Question Details
SMS And Seizures
by marneemadsen - August 20, 2009
Hi Steve,
I have been working with an olden golden with Damp Heat, Blood Deficiency, TH/GB obstruction patterns. He came to see me for progressive rear limb weakness/ataxia and has had some improvement and stabilization (though he is still weak) with various combos of DGSYS, XCHT, and SRT.

He was getting really itchy with our heat here and his pulse had moved more superficially and slippery. So I switched to SMS (from SRT)and it worked great for itch, but he started seizuring - fairly mild with drooling at 3pm or 3 am. We also cut back the XCHT because of pulse. So - I haven't had a chance to see him since the seizures, which start about 5 days after we made the changes, but wondering if there are cases where the SMS could predispose, or was it just because I cut back the XCHT and he was prone anyway. I will know more on Monday, but theoretically, wanted to know about the SMS. His PCV is low normal, but coat is that sticky moist with the dry fur and he will get hotspots hips and ventrum/periprepucial area, hx Damp Heat in Spleen for years, lipomas, etc.

Thanks for your thoughts,

Marnee
Replies
by naturevet
August 20, 2009
Hi Marnee,

I've only seen SMS resolve seizures, not cause them. It is a drying formula, though, so if it aggravated a Yin or Blood deficiency, that could be an explanation. But then he shouldn't look hot and excess, but rather hot and deficient.

The other possibility is that, as you say, the reduced use of XCHT aggravated a latent tendency. Certainly the Scutellaria in the formula is credited with activity against seizures.

If the pulse was slippery and the dog hot, maybe the answer is CHJLGMLT, which is more aggressively cooling, contains XCHT, and fits a superficial slippery pulse (as we discussed in the forum on your post a day or two ago).

Hope you get things re-stabilized. If the dog does seem hot and deficient on re-examination, think Tian Ma Gou Teng Yin.

Steve
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