A Case Study of Treating Myasthenia Gravis with TCM
On February 2, 2020, Dr. Ming Wu accepted a patient living in Hawaii, William. William was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called myasthenia gravis in November 2019. His symptoms mainly affected his eyes and the muscles in his arms and legs.
William initially sought help from Western doctors, hoping to find a way to cure or control his conditions. After taking medications such as steroids prescribed by the doctors, he found that not only did his symptoms not improve, but he also had a lot of side effects which affected his daily life. He was very disappointed and unhappy.
Coincidentally he has some background in Chinese martial arts, so he decided to see a Chinese medicine doctor. He read that there was a very famous doctor who treated myasthenia gravis in Guangzhou Hospital. Through the hospital’s website, he found Dr. Wu, because Dr. Wu is one of the students of this famous doctor in Guangzhou.
William contacted Dr. Wu. Dr. Wu prescribed him Chinese medicine and taught him to practice Qigong and change his lifestyle. Dr. Wu is a second-generation descendant of Chinese medicine master Prof. Deng Tietao. During his lifetime, Prof. Deng had treated hundreds of patients with myasthenia gravis. He had extensive experience in the treatment of this disease.
Prof. Deng had stated that the reason for myasthenia gravis is mainly spleen and stomach deficiency. This should be the focus of TCM syndrome differentiation. During his clinical practice, Prof. Deng realized that using Bu Zhong Yi Qi Decoction to treat myasthenia gravis is the correct direction. However, with the usual dosage, the effects are often not obvious. Therefore, in his formula, he heavily increased the amount of Huang Qi (Astragalus) to tonify the spleen qi.
He also added Wu Zhua Long. Wu Zhua Long is also called "Southern Huang Qi". This herb has the same functions as Huang Qi, but its effects are slower and gentler. Therefore, it is especially suitable for myasthenia gravis. Clinical usages have proved Prof. Deng’s formula to be very effective. To learn more, read our blog article: From Li Dongyuan to Deng Tietao, Xiao Xinhe and Wu Mingjie: Chinese Medicine Legacy Passed Down Generation After Generation
Based on Prof. Deng ’s treatment theory, (originally from Li Dong Yuan ’s theory of spleen and stomach), Dr. Wu prescribed William a Chinese medicine formula to take orally for seven days. William noticed his conditions improved after just seven days. Previously, William has gone to a local Chinese medicine doctor in Hawaii, and has used this doctor’s formula for more than a month. However, his illness became worse (because this Chinese medicine doctor used Western medicine thinking to treat symptoms).
Before finding Dr. Wu, one of William's eyes could barely open. He had trouble walking up a hillor carrying anything more than 10 pounds. Taking Dr. Wu ’s Chinese medicine and following Dr. Wu ’s recommendations, he practiced qigong and meditation daily. Two months later, William ’s conditions improved greatly. Although he is not 100% cured, most of his motor functions are backed, and he can open both eyes.
William is very confident in the effects of Chinese medicine. He said, " a big part of Chinese medicine is to believe. And also to really understand yourself. And to reflect internally on your lifestyle, the disease that you have, and also have a genuine urge to get better. I felt that with these things combined, it has helped me with my disease.”
Dr. Ming Wu’s Herbal Formula combination for William
2/12/2020 formula prescribed at the following up appointment：（patient’s symptoms have noticeably improved)
Appendix：
2/2/2020 Dr. Wu’s first TCM formula for William
Hawaii local TCM doctor’s formula for William, for comparison:
（Note：all the formulas in this article should not be used by patients on their own. They are only serving as study cases for TCM practitioners and students.）
Watch William’s testimony two years later (2022):