Red Peony Tablets

Red Peony Tablets is based on modern Chinese clinical approaches to treating herpes zoster, a painful eruption of the virus that was initially experienced as the childhood ailment chicken pox. This virus becomes dormant as a chronic infection of the nervous system, and it is usually kept dormant over the years by the immune system. It erupts with immune suppression (as might occur with some diseases or as a result of some drug therapies) or high levels of nervous stress. The condition is marked by heat-toxin (the virus that manifests as red pustular eruptions) and blood stasis (which causes the severe pain). This formula combines antitoxin herbs (taraxacum, lonicera, forsythia, and isatis) that are used for viral infections, and the blood vitalizing herbs (red peony, corydalis, persica, and carthamus) that treat the disruption of circulation at the site of eruption. At the earliest sign of herpes zoster, one should add additional toxin clearing herbs for a few days at most, such as Gentiana 12, Bidens 6, or Isatis 6. If the pain of herpes zoster persists even after the eruptions are gone, then additional blood vitalizing herbs should be added, such as Myrrh Tablets, Upper Palace Tablets, or Corydalis 5. Because there is now a reasonably effective preventative drug therapy for herpes zoster, individuals who have already experienced one prior bout of eruptions should consider using the drug therapy. Although herbal treatments are often helpful, some cases are resistant to all but the most intensive herb therapies (high dosage decoctions for oral use plus topical applications at the site of eruption).