Pericarditis

Somatic Therapies:
• qigong • tai qi chuan

Nutrition:
eating principles: » acute: • eat as little as possible • increase foods rich in Vitamins C, A and E, Magnesium • avoid heavy protein foods, fats, meats, vinegars, shellfish, sugars • increase fluids • short fast (see Fasting in materia medica)

general eating principles: • low fat diet • low sugar • high complex whole carbohydrates • protein 12-15% diet • low cholesterol/cholesterol foods) • low Sodium/Sodium-restricted diet • vegetarian cleansing diet or short fasts • Fasting, General Sample Diet, General Guidelines for Eating, Sample Vegetarian Diet

avoid: • meat, alcohol, hot sauces, spicy foods, fried foods, fatty foods, rich foods, salty foods, Iron supplements

Botanicals
• Aconitum napellus (toxic): lessens pain and nervous irritation; inflammation (Felter and Lloyd, pp. 103, 104) • Asclepias tuberosa (toxic): pericardial pains (Felter and Lloyd, p. 290) • Bryonia alba (toxic): sharp, cutting, lancinating or tearing pain aggravated by motion (Felter and Lloyd, p. 370) • Cimicifuga racemosa: (Ellingwood, p. 145) • Crataegus oxyacantha: (Ellingwood, p. 218) • Gelsemium sempervirens (toxic): acute inflammation: look for indications (Ellingwood, p. 74) • Lycopus virginicus: inflammation (Felter and Lloyd, p. 1215) • Selenicereus grandiflorus (toxic): pericarditis following exhausting diseases, constrictive heart pain (Ellingwood, p. 214; Felter and Lloyd, p. 375)

Bastyr College Black Book lists: • Allium sativum • Alpinia galanga • Cinnamonum zeylanicum • Crataegus spp. • Echinacea spp. • Eucalyptus spp. • Glycyrrhiza glabra (antiviral) • Humulus lupulus • Monarda punctata • Phytolacca decandra (toxic) • Prunus persica

Homeopathy
• Aconitum napellus: early and acute stage; dyspnea, faintness, dysphagia, fever and sweating, palpitation with anxiety • Apis mellifica: rapid onset, burning pain, hypersensitivity of precordial area, < touch, hot patient • Arsenicum album: great prostration; palpitation; irregular pulse; cold sweat; dyspnea on ascending • Bryonia: stitching pain, < movement, > pressure • Colchicum: severe oppressive pain and dyspnea; great prostration; trembling in precordial area with sticking pain; internal coldness • Digitalis: pericarditis from MI; slow and irregular pulse; sensation as: " if I move my heart would stop" • Kali carbonicum: > "Mohammed prayer position"; crampy, burning pain, backache • Kali iodatum: nightly aggravation; sticking and tensive pain • Psorinum: > lying on back with arms apart; offensive discharges • Spigelia: rheumatic or helminthic affection; stitching pain or vice-like sensation; stabbing pain through heart on deep inspiration • Spongia tosta: dry, loud barking, single cough which abates on drinking or eating; weight on chest with palpitation

Subtle Support
• notes: A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F#, G, G#

• chords: dominant 7th, diminished 7th, A Major, A# Major, C Major, G Major, G# Major (Gimbel, p. 116)

cardiovascular: • The Barcarole • The Blue Danube • Chopin's A minor Waltz • Tango music • Humoresque • Cui's Orientale • Song of India • Donna e Mobile • Oley Speak's Sylvia (Heline, p. 18)

Mind/Body
• Heart represents center of love and security. Heart problems are associated with longstanding emotional problems; lack of joy; belief in strain and stress. (Hay, 1984, p. 168) • inflammation: fear; inflamed thinking; seeing red; anger and frustration about conditions in one's life (Hay, 1984, p. 170-1)

Chinese psychophysiology: • Heart ~ Xin houses the Shen (Spirit) and reveals itself through the brightness in the eyes; governs Fire and Heat; rules the Xue (Blood) and its vessels and directs the circulation; opens into the tongue and controls speech; and relates to the integration of the organs and the personality. » Healthy expressions are warmth, vitality, excitement, inner peace, love, and joy. » Heart Xu (Deficiency) signs include sadness; absence of laughter; depression; fear; anxiety; shortness of breath (Seem, p. 28); cold feeling in the chest and limbs; palpitations; cold sweat; inability to speak; memory failure; nocturnal emissions; and restless sleep. Chronic Yin Xu (Deficiency) predisposes to Empty Fire, acute and chronic. » Heart Shi (Excess) signs include false or facile laughter; sobbing; agitated spirit; insomnia (Seem, p. 28); frightful dreams; anxiety; tongue feels numb and heavy; heavy chest; hot sweat; and orange-colored urine. » The Heart is the Emperor of the bodily realm so that when the Heart is disturbed all the other organs will be disrupted.

• Pericardium ~ Xin Bao is the Minister who protects the Heart, the Emperor, and maintains the order of the Heart energy; and as such may be adversely affected by emotional stresses internally or invasion of Heat externally. The Pericardium is said to be the origin of joy and sadness. » Healthy expressions are joy, happiness, and healthy relationships. » Weakness, dysfunction, and illness are associated with confusion, delirium, nervousness, and psychosis. » Mental signs of Pericardium channel disorders include depression, sexual perversion, aversions, and phobias. (Seem, p. 28)

• Kidney ~ Shen stores Jing (Essence) and governs birth, growth, reproduction, development, and aging; houses the Zhi (Will); expresses ambition and focus; provides the nourishing and stabilizing qualities of Yin and Water that balance the Yang and the Fiery qualities of the Heart; and displays the effects of sexual dissipation, overwork, aging, chronic debilitation, and extreme stress. » Healthy expressions are gentleness, groundedness, and endurance. » Kidney Xu (Deficiency) signs include indecisiveness; confused speech; dreams of trees submerged under water; cold feet and legs; abundant sweating (Seem, p. 28); fearfulness; apathy; chronic fatigue; discouragement; scatteredness; lack of will; negativity; impatience; difficult inhalation; low sex drive; lumbago; sciatica; and musculoskeletal irritation and inflammation, especially when worse from touch. As always, chronic Yin Xu (Deficiency) predisposes to Empty Heat and/or acute inflammation. » Intense or prolonged fear depletes the Kidney. Often chronic anxiety may induce Xu (Deficiency) and then Fire within the Kidney. (Maciocia, p. 250) Overwork, parenting, simple aging, and a sedentary or excessively indulgent lifestyle all contribute significantly to Kidney Xu (Deficiency).