jedwardian: July 17, 2020, 2:33pm
Hi all,
I’m having some trouble identifying whether a recent treatment was a mis-treatment, and therefore whether it
needs to be counterbalanced. I performed LI+ on a man, largely on the grounds that he was complaining of feeling
“toxic” and “polluted.” He was 15 or so pounds above his ideal weight due to emotional eating. No super explicit
signs of dampness, but he had been having sinus issues/allergies, which I could consider a SP excess sign (LI
channel involvement). Anyway, I went with LI+.
He seemed to settle well on the table (though not as deeply as in a previous treatment, when I tonified GB) and felt
easeful afterward. He felt fine the next day. The second day after treatment he gave blood and had their sugary
snacks afterward (it boggles my mind that medical providers give people soda after giving blood, but that’s a rant
for another time), and that’s when he started feeling off. My impression was that he was having a blood sugar
crisis, with anxiety and mood instability and cravings–as if he was thrown off-center. He then moved house over
the next few days–an earth-imbalancing activity if ever there was one–and has now come down with cold/flu-like
symptoms of exhaustion, malaise, itchy-burning eyes, low appetite, etc. He says he feels like he’s “detoxing,” but
it’s possible this is a healing crisis type reaction to LI+, but I’m not convinced of that. My feeling is that, though
LI+ might not have been terrible on its own, it was bad timing with his move and with giving blood (both hard on
Earth, as I see it). I’m inclined to treat SP+ to bring him back to center, but I wanted to get others’ thoughts first.
Thanks in advance,
Jonathan
Sa’am for seizures gone awry?
sweiz: July 17, 2020, 3:09pm
Hi Jonathan,
I wrote a blog post on differentiating a healing crisis vs exacerbation. I have used these guidelines for years and
feel pretty confident in them. At the same time, this case seems like neither to me, in relation to your treatment. It
seems that his getting sick had to do with factors not related to your treatment. In relation to the blood loss + high
fructose + moving…his illness seems like an illness and not a healing crisis based on the guidelines. I’ve often
been surprised at the extent to which people will name their symptoms a detox or die-off etc. when to me it’s just a
bad reaction. It’s possible things would have been worse if you hadn’t done LI.
I wonder if someone has thoughts about treating in preparation for a stress. Like, if you know someone is going to
give blood or move, do you shift your treatment to help them face this?
Here is a link to my blog post if you are interested:
https://whitepinehealingarts.org/healing-crisis/23/01/2024, 11:54Adverse reaction vs Healing crisis – Sa’am Clinical Questions – Qiological Community
https://forum.qiological.com/t/adverse-reaction-vs-healing-crisis/1160/print2/4
jedwardian: July 17, 2020, 3:41pm
Thank you, Sharon, the article is helpful, though for me the jury is still out regarding whether LI+ was the right
treatment in this case. (The guidelines you present do help me have confidence in identifying a healing crisis in
another recent case, in which hives arose in response to Wen Jing Tang: the skin reaction was short-lived and came
in the context of overall improvement with key symptoms.) Also, agreed that people will call all sorts of things
“detoxing” and we can’t necessarily take that language too literally. Thanks again for your input.
KristinWisgirda: July 17, 2020, 4:21pm
Hi Jonathan,
Thanks for sharing your case.
I agree with Sharon that the onset of symptoms was not related to your treatment. He settled and felt fine for a day
after the LI+ visit so LI+ was not the problem. You would know much sooner if LI+ had created adverse reactions.
jedwardian:
Also, agreed that people will call all sorts of things “detoxing” and we can’t necessarily take that language too
literally.
By the same token, people will call all sorts of sensations “toxic”. Did you ask him what he meant by feeling toxic
and polluted?
jedwardian:
No super explicit signs of dampness,
It sounds there was more to his picture than Sp excess. Taking a fresh look at him at the next visit is the best path
forward.
sweiz:
I wonder if someone has thoughts about treating in preparation for a stress. Like, if you know someone is going
to give blood or move, do you shift your treatment to help them face this?
My sense is that is always best practice to look at the patient’s weakest link. And then consider the nature of the
demands the patient will be up against, whether it be climatic or different kinds of resource expenditures- eg qi
blood and fluids. However, in cases Toby has cited “super stressed, lots on their plate” as a potential SJ excess sign.
I am curious about the SJ/Liver balance of this patient, especially since losing blood didn’t make him feel good.23/01/2024, 11:54Adverse reaction vs Healing crisis – Sa’am Clinical Questions – Qiological Community
https://forum.qiological.com/t/adverse-reaction-vs-healing-crisis/1160/print3/4
Daniel: July 17, 2020, 6:50pm
Based on my experience, ‘feeling toxic’ is the phrase from patients I disregard the most. It has no meaning in our
current culture. I ask them what actually they are feeling – you know – the stuff that is important to us . . . hot, cold,
wet, dry, bright, dark, etc etc. I would never ever base a treatment on a patient reporting ‘feeling toxic’.
If just giving blood generated such a reaction, I would investigate everything to do with blood – because that seems
really off to me.
I agree with Sharon and Kristin – there is nothing about your recounting that suggests either ‘bad reaction’ to the
treatment or ‘healing reaction’.
jedwardian: July 17, 2020, 8:19pm
All the feedback’s appreciated. What I’m still sitting with is that, while it’s certainly possible for a patient to have
things happen after treatment that aren’t due to treatment, I wouldn’t have expected such a tailspin–and the food
cravings and blood sugar issues feel resonant with the SP/LI axis, which I was working with. Hmm. I’ll just stay in
the uncertainty and do my best to see what presents next time, as suggested.
As for the SJ excess possibility, I’ll stay open to that, too, but I’d actually been considering tonifying SJ for this
guy–he’s a bit of a klutz with questionable social skills. Clinic is hard…!
KristinWisgirda: July 17, 2020, 8:34pm
jedwardian:
Clinic is hard…!
Indeed!
jedwardian:
the food cravings and blood sugar issues feel resonant with the SP/LI axis,
The food cravings, unless they are sweets specifically, blood sugar and subsequent issues aren’t for sure signs of
any one thing. The super stressed/juggling many plates isn’t for sure SJ excess either, just something to look for.
Before he comes in again, it would help to organize his symptoms/presentation while looking at all 12 channels.
Note the grossest thing about him. Ask what makes sense for him out of the possibilities. Come up with at least 3
ideas that aren’t LI+. Then really note which qualities present as true for him at the next visit.23/01/2024, 11:54Adverse reaction vs Healing crisis – Sa’am Clinical Questions – Qiological Community
https://forum.qiological.com/t/adverse-reaction-vs-healing-crisis/1160/print4/4
Each case is a potential learning experience.
Let us know what you find.