Relieve Cough and Asthma: Xing Ren

Xing Ren 杏仁 - Apricot Seed

Bitter, slightly warm, and slightly toxic, Xing Ren travels to the Lung and Large Intestine (METAL!), hence the picture of a sterling silver apricot, above.

Always good to know when an herb goes to the Lung and LI together. Then I can remember that it has something to do both with breathing as well as pooping -- in this case, Xing Ren helps to stop a cough, calms wheezing, and also moistens the intestines and bowels like a good little seed.


That's very straightforward and pretty easy to remember on its own I think. I did find a blog posting by an acupuncturist who used Xing Ren for a patient with a persistent cough. Here is the website (http://fivelements.com/blog/) and here is the entry:

Case History: Constant Cough

February 11, 2009 in Case Study, acupuncture, herbs | No comments

Alicia, a gamine, engaging woman from Brazil, came into my practice last August with a hacking, dry cough. She looked fatigued and had no energy. The cough had started in July of 2007, more than a year ago.

Even though her nose was dry and stuffy, fluid was running down her throat. It seemed to me like she had an allergic cough, aggravated by post-nasal drip. Her voice was often hoarse. I explained to Alicia that due to the length of her respiratory complaint, it would take repeated treatments and herbs to get her better. She agreed to come weekly at first.

After her first treatment, Alicia said she felt better some days; however, the previous night she had gotten no rest, due to the cough. Her throat was no longer so dry. Because the cough was still so bad, I decided to add a treatment point on the big toe, on the Liver meridian. In the Japanese style of acupuncture I follow, this point can be used to treat the phrenic nerve, the nerve that controls the diaphragm. Constant irritation of this nerve through the spastic contraction of the diaphragm can increase the need to cough.

Herbs for Alicia includes plant medicinals such as Apricot seed (Xing Ren) and Winter melon seed (Gou Lo Ren) to moisten the lungs, dried orange peel (Chen Pi) to redirect ascending lung energy, and Ginseng and Astragalus to strengthen the lungs.

By the third treatment she was much better. She continued with acupuncture for most of the fall, and also reported her anxiety was alleviated.