Laxatives:

Laxatives:

Definition:

Laxatives are a type of purgative that promotes bowel movements.

Pharmacological Effects:

• Increase intestinal motility → causing loose stools.

• Retain water → causing bowel stimulation.

Functions:

• Promote bowel movements, clear constipation.

• Clear heat and detoxify.

• Eliminate water retention.

Indications:

• Treat constipation.

• Clear heat and detoxify through laxation to eliminate retained heat toxins in the large intestine → relieving internal organs.

• Treat edema and urinary retention.

• Combined with anti-parasitic drugs to expel worms.

Taste and Properties:

• Bitter/ sweet, cold/ neutral.

Meridians:

• Spleen, Stomach, Large Intestine.

Chemical Composition:

• Anthranoid, fat, mucilage.

Classification based on Strength:

• Strong Laxatives:

• Cold Laxatives: Rheum officinale, Cassia fistula, Aloe vera.

• Hot Laxatives: Senna, Sulfur, Rhubarb.

• Mild Laxatives: Honey, Semen Mori, Basella alba.

Side Effects:

• Laxatives have varying effects based on dosage. High doses can cause abdominal pain, vomiting, and long-term use can affect the digestive function of the large intestine.

Combinations:

• Laxatives combined with Qi-regulating herbs increase their laxative effect.

• Laxatives combined with licorice have a milder laxative effect.

Contraindications:

• Do not use strong laxatives for pregnant women or elderly individuals with weakened Yang Qi.

Detailed Descriptions of Herbs:

1. Rheum officinale (Rhubarb):

• Belongs to the Cold Laxatives group.

• Pharmacological Effects: Clears heat and promotes bowel movement, cools blood, detoxifies, eliminates stagnation, and opens meridians.

• Clears heat and promotes bowel movement: used when large intestine heat leads to constipation, sometimes with high fever, delirium, and mania. Can be used in Daichuanqi Tang.

• Clears heat and detoxifies: used when heat toxins lead to vomiting blood, nosebleeds, conjunctival congestion, cerebral congestion, damp-heat jaundice, blood heat vomiting, and abscesses. When used for hemostasis, Rheum officinale should be charred.

• Eliminates stagnation and opens meridians: used to treat amenorrhea, or falls, injuries, blood stasis, and abscesses.

• Used externally to treat burns.

2. Cassia fistula (Golden Shower Tree):

• Belongs to the Cold Laxatives group.

• Pharmacological Effects: Moisturizes the intestines, nourishes the liver, digests food, reduces inflammation, disinfects, and regulates Yang Qi.

3. Aloe vera (Aloe):

• Belongs to the Cold Laxatives group.

• Pharmacological Effects: Clears liver heat, promotes bowel movement.

• Clears heat and promotes bowel movement: used when large intestine heat, insufficient fluids lead to constipation, and restlessness.

• Clears the liver and descends heat: used when liver heat, red and swollen eyes, dizziness, headache, tinnitus, deafness, and restlessness.

• Disinfectant.

• Detoxifies.

4. Mang xiao (Rhubarb Root):

• Belongs to the Cold Laxatives group.

• Pharmacological Effects: Clears real heat accumulated in the large intestine: used to treat constipation due to heat.

• Softens and disperses hard masses: softens abdominal masses.

• Reduces inflammation: used for red eyes, conjunctivitis, and mouth sores.

5. Honey:

• Belongs to the Mild Laxatives group.

• Pharmacological Effects: Nourishes the middle jiao, moisturizes the bowels, relieves pain, and detoxifies.

• Moisturizes and promotes bowel movement: taken orally or as an enema, helps relieve constipation in children with high fever.

• Moisturizes the lungs and relieves coughing: used to treat dry cough due to lung dryness.

• Alleviates urgency and reduces pain: used to treat gastritis and abdominal pain.

• Treats oral thrush in children: apply a clean cloth soaked in honey to the affected area of the tongue.

• Treats burns, promotes wound healing.

• Honey is used as an excipient in many tonifying and liver-nourishing formulas.

6. Semen Mori (Mulberry Seed):

• Belongs to the Mild Laxatives group.

• Chemical Composition: Fatty oil.

• Pharmacological Effects: Benefits the liver, nourishes the kidneys, nourishes blood, and moisturizes the bowels.

• Nourishes the liver and kidneys, nourishes blood: used for people with anemia, weak liver and kidney function, blood deficiency, premature graying of hair.

• Moisturizes and promotes bowel movement.

• Stops bleeding: used for bleeding caused by low platelet count.

• Promotes lactation: used for women who lack or have insufficient breast milk after childbirth.

7. Senna (Senna Leaf):

• Belongs to the Hot Laxatives group.

• Chemical Composition: Fatty oil, protein, toxic albumin, alkaloid.

• Pharmacological Effects:

• Promotes bowel movement, warms the intestines: used when food is retained in the intestines due to poor spleen function, leading to constipation.

• Eliminates water retention, reduces swelling: used for water retention in the chest and abdomen.

Note:

• The information provided here is for reference only and should not replace professional medical advice.

• Always consult with a doctor before using any medication.