Three Needles is a common traditional Chinese medicine used for clearing heat and dampness. The fruit of Three Needles is similar to goji berries, with small red grains. It has the effects of clearing heat, promoting diuresis, and dispersing blood stasis. It is commonly used to treat injuries, red and swollen eyes, and other conditions. Let's learn more about the efficacy, functions, and contraindications of Three Needles!
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[Efficiency and Functions of Three Needles]
Three Needles has the effects of clearing heat, promoting diuresis, and dispersing blood stasis. It is mainly used for treating dysentery, jaundice, sore throat, red eyes, and injuries.
1. Clearing heat and promoting diuresis
It is used for conditions such as jaundice, dysentery, sore throat, hot and painful urination, eczema, and fever caused by dampness.
2. Clearing liver and brightening eyes
It is used for conditions such as liver fire attacking upwards, red and swollen eyes, excessive tearing, restlessness, bitter taste in the mouth, yellow tongue coating, and rapid pulse.
3. Dispelling blood stasis and reducing swelling
It is used for early stages of injuries, blood stasis and poor blood circulation, localized redness, swelling, and pain. It is suitable for those with blood heat and stasis.
Those with weak spleen and stomach should use it with caution, as it may cause nausea and vomiting in a small number of patients.
Three Needles should not be used with potassium iodide, as it can form precipitates with iodine ions, reducing absorption and effectiveness of the medicine.
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[New Clinical Uses of Three Needles]
1. Single-use
(1) Acute dysentery: Use a 40% decoction of Three Needles, take 100ml per dose, 2-3 times a day, or make it into an injection for intravenous administration. Treat 123 cases of acute bacterial dysentery, with 113 cases (91.8%) cured and 4 cases showing improvement.
(2) Leukocytopenia: Use an extract powder of Three Needles alkaloid (berberine) to make tablets. Take 60mg per dose, 3 times a day. Treat 405 cases of leukocytopenia, with a total effective rate of 71%.
The best efficacy is observed in leukocytopenia caused by tumor radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and chronic benzene poisoning, with an increase in white blood cell count after 7-10 days of medication.
(3) Hypertension: Use Three Needles alkaloid to treat essential hypertension, which has a certain antihypertensive effect. Among 65 cases, the effective rate is 72.3%.
(4) Stomatitis: Use Three Needles, Portulaca oleracea, and wild chrysanthemum, each 30g, and licorice 9g. Decoction and take orally, 2-3 times a day. Treat 34 cases of symptomatic stomatitis (17 cases of tongue inflammation and 17 cases of oral mucosal ulcers), all cured.
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2. Combination with other drugs
(1) Cyclophosphamide: The anticancer rate of cyclophosphamide is 39.6%, and the anticancer rate of Three Needles alkaloid is 44.9%. The combination of the two drugs achieves an anticancer rate of 61.8%, showing an additive effect.
(2) Anti-tuberculosis drugs: Three Needles alkaloid has similar antibacterial effects as ethambutol, and the combination of the two drugs can improve the effectiveness of tuberculosis treatment.
(3) Silicosis: Three Needles alkaloid has a similar anti-silicosis effect as protoberberine, and the combination with silicosis drugs can enhance the therapeutic effect.
(4) Neostigmine: It can antagonize the muscle relaxant effect of Three Needles alkaloid.
(5) Madder: It has a synergistic effect with Three Needles in increasing white blood cell count.
(6) Sumac: The combination of sumac with Three Needles can enhance the anti-inflammatory effect.
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[Modern Applications of Three Needles]
1. Acute bacterial dysentery
Use a 40% decoction of Three Needles, take 100ml per dose, 2-3 times a day; for bacterial dysentery, take 3g of Three Needles, 3g of Qinpi, and 3g of Huangbo, decoct and take orally.
2. Upper respiratory tract infections, surgical infections, tonsillitis, enteritis, and Trichomonas vaginitis
90% berberine compound can be used for treatment.
3. Leukocytopenia
Take berberine tablets, 50mg per dose, 3 times a day.
4. Hypertension (essential hypertension)
Take berberine tablets, 50mg per dose, 3 times a day.
5. Chronic bronchitis (senile bronchitis)
Take Three Needles tablets, each containing 1g of raw herbs, 1 tablet per dose, 3 times a day. Or, make a decoction of the whole plant of Mahonia japonica, make it into pills, each containing 10g of raw herbs, take 3 pills per dose, 2 times a day for 10 days as one course of treatment, with the next course starting after a 5-7 day break.
