A 42-year-old woman presents with 8 months of fatigue, loose stools, poor appetite, and a sensation of heaviness. Symptoms worsen on rainy days and after overwork. She reports mild abdominal distention, a sticky taste in the mouth, and no strong thirst. Tongue is pale and enlarged with a white greasy coating. Pulse is soft and slippery. What is the most likely pattern?
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Greasy Coating
A greasy coating commonly indicates phlegm, dampness, food retention, or other turbid obstruction.
White Coating
A white coating often suggests cold, an exterior pattern, or a relatively mild stage of disease. A thick white greasy coat may suggest cold-damp or phlegm-damp.
Slippery Pulse
A slippery pulse commonly points to phlegm, dampness, or food retention, and may appear with phlegm-heat patterns as well.
Pale Tongue
A pale tongue usually points toward deficiency, especially qi deficiency, blood deficiency, or yang deficiency.
Spleen Qi Deficiency
Spleen Qi Deficiency is one of the highest-yield foundational patterns. Its core is weakness of transformation and transportation, often seen with fatigue, poor appetite, loose stools, pale tongue, and weak pulse.