Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus with Traditional Chinese Medicine

Diabetes mellitus is a common metabolic endocrinopathy resulting from absolute or relative deficiency of insulin that leads to the metabolic disturbance of carbohydrate, fat and protein. In TCM, it is categorized as "Xiao Ke"(consumption and thirst). The Syndrome Differentiation of Xiao Ke includes the following:

1. Dryness-heat in lung and stomach
Chief Symptoms and Signs: Such manifestations as restlessness, polydipsia, polyphagia, dryness of the mouth and tongue, polyuria, red tongue with yellowish coating, and rolling and rapid pulse are present.
Treating Principle: To nourish Yin and clear away heat
Formula: The modified combination of "Yu Nu Jian (White-Lady (Gypsum) Decoction)" with "Yi Wei Tang (Stomach-reinforcing Decoction)":
Gypsum 25g, anemarrhena rhizome 12g, glehnia root 20g, ophiopogon root 15g, dried rehmannia root 20g, fragrant solomonseal rhizome l5g, trichesanthes root 30g, wolfberry bark 12g, scrophularia root 12g, and licorice root 6g.
All the above materials are decocted in water for oral administration.
When there is constipation, 10 grams of rhubarb are supplemented (decocted for shorter time).
When there is ulcerative stomatitis, 10 grams of coptis rhizome and 20 grams of honeysuckle flower are combined.
When the manifestations of shortness of breath, fatigue, spontaneous perspiration and thready weak pulse are associated, 10 grams of both dangshen and schisandra fruit and 5 grams of astragalus root are recommendable to the formula.

2. Deficiency of kidney Yin
Chief Symptoms and Signs: There are such manifestations as turbid polyuria as cream, soreness and weakness in the lumbar region, dryness in the mouth, irritability, feverish sensation in the chest, palms and soles, red and drier tongue, and deep, thready, and rapid pulse.
Treating Principle: To nourish Yin and tonify the kidney.
Formula: Modified Liu Wei Dihuang Wan (Bolus of Six Ingredients with Rehmannia as Chiefdom): dried rehmannia root 15g, prepared rehmannia root 15g, Chinese yam 20g, poria 10g, dogwood fruit 10g, moutan bark 10g, schisandra fruit 10g, and arisaema tuber 12g.
All the above materials are decocted in water for oral administration.
When treating the irritability associated with feverish sensation in the chest, palms and soles and night sweating, 12 grams of anemarrhena rhizome and 10 grams of phellodendron bark are supplemented.
When to treat the fatigue and thready-weak pulse due to the impairment of both Qi and Yin 15 grams of both dangshen and astragalus root are combined.
When the Yin deficiency of liver and kidney is assciated and marked by dizziness, blurred vision, and tinnitus, 12 grams of both wolfberry fruit, and glossy privet fruit are prescribed as well.
When the course is so protracted that the deficient Yin has undermined Yang, resulting in the coexistent insufficiency, there might appear the manifestations as aversion to cold, cold limbs, edema, diarrhea, pale tongue with white coating, and deep thready and weak pulse. So the treatment serves to nourish the kidney Yin and warm its Yang. The modified "Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan (Bolus for Tonifying the Kidney-Qi)" is recommended. The ingredients include: prepared rehmannia root 25g, Chinese yam 15g, dogwood fruit 12g, poria 12g, moutan bark 10g, water-plantain tuber 10g, cinnamon bark 6g, prepared aconite root 6g, wolfberry fruit 12g, dodder seed (Semen Cuscutae) 12g, and astragalus root 12g. All the materials are decocted in water for oral administration.