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Chinese Herbal Formulas

Please note that these formulas are presented for informational purposes and should only be prescribed by a qualified practitioner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bu Fei E Jiao Tang (Tonify the Lungs Decoction with Ass-Hide)

 

Actions:  Nourishes Lung Yin, Stops Cough, Stops Bleeding, Clears heat from Lungs

 

Syndromes:  Cough due to Lung Yin Deficiency

 

Symptoms:  Longstanding cough and wheezing which is dry in nature which scant white mucus, afternoon fevers, night sweats, thin constitution usually, dry mouth, thirst, blood tinged sputum

 

Contraindications:  Caution with Spleen/Stomach deficiency, cough due to wind cold, yin deficiency with no signs of heat, excessive bleeding from the lungs, internal phlegm

 

Pulse:  Thready and rapid in right cun position

 

Tongue:  Small, red, dry, possibly cracked or peeled

 

Conditions treated (if symptoms match):  Asthma, cough, COPD, bronchiectasis, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, pneumonia, chronic TB, chronic tonsillitis and pharyngitis

 

Ingredients and Actions of Herbs in the Formula:

Chao E Jiao  (Dry fried Corii Assini)

Nourishes Lung Yin, moistens Lungs, Stops Cough, and transforms phlegm

Chao Niu Bang Zi - Dry fried Fr. Arctii

Disperses Wind Heat and benefits the throat

 

Bei Ma Dou Ling - Stone baked Fr. Aristolochiae

Clears the Lungs, Transforms Phlegm and Stops wheezing and calms coughing

Chao Xing Ren - Dry fried Sm. Armeniacae

Calms coughing and wheezing (good for Spleen deficient patients with tendency towards loose stools)

 

Chao Nuo Mi - Dry fried Orryhzae Glutinosa

Tonifies Spleen and Stomach Qi

 

Zhi Gan Cao - Honey fried Rx. Glycirrhizae

Harmonizes actions of other herbs, Resolves Phlegm, Clears toxic Heat, Stops Cough, Moistens Lungs

 

Modifications:

 

Wheezing & Dyspnea:   add Si Zu Ye (Fr. Perilla) and Qian Hu (Sm. Perilla)

Sore Throat:     add Jie Geng (Rx. Platycodi) and She Gan (Rx. Belamcanda)

Chest Tightness:    Yu Jin (Rx. Curcuma), Gua Lou Pi (Rx. Tricosanthis) and Zhi Ke (Fr. Aurantii)

Chest pain during coughingZhi She (Fr. Aurantii Immaturus), Fo Shou (Fr. Citri Sarcodactylis),  and Yu Jin (Rx. Curcuma)

Dry Mouth:      Sha Shen (Rx. Glehnia Adenophora), Mai Men Dong (Rx. Ophiopogonis), Tian Men Dong (Rx. Asparagii), Lu Gen (Rx. Phragmites), Bai He (Bulbus Lilii)

Scanty, difficult to expectorate phlegm:  Gua Lo Pi (Rx. Trichosanthis), Chuan Bei Mu (Bulb. Fritillariae cirrhosae)

Blood Streaked Sputum:      Qing Dai (Indigo Naturalis) and Zhi Zi (Fr. Gardeniae)

 

Ding Chuan Tang  (Arrest Wheezing Decoction):

 

Actions:  Descends Lung Qi, Arrests Wheezing, Stops cough, Clears Heat, Transforms Phlegm

 

Syndrome:  External Wind Cold transformed into Phlegm Heat in the Lungs

 

Symptoms:  Coughing and wheezing with thick, difficult to expectorate phlegm, aversion to cold, fever and possibly chills, dyspnea, thirst, restlessness, possible headache

 

Contraindications:  Asthma with Qi deficiency or asthma due to kidney yin or yang deficiency, cold with absence of sweating, internally contracted phlegm heat.

 

Pulse:  Deep forceful Pulse in Right cun position

 

Tongue:  possibly red or normal colour with a yellow coating

 

Conditions treated:  Asthma, bronchitis, COPD, emphysema with infection, bronchiectasis, acute or chronic bronchitis, common cold with cough

 

 

Ingredients and Actions of Herbs in Formula:

Bai Guo - (Sm. Ginko)

Astringes the lungs, stops wheezing (with Ma Huang), stops cough,  transforms phlegm, prevents Ma Huang (H. Ephedra) from causing too much dispersion

Ma Huang** - H. Ephedra

Expels Wind Cold, Releases Exterior, Disperses and descends Lung Qi, Stops wheezing, Warms and disperses cold

 

Si Zu Ye - Folium Perilla

Stops cough and wheezing, dissolves phlegm and disperses Lung Qi

 

Gan Cao - Rx. Glycirrhizae

Resolves phlegm, stops cough, clears heat, and moderates harsh actions of other herbs

 

Kuan Dong Hua - (Fl. Farfare)

Moistens Lungs, Descends Qi and stops cough, Transforms Phlegm

 

Xing Ren - Sm.Armeniaca

Stops cough and arrests wheezing, with Ma Huang expands the Lungs and stops wheezing

 

Sang Bai Pi - Cx. Mori Alba

Clears heat from the lungs, stops cough, stops cough

 

Huang Qin - Rx.Scutellariae

Clears toxic heat from the lungs

 

Zhi Ban Xia - Rz.Pinella Preparata

Dries Dampness, Transforms phlegm, stops cough

 

Modifications:

For signs of bacterial infection:  Yu Xing Cao (Hb. Houttuyniae), Pu Gong Yin (Hb. Taraxaci)

For high fever:  Shi Gao (Gypsum Fibrosum), Yu Xing Cao (Hb. Houttuyniae)

Excessive Phlegm causing wheezing & dyspnea:  Er Chen Tang (Two Cured Decoction)

Cough with Thick Yellow Phlegm:  Bai Guo (Sm. Gingko), Gua Luo Ren (Sm. Tricosanthis)

Thick yellow sputum hard to expectorate:  Dan Nan Xing (Arisaema cum bile), Gua Luo Pi  (Per. Tricosanthis)

For severe chest tightness:  Huo Po (Cx. Magnolia),  Zhi Shi (Fr. Aurantii Immaturus) or Zhi Ke (Fr. Auranti)

 

** Ma Huang has unfortunately been outlawed for use in many countries due to adverse effects encountered when people used it as a stimulant and for weight loss.  If used properly in classical formulas used in Chinese medicine it is a safe herb to use.  There are, unfortunately, no comparable herbs in the Chinese materia medica with respect to the broncho-dilatory capacity of Ma Huang.  Substitutes that alleviate wheezing and are warming in nature are Jie Gen (Rz. Platycodi), Huo Po (Hb. Magnolia) and Ba Jie Zi (Sm. Sinapsis).

 

Source: SAFETY ISSUES AFFECTING CHINESE HERBS:

The Case of Ma-huang

essay by Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon, Dec 2000

 

 

 

Ma Xing Gan Shi Tang - Ephedra, Licorice, Apricot Kernel, Gypsum and Licorice Decoction

 

Actions:  Dispels External Wind Heat, Descends Lung Qi, Stops Cough and Wheezing, Resolves Phlegm in the Lungs

 

Syndrome:  External Wind Heat lodging in the Lungs

 

Symptoms:  Cough with sticky yellow phlegm, wheezing, fever, headache, aversion to wind, sore throat, chest pain, chills, shortness of breath

 

Pulse:  Deep pulse at right cun position with force upon pressure

 

Tongue:  May be normal, may be red, may have a yellow coat

 

Disorders treated:  Asthma, Bronchitis, Flu, Cold, Tonsilitis, Pharyngitis, Sinus infection, Infectious pulmonary conditions

 

Contraindications:  In the absence of heat signs, for elderly and recovering from chronic illness, deficiency patients.

 

Ingredients and Actions of Herbs in Formula:

 

Ma Huang ** - H. Ephedra

Disperses Wind Cold (diaphoretic) and Stops wheezing (bronchial dilator)

 

Shi Gao  - Gypsum

Clears lung heat, nourishes body fluids, relieves thirst

 

Xing Ren - Sm. Armeniacae

Stops cough and wheezing, disperses Lung Qi and resolves phlegm

Zhi Gan Cao - Honey fried Rz. Glycirrhizae

Moistens Lungs, Tonifies Qi, Clears Heat, Resolves toxicity, Clears Phlegm and Harmonizes toxicity of any ingredients

 

Modifications:

 

Difficult asthma:  Zhi Ban Xia (Rz. Pinella prepared), Gua Lou (Rx. Trichosanthus), Chen Pi (Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae), Zhi Shi (Fr. Aurantii Immaturus), Sheng Jiang (Rz. Zingiberis).

Sinus Inflammation and bronchial asthma: DI Long (Earthworm)

Dyspnea: Ting Li Zi (Sm Lepimidii), Pi Pa Ye (Fol. Eryobotriae)

Cough with Sputum:  Jie Gen (Rx. Platycodi)

Elderly or weak patients: Huang Qi (Rx. Astragalus), Ren Shen (Rx. Ginseng), Mai Men Dong (Tuber Ophiopogonis)

High fever and cough:  Zhi Mu  (Rz. Anamarrhena), Huang Qin (Rz. Scutellariae), Gua Lou Ren (Fr. Tricothantis)

** Ma Huang has unfortunately been outlawed for use in many countries due to adverse effects encountered when people used it as a stimulant and for weight loss.  If used properly in classical formulas used in Chinese medicine it is a safe herb to use.  There are, unfortunately, no comparable herbs in the Chinese materia medica with respect to the broncho-dilatory capacity of Ma Huang.  Substitutes that alleviate wheezing and are warming in nature are Jie Gen (Rz. Platycodi), Huo Po (Hb. Magnolia) and Ba Jie Zi (Sm. Sinapsis).

 

Source: SAFETY ISSUES AFFECTING CHINESE HERBS:

The Case of Ma-huang

essay by Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon, Dec 2000

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