Bai Zhu (atractylodis) strengthens qi in center of body (the digestive system), which according to Oriental Medical theory, indirectly strengthens wei qi.

Fang Feng (ledebouriellae) is also generally a wei qi level herb which expels wind (Wind is an Oriental Medical concept, not easy to explain in a few words, but perhaps you can think of it as "any external disease-causing agent that could overwhelm immune system."). F.Y.I. word feng means wind... just same in this herb's name as in name of formula.

'Jade Windscreen' is so named because formula creates a screen between patient and wind invasion. The formula is said to be as precious and valuable as jade.

To get back to your question- "Can these herbs harm her in any way?" The answer is No so long as your practitioner's diagnosis is correct. The herb formula in itself is quite safe, and has no real cautions or contraindications.

Pharmaceuticals, Patent Herbs, & Personalized Herbs

1. Allegra and Nasacort both have short and long-term side effects:

Allegra Side-Effects: Cold/flu's, nausea, dysmenorrhea, drowsiness, dyspepsia, fatigue

Nasacort Side-Effects: Oral candidiasis, hoarsenss, dry throat, irritated throat, dry mouth, wheezing, cough, facial edema

If YPFS works, these drugs might become unnecessary or redundant. Of course, that needs to be decided by a qualified practitioner familiar with your daughter's medical history.

2. Pharmaceutical prescription is more potentially harmful than Chinese Herbal medicine, especially when patients are on more than one drug for long-term. This is because even when properly prescribed, pharmaceuticals still can cause side-effects. When properly prescribed, Chinese herbal formulas do not cause side-effects. In Oriental Medicine, there is not one herb or formula for each disease. We take disease into account, but we also figure in each person's unique internal landscape. Appropriate herbal prescriptions have much fewer and more benign side-effects than pharmaceuticals because they utilize multiple active ingredients to prevent any one agent from causing imbalance.

3. It is possible to achieve good results with patent (pre-formulated) herbal formulas like mayway pills, but ultimate form of Chinese Herbal medicine is personalized prescription. These are available in powdered and raw herb forms, and require attention and prescription of a highly-trained OM practitioner. Not all acupuncturists are trained to this degree, and many of those that are still rely heavily on patent herbs anyway.

Hope this helps- If you have any other questions, let me know!

B

The following chart is a sample of some of basic information a Chinese medicine practitioner obtains from each patient. Next to each, I've shown healthy experience, and some possible symptoms of imbalance. How does your health match up?

Attitude & Emotions

* Wellness: Emotional balance, equanimity, open heart and mind, patience, tolerance, peace, helpfulness, service * Imbalance: Anxiety, worry, obsession, grief, fear, phobia, irritability, anger, depression. These predispose you to certain imbalances: Melancholy, impulsiveness, rashness, impatience, selfishness Body Temperature

* Wellness: Comfortable, unremarkable * Imbalance: Feelings of heat or cold, hot flashes, chills, or alternating fever and chills

Chest & Abdomen

* Wellness: Comfortable chest, normal breathing, normal heart function. Comfortable abdomen, no bloating, no pain. * Imbalance: Feeling of fullness or blockage in chest, cough with lots of phlegm, hot uncomfortable feeling in chest, pain in chest, or palpitations, abdominal pain of any type, or bloating relieved by passing gas or belching Immunity

* Wellness: Resistance to environmental changes * Imbalance: Aversion or sensitivity to wind, cold, heat, dryness, or dampness

Food Intake & Digestion

* Wellness: Good appetite, comfortable, effective digestion, variety of foods in diet * Imbalance: No thought of food and drink, persistent nausea, very high appetite (out of proportion with nutritional needs) or preference for rich fatty foods, indigestion, acid reflux, food digested immediately and always hungry, or stomach pain better after eating. An excess of cold, raw, or fatty foods, and tobacco smoking are unhealthy

Gynecology & Obstetrics * Wellness: Regular, red, moderate menses without pain or emotional fluctuations. That's right, no PMS * Imbalance: Early, late, light, purple, bright red, thin, thick, clotted, painful, or irregular menstruation, painful distended breasts, PMS, miscarriage, difficult deliveries. Excessive childbirth can lead to long-term depletion

Sleep

* Wellness: Fall asleep easily at a sensible hour, stay asleep all night, no dreaming or pleasant dreaming, wake up restored and refreshed, wakeful and alert throughout day * Imbalance: Insomnia = Reduced or shallow sleep, profuse dreaming, nightlong sleeplessness, feeling hot or agitated during sleeping hours. Somnolence = extended periods of sleep, drowsy consciousness, desire only to sleep

Stool & Urine

* Wellness: Bowel movement once or twice per day - firm, without smell. Urination 4-6 times per day, light yellow color, no discomfort. * Imbalance: Constipation, hard dry stool, difficult defecation, diarrhea, thin stool, loose stool, urgency, or loss of control. Great amount or frequency of urination, need to get up two or more times at night to urinate, rarely voiding small amounts, dark yellow color, pain or burning, or reddish urine.

As you can see, Chinese medicine has higher standards for well being. For example, Chinese medicine sees PMS as a sign of imbalance, whereas Western medicine says that since it is statistical norm, it's acceptable. But with Chinese medicine, you don't have to put up with discomfort.

There's no need wait for more serious diseases to develop. We can treat any of abnormal symptoms above and keep you healthy. That way, you'll prevent a lot of harder-to-treat, serious and complicated diseases.