Excessive Hunger

How Chinese medicine differentiates excessive hunger, the two patterns you'll actually meet in practice, and the points for each. Acupuncture only — no herbs.

This page is educational, for practitioners and students — it is not a diagnostic tool and does not replace a proper in-person assessment. Constant hunger alongside excessive thirst, frequent urination, or unexplained weight loss needs medical evaluation to rule out diabetes before assuming it is a simple pattern.

General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for excessive hunger — 6 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

Point	Key action
ST-36	Regulates Stomach function and clears heat.
ST-44	Main point to drain Stomach Fire.
L.I.-4	Clears heat from the face and mouth.
L.I.-11	Powerful cooling point for overall body heat.
BL-18	Soothes and regulates Liver Qi.
LR-3	Moves stagnant Liver Qi, calms rising heat.
P-6	Harmonizes the Stomach and calms the Mind.

The Two Patterns

↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.

1. Stomach Fire (Stomach Heat) View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Constant hunger even after eating, burning pain in the upper stomach, bad breath, swollen, red, or bleeding gums, thirst for cold drinks, constipation with dry, hard stools.

Tongue: Red body, especially in the centre, with a thick dry yellow coat. Pulse: Rapid, slippery, and forceful, especially strong at right Guan.

Treatment principle: Directly cool the Stomach by clearing excess heat.

ST-36 ⊥ ST-44 ↓ L.I.-4 ↓ L.I.-11 ↓

Note: no moxa. Direct match — burning pain, thirst for cold drinks and dry stools are the same markers named on this site's Stomach-Heat slide.

2. Liver Qi Stagnation Invading the Stomach View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Hunger worsens with emotional stress, upper abdominal bloating and distension even while hungry, frequent belching or acid reflux, rib-side discomfort or pain, irritability or moodiness.

Tongue: Normal or slightly red body with redder sides, thin white coat. Pulse: Wiry, especially at left middle.

Treatment principle: First soothe Liver Qi stagnation, then clear resulting heat that invades the Stomach.

BL-18 ↓ LR-3 ↓ L.I.-4 ↓ P-6 ⊥

Note: no moxa. Direct name match with this site's own Rebellious-Liver-Qi-invading-the-Stomach slide.

Related conditions

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