Modified Eight Flavor Pill
Chinese Prescription: Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan
English Translation: Modified Eight Flavor Pill
Formula Type: Nourish and Tonify the Yin
Actions: Drain excess heat.
Indications: For yin deficiency with vigorous fire, consumptive heat, or steaming bone disorder charactrized by night sweats, a dry mouth & tongue, & a large pulse only in the rear position. Also for urinary difficulty & lower back pain from damp-heat in the lower burner in patients with underlying Kidney yin deficiency. A key clinical marker is the flooding proximal pulse on both writsts.
Contraindications: This formula has cloying properties & should be used with caution in cases with indigestion, diarrhea due to Spleen deficiency, or a white, greasy tongue coating.
Pinyin | English | Suggested Dosage |
---|---|---|
view: Shu Di Huang |
Prepared Rehmannia | 24g |
view: Shan Zhu Yu |
Cornus Fruit | 12g |
view: Shan Yao |
Dioscorea Opposita | 12g |
view: Fu Ling |
Poria | 9g |
view: Mu Dan Pi |
Moutan Root Bark | 9g |
view: Ze Xie |
Alismatis | 9g |
view: Zhi Mu |
Anemarrhena | 6-9g |
view: Huang Bai |
Phellodendron Bark | 6-9g |
Shu Di Huang / Rehmannia Root, cooked in wine | |||
---|---|---|---|
Taste: Sweet • Temperature: Slightly Warm • Category: Tonic • Sub Category: Tonify Blood | |||
Dosage9-30g |
Actions1. Tonifies the blood: for blood deficiency with such symptoms as pallid complexion, dizziness, palpitations, & insomnia. Very commonly used when blood deficiency leads to such problems as irregular menstruation, uterine bleeding, & post partum bleeding.2. Nourishes the yin: for Kidney yin deficiency with such symptoms as night sweats, nocturnal emissions, steaming bone disorder, & wasting & thirsting disorder. 3. Nourishes the blood & tonifies the essence: for low back pain, weakness of the lower extremitites, lightheadedness & dizziness, tinnitus, diminished aural acuity, & premature graying of hair due to exhaused blood & essence. |
MeridiansHeart, Kidney, Liver |
CautionsUse with caution in cases of Spleen &/or Stomach deficiency, & in cases of stagnant qi or phlegm. Overuse can lead to abdominal distention & loose stools. Toxicity: Side effects from using shu di huang are mild & include diarrhea, abdominal pain, dizziness, lack of energy, & palpitations. These symptoms usually disappear with continued administration of the herb. |
Shan Zhu Yu / Cornus Fruit | |||
---|---|---|---|
Taste: Sour • Temperature: Slightly Warm • Category: Stabilize & Bind • Sub Category: | |||
Dosage3-12g, 30-60g in cases of shock |
Actions1. Stabilizes the Kidneys & retains the essence: for leakage of fluids due to weak essence with such symptoms as excessive urination, incontinence, spermatorrhea, & excessive sweating.2. Stops excessive sweating & supports that which has collapsed: for excessive sweating, especially in cases of devastated yang & collapsed qi, as in shock. 3. Tonifies & augments the Liver & Kidneys: for Liver & Kidney deficiency with such symptoms as lightheadedness, dizziness, sore & weak lower back & knees, or impotence. This herb both tonifies the essence & assistes the yang. 4. Stabilizes the menses & stops bleeding: for deficiency patterns of excessive uterine bleeding & prolonged menstruation. It has only a weak effect on the bleeding. |
MeridiansKidney, Liver |
CautionsContraindicated in cases with painful & difficult urination or those with damp-heat. May antagonize jie geng, fang feng, & fang ji. |
Shan Yao / Dioscorea Opposita | |||
---|---|---|---|
Taste: Sweet • Temperature: Neutral • Category: Tonic • Sub Category: Tonify Qi | |||
Dosage9-30g, 250g decoction daily |
Actions1. Tonifies & augments the Spleen & Stomach: for Spleen & Stomach deficiency with such symptoms as diarrhea, fatigue, spontaneous sweating, & lack of appetite.2. Tonifies the Lung qi & augments the Lung yin: for chronic cough or wheezing due to Lung deficiency. 3. Tonifies the Kidneys & also stabilizes & binds: because this herb moistens & is neither hot nor cold, it benefits both the yin & the yang of the Lungs & Kidneys. It is therefore often used in treating wasting & thirsting disorder. It also binds the essence & treats spermatorrhea, frequent urination, & vaginal discharge. |
MeridiansKidney, Lung, Spleen |
CautionsContraindicated in cases of excess, especially when there is fullness due to dampness, stagnation, or accumulation. May antagonize gan sui. |
Fu Ling / Poria, Hoelen, Tuckahoe | |||
---|---|---|---|
Taste: Sweet, Bland • Temperature: Neutral • Category: Drain Damp • Sub Category: | |||
Dosage9-15g, up to 60g |
Actions1. Promotes urination & leaches out dampness: for urinary difficulty, diarrhea, or edema due to stagnation of fluids or dampness. Also used in cases of scanty urine due to damp-heat (more often in its red form).2. Strengthens the Spleen & harmonizes the middle burner: for Spleen deficiency compounded by dampness with such symptoms as loss of appetite, diarrhea, & epigastric distention. 3. Strengthens the Spleen & transforms phlegm: for Spleen deficiency with congested fluids in which phlegm moves upward with such symptoms as palpitations, headache, dizziness, & a thick, greasy tongue coating. 4. Quites the Heart & calms the spirit: for palpiations, insomnia, or forgetfulness. |
MeridiansHeart, Spleen, Lung |
CautionsContraindicated in cases of frequent, copious urine due to cold from deficiency. May counteract di yu, qin jiao & bie jia. Taking this herb in large doses or long-term is discouraged. |
Mu Dan Pi / Moutan root bark - tree peony root bark | |||
---|---|---|---|
Taste: Acrid, Bitter • Temperature: Cool • Category: Clear Heat • Sub Category: Cool Blood | |||
Dosage6-12g |
Actions1. Clears heat & cools the blood: for heat entering the blood level during a warm-febrile disease with such symptoms as nosebleed, blood in the sputum or vomit, or subcutaneous bleeding. Also for frequent & profuse menstruation due to heat in the blood.2. Clears fire from deficiency: for yin deficiency patterns such as steaming-bone disorder, particularly in the aftermath of a warm-febrile disease. Most suitable in the absence of sweating. 3. Invigorates the blood & dispels blood stasis: for Liver blood stasis patterns with amenorrhea, abdominal masses, lumps, or bruises due to traumatic injury. 4. Clears ascending Liver fire: for such symptoms as headaches, eye pain, flank pain, flushing, & dysmenorrhea. 5. Drains pus & reduces swelling: used topically for firm non-draining sores or internally for Intestinal abscess. |
MeridiansHeart, Liver, Kidney |
CautionsContraindicated for cold disorders, during pregnancy or excessive menstruation, & for yin deficiency with excessive sweating. May counteract the effects of tu si zi, bei mu, & da huang, & should be avoided when using garlic. |
Ze Xie / Alismatis Rhizome | |||
---|---|---|---|
Taste: Sweet, Bland • Temperature: Cold • Category: Drain Damp • Sub Category: | |||
Dosage6-15g |
Actions1. Promotes urination & leaches out dampness: for the stagnation associated with dampness with such symptoms as urinary difficulty, edema, & diarrhea. Especially useful when there is damp-heat in the lower burner.2. Drains Kidney fire: for Kidney yin deficiency patterns with heat signs, including dizziness & tinnitus. |
MeridiansKidney, Bladder |
CautionsContraindicated in cases of spermatorrhea or vaginal discharge due to Kidney yang deficiency or damp-cold. Toxicity: A very safe herb. The ingredients of this herb can irritate the intestinal tract, & gastroenteritis may result from prolonged ingestion. |
Zhi Mu / Anemarrhena Rhizome | |||
---|---|---|---|
Taste: Bitter • Temperature: Cold • Category: Clear Heat • Sub Category: Drain Fire | |||
Dosage6-12g |
Actions1. Clears heat & drains fire: for high fever, irritability, thirst, & a rapid, flooding pulse in patterns of exessive heat in the Lungs & Stomach. Also for cough due to heat in the Lungs with expectoration of thick, yellow sputum.2. Enriches yin & moistens dry conditions: for exhaustion or deficiency of Lung & Kidney yin wih heat signs such as night sweats, steaming bone disorder, irritability, afternoon or low-grade fevers, warmth in the five centers, & bleeding gums. Also for such Kidney heat signs as spermatorrrhea, nocturnal emissions, & abnormally elevated sexual drive. 3. Generates fluids & clears heat: for oral ulcers & in flammation due to yin deficiency as well as wasting & thirsting disorder. |
MeridiansLung, Stomach, Kidney |
CautionsContraindicated in cases of diarrhea due to Spleen deficiency. |
Huang Bai / Phellodendron Bark | |||
---|---|---|---|
Taste: Bitter • Temperature: Cold • Category: Clear Heat • Sub Category: Drain Damp | |||
Dosage3-12g |
Actions1. Drains damp-heat, particularly from the lower-burner: for such problems as thick, yellow vaginal discharge, foul-smelling diarrhea, or dysenteric disorder. Also for damp-heat pouring downward or hot leg qi with such symptoms as red, swollen, & painful knees, legs, or feet. Also for damp-heat jaundice.2. Drains Kidney fire: for ascending Kindey fire with signs of yin deficiency such as steaming bone disorder, night sweats, afternoon fevers & sweating, sometimes accompanied by nocturnal emissions & spermatorrhea. 3. Drains fire & relieves toxicity: for fire toxin generated sores & damp lesions of the skin. |
MeridiansKidney, Bladder |
CautionsContraindicated in cases of Spleen deficiency with or without diarrhea. Toxicity: There has been one case reported of a patient who developed a rash after ingestion of huang bai. When the patient was later skin-tested, there was a very strong local reaction. |