Chapter 17: An Overview of Diuretic and Dampness-Eliminating Drugs and Diuretic and Swelling-Reducing Drugs (Poria, Polyporus, Alisma, Coix Seed, Zanthoxylum nitidum)
Drugs that can promote urination and eliminate dampness are called diuretics. Diuretics are sweet, bland, neutral, or slightly cold in nature. Their blandness allows for drainage, thus they are also called bland-draining diuretics; their coldness clears heat, so some of these drugs can also clear damp-heat in the lower burner, and are also called heat-clearing diuretics.
Diuretic and dampness-removing drugs are mainly suitable for urinary difficulty, edema, strangury, phlegm retention, damp-heat syndrome, jaundice, and damp sores. These correspond to modern medical conditions such as urinary tract infections or stones, renal edema; hepatobiliary diseases such as various types of hepatitis, hepatobiliary infections or stones; cardiac or hepatic edema, ascites; prostatitis, chyluria; enteritis; skin and soft tissue infections; respiratory infections; hyperlipidemia; and hemolytic jaundice.
According to modern research, diuretic and dampness-draining drugs mainly have the following pharmacological effects: ① Most diuretic and dampness-draining drugs have varying degrees of diuretic effect. Some drugs have obvious diuretic effects on normal people or animals; some drugs have obvious diuretic effects on patients with edema or water-loaded animals, but have little diuretic effect on normal people or animals; and some drugs can enhance ureteral peristalsis while promoting diuresis, thereby facilitating the expulsion of ureteral stones.
② Some drugs have significant choleretic and hepatoprotective effects, promoting or regulating bile secretion, reducing liver damage caused by carbon tetrachloride, and lowering serum alanine aminotransferase activity. Some drugs can also relax the sphincter of Oddi, contract the gallbladder, and promote the expulsion of gallstones. In addition, diuretics also have pharmacological effects such as antimicrobial activity, lowering blood lipids or liver fat, increasing coronary blood flow, lowering blood pressure, and enhancing immunity.
Improper use of diuretics can easily deplete yin fluids, so those with yin deficiency and fluid depletion should use them with caution.
I. Diuretic and anti-edema drugs
The main function of diuretics and anti-edema drugs is to promote diuresis and reduce swelling, and they are suitable for edema and difficulty in urination caused by internal retention of dampness. Most diuretics and anti-edema drugs have diuretic, antibacterial, and anti-tumor effects, and some drugs also have immune-enhancing, liver-protecting, blood sugar-lowering, blood pressure-lowering, and anti-atherosclerotic effects.
Poria
This product is the sclerotium of the fungus *Polyporus umbellatus*.
[Properties and Flavors] Sweet, bland, neutral.
[Functions] ① It promotes diuresis and eliminates dampness, and is used to treat dysuria, edema, phlegm retention, damp-heat jaundice, and urinary tract infection; ② It promotes diuresis and strengthens the spleen, and is used to treat spleen deficiency with dampness retention, poor appetite and loose stools; ③ It calms the mind, and is used to treat restlessness, palpitations and insomnia.
[Pharmacological Actions] Anti-tumor, immune-enhancing, diuretic, antibacterial, anti-leptospiral, hepatoprotective, cardiac stimulant, sedative, anti-ulcer, hypoglycemic, inhibiting delayed hypersensitivity reactions, and relaxing the intestinal tract.
[Modern Applications] Schizophrenia, neurasthenia, nephritis edema, pregnancy edema, viral hepatitis, drooling in children, diarrhea in infants and young children, middle ear effusion, alopecia areata, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, chemotherapy side effects, hypotension, heart failure.
[Usage] Decocted and taken orally, 10-15 grams. For calming the mind and soothing the nerves, it is advisable to mix with cinnabar.
[Caution] This product is contraindicated for those with deficiency-cold syndrome, premature ejaculation, or qi deficiency with prolapse.
Poria peel
This product is the black outer skin of the sclerotium of the fungus *Polyporus umbellatus*.
[Properties and Flavors] Sweet, bland, neutral.
[Function] It promotes diuresis and reduces swelling, and is used to treat edema and difficulty in urination.
[Pharmacological action] Diuretic.
[Modern Application] Nephritis edema.
[Usage]Decoct and take orally, 10-15 grams.
Polyporus umbellatus
This product is the sclerotium of the fungus *Polyporus umbellatus* (family Polyporaceae).
[Properties and Flavors] Sweet, bland, neutral.
[Functions] It promotes diuresis and eliminates dampness, and is used to treat urinary difficulty, edema, diarrhea, urinary tract infection, and leukorrhea.
[Pharmacological effects] Diuretic, immune-enhancing, liver-protecting, anti-tumor, anti-radiation, anti-aging, antibacterial.
[Modern Applications] Epidemic hemorrhagic fever, nephritis, enteritis, urinary tract infection, urinary tract stones, viral hepatitis, postpartum urinary retention, pelvic inflammatory disease, psoriasis, tumors.
[Usage]Decoct and take orally, 10-15 grams.
[Caution] This product is contraindicated for those who are dry or without moisture.
Alisma plantago-aquatica
This product is the tuber of Alisma plantago-aquatica, a plant belonging to the Alismataceae family.
[Properties and Flavors] Sweet, bland, cold.
[Functions] It promotes diuresis, eliminates dampness and clears heat. It is used to treat urinary difficulty, edema and abdominal distension, damp-heat diarrhea, urinary tract infection, and dizziness due to phlegm.
[Pharmacological effects] Diuretic, lowers blood lipids, anti-atherosclerosis, lowers blood pressure, dilates coronary arteries, protects the liver, anti-fatty liver, anti-inflammatory, weight loss, lowers blood sugar, and anti-platelet aggregation.
[Modern Applications] Hyperlipidemia, hypertension, premature ventricular contractions, chronic bronchitis, diabetes, Meniere's disease, enteritis, nephritis, urinary tract infection, spermatorrhea, pelvic inflammatory disease, purulent otitis media, middle ear effusion.
[Usage] Decocted and taken orally, 6-12 grams.
[Caution] This product is contraindicated for those with deficiency-cold syndrome and spermatorrhea.
Job's tears
This product is the mature seed kernel of Coix lacryma-jobi, a plant belonging to the Poaceae family.
[Properties and Flavors] Sweet, bland, slightly cold.
[Functions] ① It promotes diuresis and strengthens the spleen, and is used to treat spleen deficiency diarrhea, edema, beriberi, and damp-heat syndrome; ② It promotes diuresis and relieves numbness, and is used to treat rheumatic pain and muscle spasms; ③ It clears heat and drains pus, and is used to treat lung abscess and intestinal abscess.
[Pharmacological Actions] Anti-tumor, immune enhancement, inhibition of skeletal muscle contraction, sedation, analgesia, antipyresis, inhibition of polysynaptic reflexes, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, anti-atherosclerosis, hypotensive, and stimulating adrenal cortex function.
[Modern Applications] Hyperlipidemia, fungal enteritis, infantile indigestion, nephritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lung abscess, appendicitis, hydrocele, ischial tuberosity bursitis, flat warts, molluscum contagiosum.
[Usage] Decocted and taken orally, 10-30 grams. For promoting diuresis, relieving numbness, clearing heat, and draining pus, it is best used raw; for strengthening the spleen and stopping diarrhea, it is best used stir-fried.
[Note] It takes longer and more frequent use to be effective.
Pepper Eye
This product is the seed of the Sichuan pepper plant, belonging to the Rutaceae family.
[Properties and Flavors] Bitter, cold. Slightly toxic.
[Functions] ① Promotes diuresis, used to treat edema and ascites; ② Relieves asthma, used to treat wheezing due to phlegm.
[Pharmacological action] Antibacterial.
[Modern Application] Chronic bronchitis.
[Usage]Decoct and take orally, 2-5 grams.