Diabetic Kidney Disease

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) refers to kidney damage caused by diabetes. It is characterized primarily by declining kidney function and retinopathy, and is one of the most important microvascular complications of diabetes. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), diabetic kidney disease falls within the categories of “edema,” “turbid urine,” and “blockage and closure.”

TCM Pattern Differentiation and Medication Reference

|Common Symptoms

Clinical Description:

Thin build, fatigue and weakness, easy sweating, dry mouth, palpitations, insomnia, red tongue, thin white coating, weak and thready pulse

In Plain Language:

  • A thin build, with difficulty gaining weight or gradual weight loss.
  • Frequent fatigue and weakness; even light activity can be tiring.
  • Easily sweats, even with mild activity or when feeling tense.
  • A persistently dry mouth and a frequent desire to drink water.
  • A fluttering or uneasy heartbeat, difficulty falling asleep, or frequent waking at night.
  • The tongue appears red overall.
  • A thin, white tongue coating that is not thick or greasy.
  • A weak, thready pulse that is more readily felt with moderate pressure and lacks strength.

|Treatment Approach

Clinical Description:

Tonify qi and nourish yin

In Plain Language:

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

|Related Products

The following products are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Refer to the product packaging and patient information leaflet, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.

|Common Symptoms

Clinical Description:

Mental fatigue and weakness, insomnia, forgetfulness, soreness and weakness of the lower back and knees

In Plain Language:

  • Mental fatigue, low energy, and a general feeling of weakness.
  • Difficulty falling or staying asleep, and poor memory or frequent forgetfulness during the day.
  • Soreness, weakness, or a heavy feeling in the lower back and knees, more noticeable after prolonged standing or walking.

|Treatment Approach

Clinical Description:

Tonify the lung and kidney, and replenish essence and qi

In Plain Language:

  • Support lung function to promote easier breathing, reduce shortness of breath, and help maintain stamina.
  • Support the body’s underlying vitality, with the aim of promoting more stable sleep and cold tolerance and balanced fluid metabolism.
  • Support energy and vitality, including reproductive function and recovery.

|Related Products

The following products are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Refer to the product packaging and patient information leaflet, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.

|Common Symptoms

Clinical Description:

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

In Plain Language:

  • Frequent urination, with a noticeable increase in daytime and nighttime trips to the bathroom.
  • Urine looks very cloudy and thick, as if mixed with oil.
  • Soreness and weakness in the lower back and knees, more noticeable after prolonged standing or walking.
  • Dizziness or blurred vision, and frequent tinnitus.
  • A feeling of heat in the palms, soles, and chest, with restlessness.
  • Low-grade fever and flushing over the cheeks.
  • Dry mouth and throat, with a desire to drink more water.
  • Frequent vivid dreams; men may experience involuntary nocturnal emissions.
  • The tongue appears red, with very little or almost no coating.
  • A thin, rapid pulse, 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 ease dryness of the mouth, throat, and skin.
  • Support the body’s underlying vitality and energy, including sleep and reproductive function.

|Related Products

The following products are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Refer to the product packaging and patient information leaflet, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.

Liuwei Dihuang Wan

|Common Symptoms

Clinical Description:

Fatigue, aversion to cold, poor appetite, edema

In Plain Language:

  • Frequent fatigue; even light activity can be tiring.
  • Marked sensitivity to cold, even when the weather is only slightly cool.
  • Poor appetite and difficulty eating much.
  • Swelling of the body, with a puffy or tight appearance.

|Treatment Approach

Clinical Description:

Tonify qi and warm yang

In Plain Language:

  • Support strength and energy and help reduce fatigue.
  • Support the body’s warmth and vitality, with the aim of easing cold sensitivity, cold hands and feet, poor appetite, and metabolic concerns.

|Related Products

The following products are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Refer to the product packaging and patient information leaflet, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.

|Common Symptoms

Clinical Description:

Frequent urination, increased urination at night, cloudy urine resembling grease or paste, sometimes passing as much urine as one drinks, heat in the palms, soles, and chest, dry mouth and throat, mental fatigue, dry and withered ears, dark complexion; soreness and weakness of the lower back and knees, aversion to cold, cold limbs, erectile dysfunction, edema of the lower limbs and, in severe cases, generalized edema; pale tongue, dry white coating, deep, thready, weak pulse

In Plain Language:

  • Urination is noticeably more frequent throughout the day.
  • More frequent nighttime urination, often waking the person from sleep.
  • Urine appears cloudy and whitish, like oil or a thick paste.
  • Needing to urinate soon after drinking, with urine output seeming close to the amount of fluid consumed.
  • A feeling of heat in the palms, soles, and chest, with restlessness.
  • Dry mouth and throat, with a desire to drink more water.
  • Mental fatigue, low energy, and daytime drowsiness or weakness.
  • The outer ears appear dry and withered, with little softness or elasticity.
  • A dark or dull complexion that appears lacking in color.
  • Soreness and weakness in the lower back and knees, more noticeable after prolonged standing or walking.
  • Marked sensitivity to cold, with hands and feet often feeling cold and slow to warm.
  • The limbs feel cool to the touch.
  • Men may have difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection or reduced sexual function.
  • Swelling of the lower legs and ankles; pressing the area may leave an indentation, and the swelling may not readily resolve after walking.
  • In severe cases, swelling may affect the whole body, not just the lower limbs.
  • The tongue appears pale.
  • The tongue coating is white and dry, with little moisture.
  • The pulse is easiest to feel with deeper pressure and is thready and weak.

|Treatment Approach

Clinical Description:

Nourish yin and tonify yang

In Plain Language:

  • Nourish and moisten the body to ease dryness of the mouth, throat, and skin.
  • Support the body’s warmth and vitality, with the aim of easing sensitivity to cold, cold hands and feet, and fatigue.

|Related Products

The following products are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Refer to the product packaging and patient information leaflet, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.

|Common Symptoms

Clinical Description:

Thin build, dry and bitter mouth, palpitations, insomnia, red tongue with little moisture, thin white and dry coating or little coating, weak, thready, and rapid pulse

In Plain Language:

  • A thin build, with difficulty maintaining weight or gradual weight loss.
  • Dry mouth and a desire to drink, with a frequent bitter taste.
  • A fluttering or uneasy heartbeat, difficulty falling asleep, or frequent waking at night.
  • The tongue appears red and dry, with little moisture.
  • The tongue coating is thin, white, and dry, or almost absent.
  • A weak, thready, and rapid pulse, often over 90 beats per minute at rest.

|Treatment Approach

Clinical Description:

Tonify qi, nourish yin, and clear heat

In Plain Language:

  • Support strength and energy and help reduce fatigue.
  • Nourish and moisten the body to ease dryness of the mouth and throat.
  • Clear internal heat to ease discomfort such as restlessness and heat in the hands and feet.

|Related Products

The following products are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Refer to the product packaging and patient information leaflet, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.

Yuqian San

|Common Symptoms

Clinical Description:

Edema, fatigue, weakness, lower back pain, proteinuria, hematuria

In Plain Language:

  • Swelling that makes the body look puffy or feel heavy.
  • Frequent fatigue and low energy.
  • Noticeable weakness; even light activity may feel tiring.
  • Lower back pain or discomfort during everyday activities.
  • Protein in the urine, known as proteinuria.
  • Blood in the urine, which may appear red or brown.

|Treatment Approach

Clinical Description:

Clear heat and resolve toxins, promote urination and reduce edema

In Plain Language:

  • Clear internal heat and address inflammation, and help counter discomfort associated with bacterial or viral infections.
  • Promote the elimination of excess fluid and ease a sensation of dampness and heaviness.
  • Ease redness, swelling, and pain, and help reduce localized swelling and edema.

|Related Products

The following products are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Refer to the product packaging and patient information leaflet, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.

|Common Symptoms

Clinical Description:

Fatigue and weakness, dry mouth and increased thirst, blurred vision, hematuria, proteinuria, dark tongue with stasis signs, wiry and thready pulse

In Plain Language:

  • Frequent fatigue and weakness; even light activity can be tiring, with generally low energy.
  • Dry mouth and thirst, with a frequent desire to drink and noticeably increased fluid intake.
  • Blurred vision, with objects at near and far distances not appearing clear and difficulty distinguishing details.
  • Blood in the urine, which may appear red or brown and visibly changed.
  • Protein in the urine, detected during a health check or laboratory test.
  • The tongue appears dark, with spots or patches of stasis visible underneath.
  • A wiry, thready pulse, with a taut, narrow feel under pressure.

|Treatment Approach

Clinical Description:

Promote blood circulation and unblock the collaterals

In Plain Language:

  • Promote smoother blood flow and help unblock areas of obstruction.
  • Ease numbness, tingling, distending pain, and feelings of coldness.

|Related Products

The following products are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Refer to the product packaging and patient information leaflet, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.

References

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