Dizziness and Vertigo
Dizziness & Vertigo
Dizziness and Vertigo are classed as Wind diseases in traditional Medicine. Humoralists would classify some as Phlegm, some Bile and some Melancholy. Phlegm refers to what TCM calls Wind-Phlegm, Bile equates with Wind-Heat and Melancholy with Yin and Essence deficiency.
- Wind-Phlegm–pale face and tongue, white coating, sound of phlegm in the throat or expectoration of phlegm, feels heavy, mind is dull or foggy, pulse is low
- Wind-Heat–red face, red tongue, big or bounding pulse, headache, maybe constipation and high colored urine
Modern TCM differential diagnosis has added Qi Stagnation, Blood Stasis and Deficiency as other causitive factors.
The Stomach and digestion were frequently regarded as a primary cause in the Western Tradition. In such cases, vomiting and purging, in addition to diet regulation are required. In such cases, Stomach Pills are very effective. We can also see many formulas based on the seeds of Apiaceae (Cuming, Caraway, Anise, Fennel etc) combined with spices. These formulas settle Wind, move Qi, clear Phlegm and Damp and regulate digestion.
If there is excess Heat or Blood, bleed the Cephalic vein. Cupping with scarification can be applied to the forehead or rear iof the Head, also the tips of the Shoulders and base of the Neck (C7).
Gargles, Masticating medicines, oils and various scents all have some benefit in the right cases.
See also
The Treatment of Vertigo (Adam)
Treatment of Vertigo from Praxis Medicinae Theorica et Empirica
| Stoechas | Rosemary |
| Peony | Mistletoe |
| Bryony | Agaric |
| Cinnabar | Lapis Armenius |
1. Steep Cumin in vinegar for 3 days, dry it. Before bed, chew the seeds as long as possible, then swallow them. (Brunschwig, 1561)
Vertigo and Dizziness
Primary compounds:
1. Diamargariton (Cooling Pearl Powder)
2. Dianthos (Powder of Rosemary)
3. Pleres Arconticon (Restorative of Nicholas)
4. Powder of Cinnabar for Vertigo
Vinegar of Squill
Oxymel of Squill
Electuary of Horehound (Diaprassium)
Cephalic Decoction (Charras)
Decoction for Vertigo (Culpeper)
Powder for Vertigo
Powder for Vertigo which comes from the Stomach
Powder for Dizziness and Vertigo (Gabelhover)
Powder of Galangal Comp. (Diagalanga) (Mesue)
Powder of Juniper for Vertigo (Wirtzung)
Powder of Cinnabar for Vertigo
Special Powder for the Memory (Wirtzung)
Confection for Dizziness and Vertigo
Electuary for the Head
Electuary of Great Virtue for Vertigo (Hartman)
Electuary of Black Hellebore (Zenon)
Electuary of Peony
Triphala of Coriander (Itraphil Kishneez)
Antidotum Augustini (Nicholas)
Diamuscum
Hiera Hermetis
Hiera Pachi, or Hiera Archigenis
Sugar for Vertigo
Tincture of Valerian
Tincture for Vertigo
Rosemary Wine
Troches of Agaric
Arabian Pills (Nicholas)
Imperial Pills
Pills of Violet (Habbe Banafsha) (Unani)
Oil of the Philosophers
Blood Medicine 11 (Khrag sman bcu gcig) (Tibetan)
Lotus Stem White Pills (Ril dkar pad sdong) (Tibetan)
Sarpagandha Ghana Vati (Ayurveda)
Nux Vomica 13 (Ko byi bcu gsum) (Tibetan)
Red Coral 25 (Rin chen byur dmar nyer lnga) (Tibetan)
Supreme 25 (Bla med nyer lnga) (Tibetan)
Qi Stagnation
Cephalic Decoction (Charras)
Powder of Rosemary Compound
Electuary for the Head
Special Powder for the Memory (Wirtzung)
Internal Wind
Electuary of Peony
Electuary for the Head
Nutmeg 14 (Dza ti bcu bzhi)
Red Coral 25 (Rin chen byur dmar nyer lnga)
Sarpagandha Ghana Vati (Ayurveda)
Supreme 25 (Bla med nyer lnga)
Qi and Blood Deficiency
Restorative of Nicholas
Liver Deficiency with Wind
Confection for Dizziness and Vertigo
Kidney Deficiency
Restorative of Nicholas
Blood Stasis
Cephalic Decoction (Charras)
Powder of Rosemary Compound
Supreme 25 (Bla med nyer lnga)
Phlegm & Damp
Pills of Mastic
Stomach Pills
Special Powder for the Memory (Wirtzung)
Asafetida 8 (Shing kun brgyad pa) (Tibetan)
Cephalic Decoction (Charras)
Nutmeg 14 (Dza ti bcu bzhi) (Tibetan)
Vertigo from the Stomach
Powder for Vertigo which comes from the Stomach
Lotus Stem White Pills (Ril dkar pad sdong)
Nutmeg 14 (Dza ti bcu bzhi)
Vertiginem purgant–
Purge in Vertigo and Dizziness
Squill
Sagapen
Black Hellebore
Colocynth
Arab Confect Purging Melancholy (Confectio Hamech)
Triphala of Coriander (Itraphil Kishneez)
Special Powder for the Memory (Wirtzung)
Hiera Hermetis
Hiera Logadii
Hiera Pachi, or Hiera Archigenis
Pills of Mastic
Stomach Pills
Arabian Pills (Nicholas)
To Strengthen
Aromaticum Rosatum
Diarrhodon Abbatis
Diatragacanth Frigidum
Powder of Three Sandalwood
Confection for Dizziness and Vertigo
TCM Classification
Liver Qi Stagnation
dizziness, headache, depression, chest tightness, abdominal distension, irritability, irregular menstruation
Xiao Yao San
Dan Zhi Xiao Yao San
Liver Wind, Liver Yang Rising
dizziness, headache, blurring vision, red complexion, irritability, insomnia, maybe has Hypertension
Dang Gui Long Hui Wan
Niu Huang Jie Du Pian
Tian Ma Gou Teng Yin
Zhen Gan Xi Feng Tang
Nux Vomica 13 (Ko byi bcu gsum) (Tibetan Medicine)
Wind-Phlegm and Damp Obstruction
dizziness, tinnitus, nausea, poor appetite, stuffiness in chest, no energy, feels heavy, sleepy, thick tongue coating
Ban Xia Bai Zhu Tian Ma Tang
Ding Xian Wan
Yu Zhen San
Phlegm-Heat, Phlegm Fire
dizziness, palpitations, insomnia, red tongue with thick yellow coat, rapid slippery pulse
Ci Zhu Wan
Gou Teng San
Blood Stasis
dizziness, stubborn and fixed headache, forgetfulness, insomnia, palpitations, depression, maybe some cyanosis of the lips, tongue and nail beds, darkness under the eyes.
Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang
Tong Qiao Huo Xue Tang
Qi and Blood Deficiency
dizziness, palpitation, forgetfulness, panic attack, blurring vision, insomnia, pale complexion, poor appetite, dry skin, dry hair, heavy menstruation.
Gui Pi Tang
Shi Quan Da Bu Tang
Liver Blood and Yin Deficiency Generating Wind
similar to above but with more Yin deficiency symptoms, dry mouth, weak pulse
Bu Gan Tang
E Jiao Ji Zi Huang Tang
San Jia Fu Mai Tang
Zhen Zhu Mu Wan
Kidney Essence Deficiency
Kidney yin deficiency with facial flushing, mild dizziness, worse after sex, fever in afternoon, fatigue, insomnia, tinnitus, heel pain, sore and weak lower back, heel pain.
You Gui Wan
Zuo Gui Wan
Special Formulas:
| A POWDER OF PIG BRAINS | PILLS OF ALOE AND MASTIC |
| Pig Brains dried | Aloe ½ oz. |
| Cumin | Mastic 1 dram |
| Peony seed | Form small pills and take 3–5 each nigh for a week. This is a variation of Stomach Pills, which may also be used. |
| Pennyroyal | ELECTUARY FOR VERTIGO |
| Mistletoe equal parts | Galangal |
| (Brunschwig, 1561) | Zedoary 4 scruples ea. |
| POWDER FOR VERTIGO | Sage 2 ½ drams |
| Caraway seed | Preserved Ginger 1 oz. |
| Coriander seed prepared | Nutmeg |
| Anise | Cinnamon 1 dram ea. |
| Fennel 2 ½ drams | Peony seed 1 ½ drams |
| Cardamon | Juniper 1 dram |
| Cubeb 1 ½ drams | Mint 1 ½ scruple |
| Form a powder. | Make a soft Electuary with Syrup of Roses. (Praxis medicinæ, Bruele, 1632) |
| POWDER FOR VERTIGO | PILLS FOR VERTIGO |
| Coriander seed prepared | Nutmeg |
| Caraway seed 2 drams | Clove ½ drams each |
| Cinnamon ½ oz. | Zedoary 2 scruples |
| Galangal | Gentian 1 scruple |
| Cubeb 2 drams | Rose |
| Rosemary 1 dram | Yellow Sandalwood. 1 ½ drams each |
| Chicken Gizzard skin | Aloes 6 drams |
| Marjoram | Rhubarb 3 drams |
| Nutmeg 1 ½ drams | Powder, sprinkle with Rose water, let dry, and repeat 7 times. Then with Syrup of Violets make a pill mass. |
| Sugar weight of the rest | Dose: 1 scruple. (The Secrets of Alexis, 1615) |
| The above 2 formulas are typical of numerous formulas used for Vertigo caused associated with the Stomach and Indigestion, or Wind-Damp / Wind-Phlegm. (Grulingus, Medicinae Practica, 1665) | TROCHES FOR VERTIGO OF CRATO |
| POWDER FOR VERTIGO | Prepared Cinnabar ½ oz. |
| Galangal | Red Coral |
| Orris root | Pearl 2 scruples each |
| Citron peel | Saffron 1 scruple |
| Mistletoe | Dose: 10-12 grains in Lily of the Valley water. |
| Peony seed | These were noted by various authors to be extremely effective, and to work when all other means had failed. |
| Coriander seed prepared | Some versions added 15 leaves of Gold leaf. |
| Cubeb | |
| Nutmeg 2 drams ea. | |
| Rosemary flower 1 dram | |
| Rotal of Anise oil * 1 oz. | |
| of Clove oil * ½ oz | |
| Sugar Candy 3 oz. | |
| * Rotal means sugar mixed with the oil into a type of conserve. | |
| Form a powder; Dose: 1 dram (Grulingus, Medicinae Practica, 1665) | |
| CONFECTION OF STOECHAS | |
| Hiera Picra powder 10 drams | |
| Agaric | |
| Dodder 4 drams ea. | |
| Myrobalan Chebula | |
| Black | |
| Emblic | |
| Belleric | |
| Stoechas 3 drams ea. | |
| Indian Salt 2 drams | |
| Form a confection with Oxymel. | |
| Dose: 2–3 drams with warm water (De Morbis Internis Curandis, Mesue, 1551) | |
| Used specifically for Dizziness and Vertigo. |
Research
Case History
A male in his late ‘s came for treatment for back pain. He was a farmer and still very active, had a strong pulse, a red tongue with a yellowish coating, and was of a robust constitution. While questioning him he said that he had suffered from Vertigo for decades and that he’d had various treatments over the years and nothing had worked. I had recently made my first ever batch of Stomach Pills (Aloe, Rose and Mastic) and knew that they had been used for diseases of the Head, including Dizziness and Vertigo, when associated with the Stomach. Due to his strong constitution and yellow tongue coat I decided 5 days of these pills, taken once per day before bed, would help cleanse the system in preparation for a more targeted formula. The next week he came back and, to both of our amazement, his Vertigo had been completely relieved after 3 doses. He said ‘you’ve cured it. No more Vertigo. Now can you fix my back?’
I told him that a week would probably not be long enough treatment to cure it, but it was great that it was relieved so quickly. Treatment focused on his Back and he was given Liu Wei Di Huang Wan with Pearl added for a month. Follow up months later showed no return of his Vertigo.
This illustrates the usefulness in judicious purging. His presentation suited a formula such as Tian Ma Gou Teng Yin which I expect would’ve needed weeks, perhaps months of treatment, to achieve similar relief.
