Angelica sinensis or dang gui is a pungent, bitter and very common Chinese herb that goes into many soup dishes. Some people refer to it as “female ginseng”. This is because the herb is often used in premenstrual syndrome formulas as well as menopausal formulas.
According to TCM theory, Dang gui is a “heaty” herb that tonifies the blood and clears the bowels. In TCM terms, the herb exerts its effects on the Liver, Heart and Spleen. With tonification being its main function, it is used with menstrual disorders involving deficiencies. It is also used to treat chronic pain, including joint pain due to blood deficiency. To dispel the misconception that it’s a women’s herb, dang gui can also be used to treat premature ejaculation.
As TCM gains popularity in Singapore, we see more and more of our female patients who are either self-medicating or consuming prescribed tonics containing dang gui. The result is that we see more and more cases of prolonged bleeding or delayed blood clotting after surgery. Dang gui is the most common culprit after red yeast rice.
Nevertheless, the kind of bleeding that we encounter in the clinic is not life-threatening. The wound will probably just ooze for a couple of days more than the average individual. Just be aware and prepared to bite a bit longer on the gauze.
