publishing House, 2012: 1214–1230.
  4. Diabetes Society of the Chinese Medical Association. Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes in China [M]. Beijing: People’s Medical Publishing House, 2013: 4.
  5. Diabetes Society of the Chinese Medical Association. Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes in China (2017 Edition) [J]. Chinese Journal of Diabetes Mellitus, 2018, 10(01): 4–67.
  6. Zheng Xiaoyu. Guiding Principles for Clinical Research on New Chinese Medicines (Trial) [M]. Beijing: China Medical Science Press, 2002: 33–234.