Posted by Hombre on August 12, 2010, at 19:48:30
In reply to Re: Schisandra, posted by morgan miller on August 12, 2010, at 11:02:36
Are you still taking the Planetary Herbals formula?
I looked into it a bit more and it has a lot of herbs that tonify the kidneys, liver and to some extent the lungs and spleen.
I believe that a lot of psyche drugs tax the TCM kidneys and lead to a loss of energy, dry mouth, night sweats, insomnia, anxiety, lack of will/drive and libido. This may have something to do with the adrenals and other hormonal systems.
Also, I feel that psyche drugs can slow down metabolism and cause bloating and edema. A lot of the kidney and spleen tonifying herbs are diuretics to an extent, getting rid of excess moisture that causes poor digestion and a resulting lack of energy.
The liver is important because it supposedly draws from the kidneys for its energy. Anything that affects the kidneys will affect the liver and vice versa. The liver is what gives us our ability to express ourselves and do long term planning. It is the largest and possibly the most complex of the organ systems in TCM and western medicine.
Judging from what you've shared about your physical and mental/emotional symptoms, this is probably a pretty good formula to stick with. Schisandra is also supposed to calm the mind, as you know. You may also look into Planetary's Rehmannia and Ginseng formulas, but you'd probably be better served by a formula that is not too "hot" as it could burn you out. I've had that happen to me recently, with a weird back injury and sudden lack of energy. I had to switch to a "cooler" formula (I believe called Rehmannia Vitalizer by PH) that builds up the kidney and liver yin - the oil in our lamp. The back pain went away and my energy came back a couple of days after switching formulas.
Interesting stuff these herbs.
poster:Hombre
thread:956656
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20100812/msgs/958374.html