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[Guo] Question: What is the cause of dry mouth and chest/epigastric stuffiness after childbirth? Answer: After childbirth, Ying (Nutritive) and Wei (Defensive) Qi are severely deficient, and Blood and Qi have not yet stabilized. If noodles are consumed too early, the Stomach cannot digest them. The "noodle toxin" accumulates in the epigastrium and steams upward into the chest. This results in dry mouth with thirst and epigastric stuffiness. If physicians do not recognize this pathology and mistakenly diagnose it as chest and diaphragm obstruction/stagnation, using purgative drugs will rarely succeed (one out of ten). However, taking Jianxian Wan will lead to recovery.

Chen Wuyue commented: Dry mouth and epigastric stuffiness after childbirth are not necessarily caused solely by eating noodles. It may be due to internal accumulation of worry and vexation, external contraction of dryness-heat pathogens, or consumption of sweet, greasy, and rich foods, leading to dry mouth and stuffiness. Treatment should follow the specific etiology. For heart vexation, Siwu Tang (Four Substances Decoction) without Rehmanniae Radix (Shu Di Huang), added with Ginseng Radix (Renshen) and Mume Fructus (Wumei), is appropriate. If externally contracted dryness-heat, one must determine which meridian is involved and treat accordingly; it is difficult to list all cases. For injuries from diet, Jianxian Wan can be effective.

[Xue] For the above symptoms, if caused by retained food stagnation, use Liujunzi Tang (Six Gentlemen Decoction) with Zhi Shi (Immature Bitter Orange) and Shenqu (Medicated Leaven). If caused by meat consumption, add Hawthorn Fruit (Shanzha). If caused by fish or similar foods, add Tangerine Peel (Chenpi). If the food has digested but stuffiness persists, or if pain and vomiting occur instead, this indicates injury to the Spleen and Stomach; use Liujunzi Tang (Six Gentlemen Decoction). If accompanied by acid regurgitation and belching of rotten smells, add Roasted Ginger (Paojiang). If diarrhea occurs, add Cimicifugae Rhizoma (Shengma). If there is no response, assist with Sishen Wan (Four Spirits Pill), or alternatively use Buzhong Yiqi Tang (Tonify the Middle and Augment the Qi Decoction). A woman ate zongzi (sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves) and experienced vexation, thirst, epigastric/chest stuffiness, abdominal pain, and a sensation of needing to defecate but being unable to do so. After consuming digestive-promoting herbs without effect, her diet decreased daily, and her body emaciated over half a year. I diagnosed this as food retention disorder. I used Da Jiuqu (Large Yeast) stir-fried into powder, taken at 2 qian with warm wine. Soon after, borborygmus occurred, and after some time, undigested zongzi was passed, leading to recovery. Another woman developed abdominal pain and dysentery after eating fish. Various medicines failed. Using Chenpi (Tangerine Peel) and Baizhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma) in equal parts, powdered and taken with Chenpi decoction, she recovered after several doses.

Jianxian Wan (See-Bright Pill)
Ingredients: Jianghuang (Curcumae Longae Rhizoma, stir-fried), Sanleng (Sparganii Rhizoma, vinegar-fried), Bichengqie (Galanga Fruit), Chenpi (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, white pith removed), Liangjiang (Alpiniae Officinarum Rhizome), Renshen (Ginseng Radix), Peng'ezhu (Curcumae Phaeocaulis Rhizoma, wine-fried). All in equal proportions.
Preparation: Grind the above ingredients into fine powder. Mash fresh radish, squeeze out the juice, and use it to cook a wheat starch paste to form pills the size of mulberry seeds. Take 30 pills per dose, washed down with radish decoction; plain water is also acceptable.