Expert: Coninyah B. Dew L.Ac., M.S.O.M. - 4/23/2009

Question
Hello, My husband is 28 yo and has been suffering for almost 3 years with intestinal issues, as well as depression. They seem to correlate, when stomach is acting up, the depression comes on for several days. Our western doc put him on Effexor and it was horrible. We weaned him off; we are now dealing with the dep. with exercise, yoga, and other mind/body work. We want to follow as natural a path as possible.

Our family phys ordered an EGD and colonoscopy. The results showed several ulcers, some new, some healed. The west docs have not addressed one issue, that he bleeds from bowels a lot. A doc in Canada said it was probably a fissure that doesn't heal. He has very loose stools, never anything very solid.  He has a lot of mucous with the BMs as well.  

A reference to a TCM book seemed to lead us to believe this is Spleen deficiency. He has many of the symptoms listed, along with dampness.

He started seeing an acupuncturist but we cannot afford it anymore. I wish we could...he had told him no salads or cold foods, and not much else.
We are trying to address this with diet and overall wellbeing.  He is in othewise good health but it is hard to believe a 28 yo man would have so many stomach/bowel problems.

Answer
Hello Lee,

Thank you for contacting me. I am not quite sure as to your question. I am assuming you are looking for guidance on some of the steps your husband can take to manage his symptoms. So I will do my best to provide some guidance based on this assumption. I will say that from the sounds of your husband's condition, it is very complicated. I will also say that the diagnosis of Spleen deficiency sounds to be only a component. Without having a complete history, it is hard to say. Also acupuncture alone would show some improvement but would be much more affective with the inclusion of herbs. Changing his diet and including yoga (and/or meditation) is a great place to start if you are finding it difficult to continue with treatments.

Most often the emotions precede the physical symptoms. In terms of depression, there are some things to consider such as environmental factors. Is your husband's job stressful? Is there something else he would rather be doing? Do you live in a place that has a lot of noise and does not offer much quiet time? Often, when we are attending to obligations, what our choices take us away from what we would truly like to be doing in our lives. That is a great source of stress in itself.

I would suggest the following:
1) If you are able to find the funds, visit an acupuncturist with a strong foundation in herbal therapies for a 30-60 prescription

2) Diet:

AVOID: refined sugars as they stress the Spleen and increase mucus production; cold foods; cheese products, fried foods; spicy foods; wheat based products; red meats

INCLUDE: rice, honey (if he needs a sweetener), leafy greens in moderation, lentils, fish (easier to digest),

3) Meditation/Yoga for at least 1 hour per day. This will provide him alone time to assist him in reviewing what works in his life and what he can do without. Being able to make that distinction will allow him to mitigate stressors.

I hope this information has been helpful. I wish you and your husband the very best. Should you have additional questions please let me know. Be well.

Regards,
Coninyah B. Dew L.Ac., M.S.O.M.
Acupuncture Stress and Pain Management Practices