TCM Fails

[GeneChing]

Maybe we should launch a 'TCM Fail' thread.


Young Chinese actress dies from cancer after choosing traditional Chinese medicine over chemotherapy (http://shanghaiist.com/2016/09/15/xu_ting.php)

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/xu_ting.jpg

Chinese actress Xu Ting died from cancer on September 7th at the age of 26; however, Chinese netizens are wondering how much of a part traditional Chinese medicine also played in the young woman's tragic death.
In July, Xu revealed to her 300,000 fans on Weibo that she had been diagosed with lymphoma. "No matter how long I live, I want to enjoy every day happily," Xu wrote in her post.

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/xu_ting3.jpg

In that spirit, Xu decided not to undergo chemotherapy, the typical procedure used to treat lymphoma, reasoning that it would be too painful and could even result in a quicker death, adding that she didn't want to "let chemotherapy torment me to the point where there’s no beauty and talent left," The Nanfang reports.
Instead, Xu opted for traditional Chinese medicine, conceding that it might not cure her cancer. On July 24th, she posted pictures of herself receiving cupping therapy from a traditional Chinese medicine "master" she had chosen to treat her. In that post, Xu admits that, "frankly, traditional Chinese medicine is also painful."

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Underneath, the Weibo post, Xu's fan's urged her to reconsider, writing that she was being "cheated" and that "the kind of illness [you have] can only be cured by Western medicine, not Chinese medicine."
Xu received daily TCM sessions that included standard treatments like cupping, acupuncture, back scratching, blood letting and jiusha (揪痧) -- a folk remedy that involves repeatedly pinching the neck, throat and back to increase blood flow.

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/xu_ting7.jpg
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However, none of these procedures produced results and Xu grew gradually weaker. According to Sina, Xu's sister became fed up and publicly accused the TCM "master" of being a "fraud." In August, she was able to convince her sister to start chemotherapy.
Unfortunately, by that time Xu's immune system had become too weakened and it was too late. Her last Weibo post came on August 18th. She talked about the incredible pain she was under and wished that it would go away.

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/xu_ting10.jpg
http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/xu_ting11.png

For critics of traditional Chinese medicine, Xu's death comes as yet another warning of dangerous practices that are based more on superstition than science. TCM's defenders say that the young woman's death can not be blamed on traditional Chinese medicine. After all, she could have just as well have died receiving chemotherapy -- not to mention other kinds of experimental cancer treatments. People's Daily even published an editorial by Dr. Feng Li, Head of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in Beijing, who writes that traditional Chinese medicine should not be blamed for Xu's death:

Is it that TCM is bad at treating tumors? Regardless of whether it’s Western medicine or TCM, malignant tumors are not something that can simply be treated using a single method. They require a synthesized approach, combining both eastern and western methodology.
For example, while western approaches like radiology, chemotherapy, and surgery are effective in shrinking the tumor. TCM is effective in reducing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, edema, and pain that comes with western treatment. Moreover, after the tumor is under control, TCM helps to repair the immune system, accelerate the body’s recovery, and minimize the chance of the tumor returning. It’s irrational to blindly reject one treatment in complete favor of another. No medical professional would say with certainty that TCM or western medicine is superior. They both have their own advantages and shortcomings. Each case requires specifically tailored treatment according to the stage and pathology.
Therefore, in treating malignant tumors, solely relying on acupuncture and fire cupping is not enough. It’s not that acupuncture and fire cupping are useless. Rather, the treatment was used on the incorrect area.
This incident reflects the mindset of some patients when considering treatment options. Some fear the agony and suffering felt by those undergoing chemo and radiation therapy. Out of a psychological fear, they choose to completely pursue the less painful option offered by Traditional Chinese Medicine. Some even feel that TCM has mystical powers, able to cure any illness.
Additionally, public dissemination of the popular science behind treating tumors is insufficient. After contracting an illness, many feel lost and will desperately seek out any doctor that presents a solution. This is a situation we all need to hereafter avoid and correct.
I recommend that once patients discover their illness, they go to a regulated, prestigious hospital and seek medical advice. On a national level, there needs to be an increase in regulation and supervision so that patients can receive a standardized level of treatment.
Throughout her experience with cancer, Xu stayed optimistic and used her platform to help others in need. When fans wrote in with words of encouragement, she redirected them to other cancer patients that she had met that needed more help than her. She also donated money to children suffering from cancer and tried to encourage them to remain positive. "I believe without a doubt that if we can go forward without fear and with optimism and bravery, then we can make a miracle happen," she wrote.

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/xu_ting9.jpg

[Images via Weibo / Shanghai Daily]

[GeneChing]

I'm guessing they were acupuncture needles, not hypos like pictured.


At least five patients accidentally infected with HIV at traditional Chinese medicine hospital (http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/china-hiv-infection-traditional-chinese-medicine-hospital-a7571346.html)
Virus spread through dirty needle use at hospital in China's Zhejiang province, officials say
Katie Forster @katieforster Thursday 9 February 2017 14:33 GMT

https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/styles/story_large/public/thumbnails/image/2017/02/09/13/injection-syringe.jpg
The patients were reportedly infected when dirty needles were reused at the hospital Blake Patterson / Flickr (bit.ly/1mhaR6e)

At least five people have been accidentally infected with HIV at a hospital in China after a doctor reused dirty needles during treatment.

The doctor at the Chinese medicine hospital in the eastern city of Hangzhou is under criminal investigation, according to the local health authority.

The government statement said a "serious medical incident" had occurred at the Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, reported the South China Morning Post.

The AIDS-causing virus is believed to have spread when the doctor violated procedure by failing to dispose of syringes after use, transferring the infection from one HIV positive patient to at least five others.

Internet users in China reacted with shock to the news, stoking long-standing fears HIV could be spread by poor medical practice.

However, most media reports and social media posts published in Chinese about the incident were swiftly censored, according to AFP.

The health authority said it had learned of the five infections on 26 January, but did not disclose how many people might have been exposed to the virus in total, or what the original treatments were for.

The Independent has contacted the large hospital, whose website claims it is "well known nationwide for its longest history and largest scale with the best technical capacity in Zhejiang Province", for comment.

China had around 500,000 cases of HIV and AIDS at the end of 2014, according to a 2015 UN report, and the Chinese government has announced new efforts to contain the spread of the virus with a five-year plan.

In 1990, thousands of people contracted HIV amid an infected blood-selling scandal in the central Henan province.

[xinyidizi]

According to the Chinese reports it wasn't acupuncture needles.

[GeneChing]

According to the Chinese reports it wasn't acupuncture needles. Well then, I stand corrected. Thanks xinyidizi. Do you have more details from the Chinese reports? I didn't bother to dig any further than the post above.

[xinyidizi]

Not much. They are just firing a bunch of people.

[GeneChing]

Huangzhou’s Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine. I wonder what the operation was that needed a tube. Bleeding? Maybe it wasn't a TCM hospital after all. Or maybe it was a hybrid that implemented both Western and TCM protocols. Curious...



CHINESE HOSPITAL INFECTS FIVE PEOPLE WITH HIV BY REUSING EQUIPMENT (http://europe.newsweek.com/chinese-hospital-infects-five-people-hiv-554708)
According to the statement, the infected patients will receive compensation.
BY ELEANOR ROSS ON 2/9/17 AT 7:24 PM

A Chinese hospital released a statement Thursday announcing that five people had been infected with HIV after a staff member reused medical equipment that should have been thrown away.

The infection was spread after a tube was used on others that had been used to treat an HIV positive patient, the BBC reports. A statement released by the hospital (in Chinese) declared that five members of staff had been fired as a result of the infection. The incident occurred at Huangzhou’s Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine.

“One abandoned tube during operating procedures was reused in another operation which caused cross-contamination, resulting in the treatment of HIV infection. This resulted in five cases being diagnosed,” the statement said, acknowledging it as a case of “major medical malpractice.”

The statement doesn’t mention whether anyone else has been affected, or what patients were being treated for, but it does mention that the infected patients will receive compensation.

China suffered an AIDS epidemic in 2001 after hospitals conducted faulty blood transfusions in Henan, central China. It’s estimated that 30,000-40,000 people were infected, with many people suffering after receiving blood given by illegal donors and then pooled together. The plasma was removed, and then the blood was reinjected into people so they could keep donating.

"A provincial-level hospital doesn't follow protocols, who can we trust as average citizens?!", wrote one person on Weibo, China's version of Twitter, according to the BBC.

[xinyidizi]

Most hospitals in China have a TCM department. The so called TCM hospitals have a relatively bigger TCM department and have a more integrated approach but nevertheless they are hospitals and western medicine is the primary form of medicine they use.

[herb ox]

"The AIDS-causing virus is believed to have spread when the doctor violated procedure by failing to dispose of syringes after use, transferring the infection from one HIV positive patient to at least five others."

Doesn't sound like acupuncture needles were implicated at all. Besides, the likelyhood of cross contamination from acupuncture needles is considered to be miniscule compared to the risk of using dirty syringes, mainly as the filiform design of acupuncture needles leaves virtually no place for contaminants to hide, and most are likely "squeegied" off by the flesh during needle withdrawal.

h.ox

[GeneChing]

Raffles is a dumb name for a TCM clinic. I get it though. I've been to Singapore and know the impact of Raffles. It's still a dumb name because it suggests winning something at random, and you don't want your medicine to be random.


Woman suffers third-degree burns after TCM treatment at Raffles Chinese Medicine (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/woman-suffers-third-degree-burns-after-tcm-treatment-at-raffles-8914420)

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/image/8914452/16x9/670/377/314859be95301d0cd02742ac36847542/kt/sok-lee-blister.jpg
Ms Tan, who visited Raffles Chinese Medicine in April last year suffered third-degree burns after undergoing moxibustion, which was suggested to her as a new treatment. (Photo: Ms Tan)
Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/woman-suffers-third-degree-burns-after-tcm-treatment-at-raffles-8914420

By Jalelah Abu Baker @JalelahCNA
06 Jun 2017 09:56PM (Updated: 06 Jun 2017 11:55PM)

SINGAPORE: Hoping to ease the pain in her shoulder, a 54-year-old woman sought Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment at Raffles Chinese Medicine, a unit of Raffles Medical Group.

Instead, she was left with third-degree burns on her arm and will now receive S$50,000 in damages.

The woman, a finance and human resources director who wanted to be known only as Ms Tan, said she first visited the clinic early last year. After receiving four or five acupuncture sessions with no improvement to her condition, her physician suggested a treatment called moxibustion in April.

Moxibustion involves the burning of a spongy herb called mugwort on or near the skin. In Ms Tan's case, a mildly heated container was strapped to her arm and heat-generating bulbs were focused towards her left arm.

According to court documents, the physician, Jin Jinhua, assured her that the treatment was risk-free.

THIRD-DEGREE BURNS, PAINFUL BLISTERS

Recounting the incident, Ms Tan said Ms Jin left the room shortly after setting up the treatment and estimated that she was left alone for about 15 minutes.

“It was very hot, and I was in pain. I tried to flip the container off but because of the position I was in, I couldn’t. And there was a rattling sound so I was afraid I might accidentally cause the place to catch fire," Ms Tan told Channel NewsAsia.

When Ms Jin returned, she appeared alarmed that blisters had formed on Ms Tan’s arm, according to court documents.

Ms Tan said the physician apologised for forgetting to leave a bell behind, in case she needed help. Using an acupuncture needle, Ms Jin burst the blisters and bandaged the area, saying that it was likely to subside.

Ms Tan said that the pain of the blister was unbearable when she got home. It was swollen with fluid. She called a dermatologist friend who gave her instructions to relieve the pain. She later consulted a plastic surgeon and an aesthetic doctor, and was told that she had suffered third-degree burns. Ms Tan has since spent more than S$4,000 on treatment.

When Ms Tan approached the clinic unrepresented in September last year, she was offered S$14,400 in compensation by Raffles Chinese Medicine. But she decided to engage lawyer Raj Singh Shergill in October, after reading a newspaper article of a similar case.

The physician and Ms Tan eventually came to a private settlement of S$50,000 in costs, expenses and damages, which Ms Tan accepted on May 19 this year.

A spokesman for Raffles Chinese Medicine said: “The settlement agreement was negotiated independently by the physician with the patient directly. As part of the settlement agreement, the patient released Raffles Chinese Medicine from liability.”

The spokesman added that Raffles Chinese Medicine has protocols in place which are "constantly reinforced" to its physicians.

According to court documents, Ms Jin had been fined and censured by the TCM Practitioners Board in 2015 for having acted improperly, negligently and beyond her permitted area of expertise. This was when she was working for Raffles Chinese Medicine but continued to be employed by the clinic. Raffles Chinese Medicine said Ms Jin left shortly after the incident last year involving Ms Tan.

PREVIOUS CASE OF MOXIBUSTION GONE WRONG

In a separate case of moxibustion treatment gone wrong, a 70-year-old woman suffered third-degree burns on both legs in 2014, after getting the procedure at Annie Tiang TCM Clinic in East Coast Road.

The patient, Chow See Mui, was also represented by Mr Singh and was awarded S$50,000 in damages.

Madam Chow, who had minor aches before the treatment, ended up in hospital for a month with a S$95,000 bill, which she managed to claim fully from her insurance company. In her lawsuit, Madam Chow said she felt extreme pain during the TCM treatment but was told to bear with it as the treatment was harmless and that the pain would subside shortly.

HOW EFFECTIVE IS MOXIBUSTION?

According to Ms Tjioe Yan Yin, a TCM physician at Nanyang Technological University's Chinese Medicine Clinic, moxibustion - when done right - can relieve pain from ailments such as rheumatism.

She explained that in direct moxibustion, the dried herb is rolled into the shape of a cone or cylinder and placed on the skin. The end that is not touching the skin is burnt, and the herb needs to be removed before the burning portion touches the skin. In indirect moxibustion, the moxa cone is kept about 3 to 4cm away from the skin to prevent burns.

"Direct moxibustion will definitely cause burns," said Ms Tjioe. "Some people accept it because they believe that burning stimulates the blood. They expect the burn to recover."

She added that while indirect moxibustion is widely accepted and used, the direct treatment is not common.

Nevertheless, Ms Tan said her experience at Raffles Chinese Medicine showed that the public should be "made aware of the high risks of such treatments, even if it is done in a reputable hospital".

[GeneChing]

They could've told us which ones...:o


http://image5.sixthtone.com/image/5/2/123.jpg

China’s Drug Regulator Closes Traditional Medicine Companies (http://www.sixthtone.com/news/1000312/chinas-drug-regulator-closes-traditional-medicine-companies)
A recent government report points to a host of concerns about the country’s inadequately regulated producers of TCM.
Bibek Bhandari

Jun 08, 2017

China’s food and drug regulatory body has revoked the certifications of 81 manufacturers of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) products after detecting irregularities in the companies’ production, quality control, and inventory processes, according to a recent inspection report.

The China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) last year withdrew 172 drugs from the market — 81 of which were classified as TCM products — because their manufacturers did not meet so-called good manufacturing practice (GMP) standards. Some of the inspections were unannounced.

The CFDA found irregularities in the extraction of Chinese herbs during production, ultimately affecting their concentrations in the medicines. Some producers had falsified their supply records, as well as fabricated data on raw materials, according to the report. Other companies did not have enough personnel to adequately carry out quality control checks, resulting in batches of untested drugs being sold, it said. The report did not identify any companies by name.

Industry insiders claim the issue is bigger than the infractions uncovered by the CFDA. Yan Xijun, chairman of Tasly Holding Group, which runs TCM clinics outside of China, told The Paper, Sixth Tone’s sister publication, that 50 to 60 percent of TCM enterprises with GMP certificates have problems of some kind.

Xu Haoming, a deputy pharmacist at the Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, told Sixth Tone that the poor test results for TCM drugs can be attributed in part to the same standards being used to test Western and Chinese medicines. Because TCM uses natural ingredients instead of synthetic ingredients, the contents of the products will vary, he said. But he also noted that farmers’ use of chemical fertilizers could mean some potentially harmful residue ends up in medicines.

Xu also pointed to the GMP certificate, which was once quite easy to obtain, making the barrier for entry into the industry low. But standards have since become stricter, he added.

“The GMP certificate does not last a lifetime; rather, it requires re-evaluation every five years,” Xu said. “So those companies that did poorly and still got lucky the first time won’t survive the recheck after five years, especially with today’s tighter regulations and standards for TCM and GMP qualification.”

In order to achieve better oversight of quality and revitalize the TCM industry while at the same time promoting its globalization, the Chinese government issued its first white paper on traditional Chinese medicine last year. It said that the state had “improved standards for the quality and safety of TCM services.”

TCM, a multibillion-dollar industry that constitutes 28 percent of China’s pharmaceutical revenue, is never far from controversy. Last year, the death of a young Chinese actress who opted to treat cancer with TCM instead of chemotherapy ignited a debate around the effectiveness of the former method. TCM is also often criticized for its use of animal parts, some of which come from endangered species. Though China officially banned the practice in 1993, wild animals are still killed for their supposed medicinal qualities. Last year, a draft law on how to regulate the industry led to a dialogue about whether China would promote unscientific practices going forward.

Nevertheless, TCM is experiencing something of an international boom. Chemist Tu Youyou won a Nobel Prize for creating an anti-malaria drug derived from traditional Chinese methods, and athletes at last year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro showed up to events with their bodies covered in dark, wine-colored circles from traditional cupping treatments.

Additional reporting: Qian Zhecheng; editor: Kevin Schoenmakers.

(Header image: An employee weighs ingredients and portions out prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine at a pharmacy in Beijing, May 9, 2008. Zhang Kaixin/VCG)

[mawali]

Much of what is TCM is hybrid medicine, i.e. combining allopathic with TCM but the latter is so wrought with lack of basic science that they are slowly losing 'market share' due to unprofessional standards of care. Even the basic as clean needle care are ignored, and that in itself is a basic core of acupuncture.

Cupping should be done by professionals following protocols favouring the best standard of care that does make make a condition worse!

[GeneChing]

Painfully ignorant. :rolleyes:


Vlogger live streams herself accidently POISONING herself by eating a plant she mistakenly thought was aloe vera (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4660264/Vlogger-accidentally-POISONS-live-camera.html)

A Chinese vlogger, Ms Zhang, accidentally poisoned herself live on camera
She was videoing herself to promote the benefits of eating raw aloe vera
The 26-year-old was actually consuming Agave Americana, a poisonous plant
Reports said she is now in a stable condition but did have to go to hospital

By Laura House For Daily Mail Australia
PUBLISHED: 01:25 EDT, 3 July 2017 | UPDATED: 07:25 EDT, 3 July 2017

A vlogger from China is said to have accidentally poisoned herself after consuming a plant she had mistaken for aloe vera live on camera.

The 26-year-old, who goes by her surname Zhang, was live streaming her 'Aloe Vera Feast' to discuss the benefits of raw aloe vera.

However, the woman didn't realise she was actually consuming Agave Americana, a poisonous plant from Mexico, according to local reports.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/07/03/06/41FAE63000000578-4660264-image-m-83_1499058355750.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/07/03/06/41FAE63400000578-4660264-image-a-84_1499058363422.jpg
A vlogger from China accidentally poisoned herself after consuming a plant she had mistaken for aloe vera live on camera. The 26-year-old was eating Agave Americana without knowing

A video of the live show has been recorded and circulated on the internet by various Chinese websites, including qq.com.

At the beginning of the video, Ms Zhang is heard saying 'yum' and 'this is great'. But soon afterwards, things took a turn and she realised there was a problem.

'That's bitter... that's really bitter,' she said as the clip progressed.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/07/03/09/0317F07E0000044D-4660264-image-m-8_1499071750450.jpg
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Chinese vlogger, Ms Zhang, thought she was eating aloe vera (left, file photo), but in fact she was chewing chunks of Agave Americana (right, file photo), a poisonous plant from Mexico

The Shanghaiist reported that Ms Zhang was actually consuming Agave Americana, a 'poisonous plant from Mexico'.


FAME AND FORTUNE: CHINA'S LIVE-STREAM BOOM
Live-streaming websites and apps are big business in China.

The country has nearly 200 live-stream websites and apps, which attract some 200 million users, according to recent statistics.

During peak hours, around four million internet users tune in at the same time to watch their favourite internet hosts performing.

Internet hosts, mainly young women, hope to gain fame and fortune by filming their daily activities - from singing to dancing to eating - through a webcam in front of a live online audience.

Views are able to interact with the hosts by instant messaging. They are also able to send them digital gifts, which can be converted into cash by the hosts.

According to Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Agave Americana has 'several toxic compounds'.

'It contains the incredibly irritating calcium oxylate raphides (microscopic daggers of crystaline oxylate) as well as some other really irritating oils in the sap,' they explain.

The aspiring vlogger's mouth then went numb and her throat felt as though it was on 'fire'. She cut off the live stream and went to the hospital.

In the hospital, she was told by the doctors that she had been eating Agave Americana, not aloe vera.

The doctors also said that she was lucky to have gone to the hospital quickly enough, otherwise the consequences could be serious, according to Chinese newspaper Chongqing Times.

Despite the drama, Ms Zhang is reported to be in a stable condition now.

The plant Zhang thought she was eating, aloe vera, is commonly consumed both cooked and raw.

According to Livestrong, the meat inside the leaves and the natural gel are both edible and are often used on salads or in drinks for a 'refreshing taste'.

'Aloe is considered safe for oral consumption, but because it has a natural laxative effect, long-term, regular consumption is not advised,' they explain.

Ms Zhang is one of the thousands of vloggers in China who make a living by live-streaming their daily activities. They're known as internet hosts.

The Chinese live-streaming industry, which attracts some 200 million viewers, is competitive.

Internet hosts would do whatever they could to get viewers' attention.

[Bino TWT]

I never put any faith in TCM, but when I was severely injured, my Si-Fu gave me some Dit Da Jow he made, and I swear that it was magic in a bottle.

You still won't catch me in line for acupuncture or cupping, but that Jow is legit.

[GeneChing]

Don’t try this at home: Chinese firefighters step in when cupping therapy goes wrong (http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2108290/dont-try-home-chinese-firefighters-step-when-cupping-therapy-goes)
Glass cup removed from man’s back with a hacksaw after he uses kit he bought online to treat pain
PUBLISHED : Friday, 25 August, 2017, 3:32pm
UPDATED : Friday, 25 August, 2017, 4:56pm
Jun Mai

https://cdn2.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/980x551/public/images/methode/2017/08/25/fb0bc002-8946-11e7-8f03-5f0754277a16_1280x720_165621.JPG?itok=3FVBjSgp

In central China, firefighters were called on not to rescue a cat stuck up a tree, but a man with a glass cup stuck to his back.
The man, identified by his surname Hu, had been performing cupping therapy on himself at his home in Wuhan, Hubei province on Tuesday night to treat back pain, the Wuhan Evening News reports.
He had bought the cups – which are used in traditional medicine that has been practised in China for thousands of years – online.
Hu had been suffering from back pain and decided to treat it himself with his home cupping therapy kit.
They have a mechanical pump to create a vacuum on the skin in a process that is believed to get rid of stagnation and is used to treat anything from pain to respiratory conditions.
But he was unable to remove one of the cups.

https://cdn4.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/images/methode/2017/08/25/fb3eba70-8946-11e7-8f03-5f0754277a16_600x_165621.JPG

The suction was so great that an area of skin about 5cm high was pulled into the cup, causing bleeding, his family told the local newspaper on Thursday.
They tried unsuccessfully to remove the cup using a hammer and a pair of pliers before taking Hu to hospital.
The glass cups have a mechanical pump to create a vacuum on the skin in a process that is believed to get rid of stagnation and is used to treat anything from pain to respiratory conditions. Photo: Handout
Doctors were also unable to remove the cup so the family decided to take Hu to the nearest fire station.
Four firefighters stepped in to deal with the problem, using a hacksaw to create a small crack in the top of the cup to relieve the pressure so that they could remove it.

https://cdn1.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/images/methode/2017/08/25/fb72d9e0-8946-11e7-8f03-5f0754277a16_600x_165621.JPG

A shocked Hu was happy to be free of the cup but told the newspaper that the incident would not stop him from applying the cups again in the future – though he said he would be more careful next time.

Cupping (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69590-Cupping) TCM Fail (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69777-TCM-Fails)

[GeneChing]

Elderly couple try to take 200 live cockroaches onto flight for use in medicinal skin cre (http://shanghaiist.com/2017/11/29/cockroaches-check.php)am
BY ALEX LINDER IN NEWS ON NOV 29, 2017 10:00 PM

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/cockroaches_baggage.jpeg

On Saturday, workers at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport happened to notice something unusual inside of a container that had been put through the X-ray machine at one of the airport's pre-flight security checkpoints.
When they opened the container up to see what exactly was inside, out scuttled a cockroach, scaring one poor female worker.

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/cockroaches_baggage2.jpeg

However, things only got worse upon further inspection. Inside the container they found a white plastic bag that was filled with around 200 live cockroaches, Knews reports.
The container's owners turned out to be an elderly couple. The old man explained that his wife had a skin condition and that the cockroaches were for a kind of traditional folk remedy. He said that the roaches were all mixed into some medicinal cream which was then rubbed on his wife's skin.
Unfortunately for the woman, security did not allow them to carry a bucket full of live cockroaches onto their flight. The roaches were all left behind at the checkpoint with staff -- who we now presume have flawless skin.
You might remember how just last month more than 100 cockroaches were mysteriously discovered on board two separate flights that landed at the Kunming airport. Authorities failed to explain how or why the roaches got there, but we may now finally have our reason. TCM!
[Images via Knews]





weird stuff (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?50433-Weird-stuff-in-TCM-List-it!) - smuggling fail (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69777-TCM-Fails)

[GeneChing]

I wonder how big those frogs were. ew.


Chinese woman has a five-inch tapeworm removed from her breast after eating three frogs LIVE as 'traditional medicine' (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5490105/Chinese-woman-five-inch-tapeworm-removed-breast.html)

Ms Yao, in China, swallowed three amphibians to cure body pain five years ago
She found her body pain disappeared but a lump growing in her right breast
Doctors were shocked to find a five-inch-long tapeworm in her swollen breast

By Tiffany Lo For Mailonline

PUBLISHED: 06:11 EDT, 12 March 2018 | UPDATED: 10:04 EDT, 12 March 2018

Doctors in east China were shocked to pull out a five-inch-long tapeworm from a woman's breast while performing a breast lump removal operation last week.

The 59-year-old woman, surnamed Yao, ate three live frogs five years ago while following a folk remedy, a relative told a local reporter.

Ms Yao believed that the remedy was the only way to cure her body pain, but it caused her to suffer from a serious parasite infection.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/03/12/10/4A1D0DC200000578-0-image-m-3_1520849021924.jpg
Doctors pull out a five-inch-long tapeworm from a woman's breast during surgery in China

According to Hangzhou News, Ms Yao was sent to Jiaxing's Tongxiang Second People's Hospital, Zhejiang Province, for breast lump removal surgery on March 7.

Dr Zhang Yun told the reporter: 'I found an object that resembled a worm's head in her breast. I tried to clip it out, and then pull out a 13-centimetre-long (five inches) tapeworm.'

Ms Yao explained to the doctors that she has been suffering rheumatism, a long-term condition that causes pain in body joints and connective tissues.

Five years ago, she found a folk remedy to cure the pain, which was to eat three live frogs and not telling anyone about it.

It's said that Ms Yao's relatives found out about the fact that Ms Yao had eaten live frogs when she was hospitalised with a parasitic infection in the past.

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Ms Yao, 59, ate three live frogs in a bid to cure her pain affecting her joints (file photo)

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Dr Zhang Yun worried parasite larvae could spread throughout Ms Yao's body (file photo)

A few months after swallowing the frogs live, Ms Yao was taken to a Shanghai hospital with stomach pain, and doctors diagnosed her with a parasite-induced intestinal obstruction.

Her symptoms seemed to have disappeared until she discovered the lump in her right breast.

Ms Yao is now recovering after undergoing the surgery last week.

It remains unsure if she would suffer any further infection as parasite larvae could spread quickly throughout the human body, said Ms Yao's doctor.

[GeneChing]

Woman dies after having bee-sting therapy (http://www.bbc.com/news/health-43513817)
3 hours ago

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SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
Apitherapy is the use of substances from honeybees to treat medical conditions

A woman has died after undergoing bee-sting therapy, a form of treatment backed by Gwyneth Paltrow.

The 55-year-old Spanish woman had been having live bee acupuncture for two years when she developed a severe reaction.

She died weeks later of multiple organ failure.

Researchers who studied the case say live bee acupuncture therapy is "unsafe and unadvisable".

It is thought to be the first death due to the treatment of someone who was previously tolerant of the stings.

The woman's case has been reported in the Journal of Investigational Allergology and Clinical Immunology, by doctors from the allergy division of University Hospital, Madrid.

She had been having the treatment once a month for two years at a private clinic to improve muscular contractures and stress.

During a session, she developed wheezing, shortness of breath, and sudden loss of consciousness immediately after a live bee sting.

She was given steroid medication but no adrenaline was available, and it took 30 minutes for an ambulance to arrive.

The woman had no history of any other diseases like asthma or heart disease, or other risk factors, or any previous allergic reactions.


What is apitherapy?
Apitherapy is the use of substances from honeybees, such as honey, propolis, royal jelly, or even venom (extracted or from live bees), to relieve various medical conditions. One type of apitherapy is live bee acupuncture.
Although some benefits of apitherapy have been reported, they have mainly been anecdotal.
Bee-venom therapy has been used for treating conditions including arthritis and MS.
The theory behind the treatment is that bee stings cause inflammation leading to an anti-inflammatory response by the immune system.
But the Multiple Sclerosis Trust says "there is no research to show it is an effective treatment for people with MS". They said a 2008 review of non-conventional approaches to treating MS found that there was only marginal evidence for bee-venom therapy.

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GETTY IMAGES

In an interview with the New York Times in 2016 Gwyneth Paltrow said she had tried apitherapy.
"I've been stung by bees. It's a thousands-of years-old treatment called apitherapy. People use it to get rid of inflammation and scarring. It's actually pretty incredible if you research it. But, man, it's painful."
And on her wellbeing website Goop she says she was "given 'bee-venom therapy' for an old injury and it disappeared".
Last year, Gerard Butler revealed he had been injected with bee sting venom to try to help reduce inflammation from stunt work. He ended up in hospital after he was injected with the venom of 23 bees. He said he felt like his heart might explode and as if he had ants under his skin.
The doctors found severe anaphylaxis had caused a massive stroke and permanent coma with multiple organ failure.

The report's authors called for:

Patients to be fully informed of the dangers of apitherapy before undergoing treatment
Measures to identify sensitised patients at risk should be implemented before each apitherapy sting
Apitherapy practitioners should be trained in managing severe reactions
Apitherapy practitioners should be able to ensure they perform their techniques in a safe environment
They should have adequate facilities for management of anaphylaxis and rapid access to an intensive care unit
But they acknowledged that because the treatment often takes place in private clinics, these measures may not be possible.

One of the report's authors Ricardo Madrigal-Burgaleta concluded: "The risks of undergoing apitherapy may exceed the presumed benefits, leading us to conclude that this practice is both unsafe and unadvisable."

Amena Warner, Head of Clinical Services for Allergy UK, said:

"The public need to be very aware of the unorthodox use of allergens such as bee venom. This will come with risk and, in susceptible individuals, can lead to serious life threatening reactions."

Threads:
bee stingers for needles (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?15854-bee-stingers-for-needles)
Gwyneth & Goop (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69410-Gwyneth-amp-Goop)
TCM Fails (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69777-TCM-Fails)

[PalmStriker]

Poison Therapy is not advisable even though many pharmaceuticals contain them. Not-so-swell.

[GeneChing]

This is really the fault of the TCM doctor. That's so sloppy and it almost cost Lin the medal. What an ignorant TCM doc.


Hong Kong fencer Coco Lin apologises after traditional Chinese medicine nearly ruins her Asian Games dream (http://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2152094/hong-kong-fencer-coco-lin-apologises-after-traditional-chinese?edition=international)
The 23-year-old receives only a reprimand despite a positive test as Hong Kong take silver in the women’s épée at the Asian Championships
PUBLISHED : Friday, 22 June, 2018, 8:20pm
UPDATED : Friday, 22 June, 2018, 10:47pm
Chan Kin-wa

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Upcoming fencer Coco Lin Yik-hei has apologised after a doping incident almost ruined her dream of competing in the Asian Games in Indonesia this summer.

Lin was part of the Hong Kong women’s team that took silver after losing a nail-biter to China 35-34 in the final of the women’s épée at the Asian Fencing Championships in Bangkok on Friday night.

After spraining her right ankle in April, Lin enlisted the services of a bonesetter to accelerate her recovery, a move that proved more negative than positive.

Lin was given traditional Chinese medication by the bonesetter and a doping test two days later turned up a banned substance.

The 23-year-old, a scholarship athlete at the Sports Institute where fencing is a tier A programme, posted on social media this week that she had been temporarily suspended for two weeks by the Hong Kong Anti-Doping Committee leading up to the tournament in Bangkok.

Her name was also removed from the 2018 Asian Games squad after the Hong Kong Fencing Association had confirmed the list.

https://cdn3.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/images/methode/2018/06/22/ac2c98b8-75d0-11e8-aa4d-d2a0e82fc143_1320x770_202043.jpg
Chu Ka-mong (left), Kaylin Hsieh, Vivian Kong and Coco Lin. Photo: Handout

She was asked to provide an adequate explanation or face a two-year suspension when she was informed of the test results early this month.

After a hearing, Lin received only a reprimand allowing her to compete in this week’s regional championships.

“I am a professional athlete and must take responsibility for the drugs I have taken,” Lin said. “It’s my own negligence that has affected not only my career but also the image of Hong Kong athletes.

“I have grown up quite a bit the past month, learnt to take the greatest caution with all medications that I put inside my body, and to stay strong in difficult situations.

“Thank you for all the love, care and support over the past two weeks from the fencing association, sports institute, my family, friends, teammates, coaches and the media. I’m deeply sorry for all the confusion caused for all parties at such a critical moment.”

The Hong Kong women’s épée team also features Vivian Kong Man-wai, the individual champion in Bangkok, and bronze medallist Kaylin Hsieh Sin-yan, who knocked Lin out of the competition in the quarter-finals. Lin’s top-eight result was her best finish in five appearances at the Asian Championships.

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Cheung Siu-lun (right) on the attack against Ryan Choi at the President’s Cup in Hong Kong. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Friday night’s result was Hong Kong’s second silver of the week after the men’s foil team lost to South Korea in the final.

But gold medals from Cheung Siu-lun and Kong, in the men’s individual foil and women’s individual épée, respectively, ensured Hong Kong’s best result in the regional event and gave them a strong boost before the Asian Games this summer.

Why is the Asian fencing champion missing the Asian Games? Hongkonger only has himself to blame

The women’s team’s épée silver was also their best performance in the event, with Hong Kong taking bronze in every tournament since 2001.

Kong, the individual champion, was in superb form and matched the class of her mainland counterparts, with China headed by Olympic bronze medallist and world number two Sun Yiwen.

China went in as favourites and were in control of the game until Hsieh closed the gap to 29-27 in the second last session.

Kong gave her all in the final three-minute session but her opponent managed to hold on for a tight victory.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Fencer Lin apologises for doping incident



THREADS:
TCM Fails (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69777-TCM-Fails)
Asian Games (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?58907-Asian-Games)
[URL="http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?9851-Fencing"Fencing[/URL]

[GeneChing]

Chinese woman in coma after being bitten by deadly snake she bought online (https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2154993/chinese-woman-left-coma-after-being-bitten-poisonous-snake-she)
The 21-year-old is believed to have decided to keep the venomous many-banded krait as a pet
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 12 July, 2018, 4:11pm
UPDATED : Thursday, 12 July, 2018, 9:36pm
He Huifeng
huifeng.he@scmp.com

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A 21-year-old woman is in a coma and on life support in a hospital in northwest China after she was bitten by a highly venomous snake she is thought to have bought online, local media reported on Thursday.

The woman, identified only by the pseudonym Xiaofang, was bitten on her finger at her home in Weinan city in Shaanxi province on Monday, according to China Business Report.

The report suggested the woman had been keeping the many-banded krait, a species found in much of China and Southeast Asia – including Hong Kong where the government warns it is “lethal” – as a pet.

The woman’s parents were quoted as saying their daughter had called for help after being bitten and she reported feeling dizzy and nauseous about an hour later.

They took her to a local hospital but she soon lapsed into a coma.

The hospital did not have any supplies of antivenin to treat bites from the many-banded krait, which has the scientific name Bungarus multicinctus, because the species is not common in the region. This meant she was not given a shot of the antidote until the following evening.

On Tuesday the woman’s parents reported to police that the snake was missing and later that day a dead snake – subsequently confirmed to be a many-banded krait – was found a short distance from the family’s home.

Xiaofang’s family said chat logs from her phone suggested she had bought the snake via an online shopping platform, but did not have any further information about the seller or how she had taken delivery of the snake.

Many-banded kraits are on a list of protected rare and endangered species in China, and it is illegal to hurt or sell them.

However with so little information to go on – even the name of the platform used to buy the snake remains unknown – there is little the police can do at present.

Records indicated that the seller had informed Xiaofang that the creature was venomous, the report said.

Although Xiaofang told the seller she planned to use it to make “snake wine”, a traditional Chinese medicine made by leaving the animals to ferment in alcohol, her parents said she apparently had second thoughts and had been keeping the animal as a pet.

THREADS:
snakes (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?50682-snakes)
Cobra Wine (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?46069-Cobra-Wine)
TCM Fails (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69777-TCM-Fails)

[GeneChing]

Cook your centipedes?

Man, TCM can be so gross. :o



Life-threatening parasite found in Chinese patients who ate raw centipedes (https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2157499/life-threatening-parasite-found-chinese-patients-who-ate-raw)
Centipedes widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, in dried or powder form, do not carry the parasite

PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 31 July, 2018, 5:03am
UPDATED : Tuesday, 31 July, 2018, 10:59am
Alice Shen
alice.shen@scmp.com
https://twitter.com/Alice___Shen
https://www.instagram.com/aliceinmacondo/

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Researchers have traced a dangerous parasite found in two Chinese patients to their consumption of raw centipedes.

This is the first time the food-borne parasite, which can prove fatal to humans, has been found in centipedes, according to research published by the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene on Monday.

“We don’t really hear of people eating raw centipedes, but apparently these two patients believed that raw centipedes would be good for their health,” said Lingli Lu, one of the lead scientists of the study and a researcher in the Department of Neurology in Zhujiang Hospital. “Instead it made them sick.”

The patients, a 78-year-old woman and her 46-year-old son, who were treated at a southern Chinese hospital had been suffering for weeks from headaches and drowsiness.

A group of Chinese scientists later confirmed centipedes as the hosts of the parasite after performing DNA analysis on the remains of the insects, the medical journal reported.

Centipedes are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, though usually in dried or powder form, which do not carry the parasite.

It is the first time the food-borne parasite, Angiostrongylus cantonensis – known as rat lungworm for its preference for the arteries of rats’ lungs – has been detected in centipedes. The roundworm is typically found in snails and other mollusks.

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The patients believed that eating raw centipedes would be good for their health. Photo: News.163.com

In China, African giant land snails and apple snails are the main hosts of the parasite, the study said.

Centipede venom a less addictive way to kill pain, says Chinese team

Mild infections with the parasite may clear up on their own. But in some cases the worm can penetrate the brain and spinal cord, leading to meningitis – an infection of the fluid around the brain – and in rare instances, to paralysis and death, researchers said.

The two patients came from a rural area in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, where a rumour spread about the health benefits of consuming raw centipedes, Lu said.

They arrived at Zhujiang Hospital complaining of headaches, drowsiness and cognitive impairment in late 2012, but doctors found their key health indicators to be normal.

When the test results ruled out viral or bacterial causes, the medics tested the patients’ cerebrospinal fluid in their brains, finding a rise in eosinophils, a variety of white blood cell that are an antibody to th

After learning the patients had eaten raw centipedes for the rumoured health benefits, doctors treated them with albendazole – medication widely used in parasitic worm infestations.

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Researchers believe centipedes act as temporary hosts of the parasite. Photo: Photo: Shutterstock

They recovered after three weeks of this course of treatment, Lu said.

To study the role of centipedes as hosts of the roundworm, Lu and her team bought 20 of them from the same wet market in Guangdong where the patients had bought their centipedes, and found the parasite’s DNA in seven of them.

On average, 56 third-stage larvae were found in each of the centipedes, the study said.

The centipedes were originally caught in Guangxi province in southern China, Lu said.

However, in a follow-up experiment, all 20 centipedes died after being infected with the parasite in a laboratory. This indicates the insect is more likely to serve as a temporary host rather than an intermediate host that can carry and spread the worm over a long period of time, she said.

[GeneChing]

I luv unagi but how the heck do you swallow a live 30 cm eel? That's nearly a foot long.


Man swallows live eel to ‘cure’ stomach ailment and instantly regrets it (https://shanghai.ist/2018/08/29/man-swallows-live-eel-to-cure-stomach-ailment-and-instantly-regrets-it/)
Surgeons successfully managed to remove the 30cm long eel from the man's pelvic cavity
by Alex Linder August 29, 2018

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Earlier this month, a man arrived at a hospital in the Hefei capital of Anhui suffering from some extreme abdominal pain. At first, he wouldn’t say exactly what the matter was, however, after a scan revealed a foreign body inside his intestines, the truth quickly came out.

It turns out that the man had been suffering from a stomach ailment and was told of a folk remedy involving the swallowing of a live Asian swamp eel. About 30 minutes after gulping down the animal, the unfortunate man began to have some serious regrets. After enduring 20 hours of extreme pain, his son finally got him to go to the hospital.

After learning about the situation, doctors quickly decided to perform an emergency operation, successfully managing to remove the 30cm long eel from the man’s pelvic cavity. Though the animal had wreaked some internal damage, the man is reported to be in stable condition.

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Typically, those experimenting with this folk remedy are known to put the eel in the other way. Last year, a Guangzhou man nearly died after shoving up a live eel up his anus in an attempt to cure his constipation.

Back in 2010, a man in Sichuan died after a friend inserted an eel up his anus “as a joke.” The eel gnawed away at his bowels, causing agonizing injuries which were eventually fatal.

[Images via 合肥在线]