Treatments in Conventional Medicine and Their Limitations
Conventional medicine uses fluid therapy, fluid restriction, and medication to normalize sodium levels. Under the diagnosis and treatment plan of a Korean Medicine doctor, BM Korean Internal Medicine Clinic actively utilizes or recommends these conventional treatments in parallel.
- Fluid Restriction: Strictly limiting water intake to less than 1L per day for SIAD or hypervolemic patients.
- Hypertonic Saline (3%): Carefully administered to raise sodium levels in acute cases with cerebral edema.
- Diuretics & Vaptans: Forcing water excretion or blocking antidiuretic hormone receptors.
[Limitations]
Symptomatic therapy alone has clear limitations.
Strict fluid restriction causes unbearable thirst, reducing patient compliance.
Rapid correction with hypertonic saline carries the risk of Osmotic Demyelination Syndrome (ODS), a fatal condition causing nerve damage and paralysis.
Above all, diuretics or vaptans only temporarily correct the numbers but do not restore the body's fundamental ability to regulate water (e.g., recovering heart function or hormonal balance).
BM's Integrative Solution: Natural Balance via Gasification
BM Korean Internal Medicine Clinic implements integrative treatment that helps the body naturally balance moisture, rather than forcing water excretion or administering risky high-concentration sodium.
- Warming Yang to Promote Water Flow (溫陽利水): Formulas like Oryeong-san (Goreisan) or Jinmu-tang boost Kidney Yang to regulate water channels (Aquaporins) in cells. This naturally excretes unnecessary water through urine without electrolyte shock.
- Strengthening Spleen to Transform Phlegm (健脾化痰): By strengthening digestive function to remove stagnant Phlegm-Fluids, we resolve nausea and dizziness and restore the ability to regulate thirst.
- Cardio-Renal Interaction (心腎相交): For hyponatremia due to heart failure, we assist the Heart's pumping action (Yang Qi) to improve blood circulation, increasing blood flow to the kidneys and inducing natural diuresis.
Evidence-Based Korean Medicine (Scientific Evidence)
Studies prove that Korean Medicine treatments are effective in regulating water channels, improving electrolyte imbalances, and managing heart failure.
- Alleviation of Cerebral Edema by Goreisan: It has been elucidated that Goreisan inhibits the water permeability of AQP4 in brain astrocytes, thereby preventing the progression of acute cerebral edema and improving survival rates. This suggests that Goreisan is a "Multi-target Aquaretic" that regulates not only renal AQP2 (diuresis) but also cerebral AQP4 (prevention of edema)..
- Shimizu T, Murakami K, Matsumoto C, Kido T, Isohama Y. Goreisan alleviates cerebral edema: Possibility of its involvement in inhibiting aquaporin‐4 function. Traditional & Kampo Medicine. 2023;10(2):168-176. doi:10.1002/tkm2.1380
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- Improvement of Heart Failure by Lingguizhugan-tang: Research confirms that combining Lingguizhugan-tang with conventional treatment for heart failure patients improves cardiac function, alleviates symptoms, and enhances exercise capacity. (Heart failure is a primary cause of hypervolemic hyponatremia).
- Li Y, Wu H, Zhang B, Xu X, Wang Y, Song Q. Efficacy and safety of Linggui Zhugan decoction in the treatment of chronic heart failure with Yang deficiency. Medicine. 2021;100(20):e26012. doi:10.1097/md.0000000000026012
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- Electrolyte Safety of Herbal Medicine: Unlike chemical diuretics, major herbal formulas like Goreisan, Lingguizhugan-tang, and Jinmu-tang, or specific herbs (Poria, Alisma), have been reported to act as smart regulators. They control body fluid balance via regulation of AQP2 in the kidney collecting ducts without causing drastic changes in potassium or sodium levels.
- Chang Y, Liu L, Xu X, Zhang S. Regulation of aquaporin-2 using traditional Chinese medicine in water balance disorders: a literature review. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. 2025;12:1506190. doi:10.3389/fcvm.2025.1506190
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