Acorus and Chrysanthemum Clear Flower Vision Pills (Shi Chang Ju Hua Qing Mao Pian) is a unique, condition-specific Chinese herbal formula for preventing and treating visual migraine aura. It is useful for related conditions, including visual aura, migraine aura, migraine headache and ocular migraine. This formula has been developed and refined over the course of six years.
The formula was initially conceived as a response to migraines with aura, both to prevent progression from aura to migraine headache and to treat the symptoms of both (such as nausea, dizziness, and headache) if necessary. It became a viable alternative to CGRP receptor antagonists. It was continually reformulated through careful evaluation of the pulse and response to treatment.
Eventually, Clear Vision Flower Pills was tested and further modified through more widespread clinical use. While Chinese medicine is predicated upon individualized, real-time response and treatment, this is rarely possible with visual auras and migraines. In these situations, treatment needs to be immediate to halt the progression. Oftentimes, patients cannot get to my office while a migraine with aura is already in progress, which prohibits treatment with acupuncture. Therefore, a preformulated and encapsulated herbal remedy for usage at home can be helpful.
The Flower Vision portion of the name has a complex meaning. In the classical Chinese medical literature, there is a term “flower vision” that describes an eye disorder that results in ziz-zag lines in the visual field. It is the closest Chinese medical disease category for visual auras, though it is a relatively obscure and unused term. Tibetan medical literature describes an eye consciousness that allows interpretation of visual input, the shape of which is a flower. As for the term “clear”, this relates to the secret, inner channel of the Heart in Chinese medicine. In our normal, usual vision, we perceive only through the sense organ of the eye. But ‘clear’ vision arises from the inner channel that connects the center of the Heart to the center of the pupil. In Tibetan, this is called the kati channel. Overall, “Clear Flower Vision” implies accurate, clear vision that is without obstruction. Acorus and chrysanthemum are two of the Chinese herbs in the formula. Acorus opens the orifices of the Heart and chrysanthemum clears superficial visual obstructions. Together with the other ingredients in the formula, Acorus and Chrysanthemum Clear Flower Vision Pills can prevent and treat visual auras and migraine headaches.
There are many pre-made, Chinese herbal headache formulas that are already available. However, none of them address this condition specifically. Even for individualized formulas that have been prescribed by a Chinese herbal medicine doctor, the complexity of this disorder is not addressed. The reason for this situation, as well as the need for a solution, is as follows. Modern TCM remedies (both pre-made and customized) are formulated and prescribed according to the premise of “patterns of disharmony.” These represent physiological imbalances that are the mechanisms of disease of Chinese medicine. In modern times, these have become mistakenly associated with diagnoses. They reflect “how”, rather than “why” or “what”. Patent medicines are often described in relation to over-simplified patterns, which include wind, phlegm, qi stagnation, blood stasis, liver heat, spleen qi deficiency, yin deficiency, liver blood deficiency and lung yin deficiency. To give examples of headache formulas and their associated pattern disharmonies: chuan xiong cha tiao wan (liguisticum and green tea powder) for wind-cold, tian ma gou teng yin (gastrodia and uncaria drink) for Liver wind, and ban xia bai zhu tian ma tang (pinellia, atractylodes and gastrodia decoction) for wind-phlegm. This paradigm, and these remedies, are insufficient to effectively treat visual migraine auras.
Migraine auras in particular are complex and involve multiple systems and patterns. Casual factors, both underlying as well as triggers, include the standard causes of disease in Chinese medicine of negative emotions, weather, diet, lifestyle, and injury. While this categorization covers and includes all the fundamental factors that act as causal factors in disease, it is important with complex conditions to specify both primary causal, as well as secondary triggering factors. Specifically, individuals with migraine auras are susceptible to changing light conditions, sunspot flares, atmospheric pressure changes, menstrual cycle, diet, stress, disturbed sleep, and a variety of other external factors. Internally, the digestive tract, nervous system, and endocrine system are all involved. There are complementary lifestyle changes individuals can make that can also help prevent migraine with aura from occurring and reduce the frequency of occurrence. Patients should feel free to bring this up during our sessions so we can discuss the benefits of tracking of migraines to identify potential triggers.
Acorus and Chrysanthemum Clear Flower Vision Pills address these patterns, causal factors, and triggering conditions for a specific clinical presentation. They can be used preventatively, when factors or conditions are likely to trigger an aura. They can be used at the first indication of an aura, to halt its progression. They can also be used to treat aura and migraine once they do occur. This formula can serve as a safe and effective alternative to conventional treatment, often preventing, halting or shortening the duration of symptoms. To achieve this, the formula should be kept on hand at all times so that it can be taken immediately if symptoms begin to manifest.
Clear Flower Vision Pills are currently available at the office and through Stems and Branches Herbal Pharmacy.