Yang-Heartening Decoction
Chinese Prescription: Yang He Tang
English Translation: Yang-Heartening Decoction
Formula Type: Warm the Channels and Disperse Cold
Actions: Warms the yang, tonifies the blood, disperses cold, & unblocks areas of stagnation.
Indications: Localized, painful swellings without a head that blend into the surrounding tissue & do not affect the texture or color of the skin, & are not hot to the touch. There is not thirst, the tongue is very pale, & the pulse is subemerged, thin & forceless.
Contraindications: This formula is contraindicated in patients with yang-type localized swellings, yin deficiency, or with swellings (even of the yin type) that have ulcerated for a long time. If the formula is modified, the ratio of Shu Di Huang to Ma Huang specified in the source text must be followed. If the relative dosage of Ma Huang is too high, the deficiecy will worsen & aggravate the condition.
Pinyin | English | Suggested Dosage |
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view: Shu Di Huang |
Prepared Rehmannia | 30g |
view: Lu Jiao Jiao |
Deer Antler Gelatin | 9g |
view: Rou Gui |
Cinnamon Bark | 3g |
view: Pao Jiang (Hei Jiang) |
Blast Roasted Ginger | 1.5g |
view: Huang Jie Zi |
White or Yellow Mustard Seed | 6g |
view: Ma Huang |
Ephedra Stem | 1.5g |
view: Gan Cao |
Licorice | 3g |
Shu Di Huang / Rehmannia Root, cooked in wine | |||
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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. |
Lu Jiao Jiao / Deer Antler Glue | |||
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Taste: Sweet, Slaty • Temperature: Slightly Warm • Category: Tonic • Sub Category: Tonify Yang & Blood (Stop Bleeding) | |||
Dosage6-12g melted form, usually in yellow wine |
ActionsNot as strong as the velvet (lu rong) in tonifying the Kidney yang, but it is able to nourish & tonify essence & blood, and is effective for stopping bleeding. It is most commonly used for deficient & wasted essence & blood with bleeding or yin-type sores. It is combined with a glue made of gui ban to tonify both the yin & the yang. |
MeridiansKidney, Liver |
Cautions |
Rou Gui / Cinnamon, (inner bark) | |||
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Taste: Acrid, Sweet • Temperature: Hot • Category: Warm Interior & Expel Cold • Sub Category: | |||
Dosage1.5-4.5g, crush into small pieces before using, usually taken as powder, pill or tincture to avoid loss of volatile oils |
Actions1. Warms the Kidneys & fortifies the yang: for a wide variety of problems due to insufficiency of Kidney yang & waning of the gate of vitality. Common manifestations include aversion to cold, cold limbs, weak back, impotence, frequent urination. Also for waning of the Spleen & Kidney yang with abdominal pain & cold, reduced appetite, & diarrhea. Also important for wheezing due to the failure of the Kidneys to grasp the qi.2. Leads the fire back to its source: the principal herb for treating the upward-floating of the deficient yang. Manifestations include flushed face, wheezing, severe sweating (when the sweat pours out like oil), weak & cold lower extremities, & a deficient & rootless pulse. This patterns is called illusionary heat & true cold, or heat above/cold below. Also used for other conditions where the upper part of the body is hot (e.g., dry mouth, sore throat, or toothache that become worse at night) & the lower part is cold (e.g., lower back pain, cold lower extremities, diarrhea, weakness in the proximal position of the pulse). 3. Disperses deep cold, warms the channels, unblocks the channels & vessels, & alleviates pain: for deep cold causing qi stagnation or blood stasis. Associated problems include cold in the blood causing amenorrhea or dysmenorrhea, damp-cold painful obstruction, yin type boils (chronic sores that are usually concave & ooze a clear fluid), & abcesses or sores that do not heal. 4. Encourages the generation of qi & blood: with qi & blood tonics as an auxiliary herb for chronic deficiency of qi & blood. |
MeridiansHeart, Kidney, Liver, Spleen |
CautionsContraindicated in cases of yin deficiency with heat signs, interior excess heat, & the reckless movement of hot blood. Use with caution during pregnancy. |
Pao Jiang (Hei Jiang) / Ginger Rhizome, quick-fried (black) | |||
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Taste: Bitter, Astringent • Temperature: Warm • Category: Warm Interior & Expel Cold • Sub Category: Stop Bleeding | |||
Dosage3-12g |
ActionsSee gan jiang. Pao jiang is less potent than gan jiang for warming the interior, but is effective in stopping the bleeding associated with cold from deficiency. Some sources suggest that it is more effective than gan jiang in treating lower abdominal disorders. |
MeridiansLiver, Spleen |
Cautions |
Huang Jie Zi / Mustard Yellow or White Seed | |||
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Taste: Acrid • Temperature: Warm • Category: Tranform Phlegm & Stop Coughing • Sub Category: Warm & Transform Phlegm Cold | |||
Dosage3-9g |
Actions1. Warms the Lungs, regulates the qi, & expels phlegm: for coughing copious & thin sputum, chest distention, & pain due to the accumulation of phlegm-cold, especially in chronic disorders. 2 Dissipates nodules, reduces swelling, & alleviates pain: for phlegm-cold accumulating in the channels with such symptoms as joint pain, body aches, yin-type boils, bedsores, or watery, oozing sores. |
MeridiansLung |
CautionsContraindicated in cases of cough due to Lung deficiency, & yin deficiency with heat signs. Do not use topically for patients with skin sensitivities. |
Ma Huang / Ephedra, aerial part of plant | |||
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Taste: Acrid, Slightly Bitter • Temperature: Warm • Category: Exterior Releasing - Warm • Sub Category: | |||
Dosage3-9g |
Actions1. Releases the exterior & disperses cold: for patterns of wind-cold exterior excess (greater yang stage of the six stages) with chills, fever, headache, absence of sweating, & a tight, floating pulse. This herb is very effective in opening the pores & interstices to release exterior disorders.2. Facilitates the movement of Lung qi & controls wheezing: for cough & wheezing due to obstruction of Lung qi by wind & cold. The herb both encourages the Lung qi to flow more easily, & causes it to descend. It is important for either externally contracted or internally generated wheezing. 3. Promotes urination & reduces edema: especially for edema that accompanies an exterior pathogenic influence. |
MeridiansLung, Bladder |
CautionsIf too much of this herb is used, or for too long a period of time, it may cause heavy sweating that weakens the body. Toasting honey reduces this dispersing property. Use of the herb may also raise blood pressure or cause restlessness & tremors. Use with caution in cases of deficiency with sweating or wheezing. Toxicity: Three cases of ephedrine toxicity were reported after ingestion of as little as 15ml of a 1% solution. Symptoms included diaphoresis, temperature elevation (up to 39.2 c), epigastric pain, nausea, vomiting. Atropine was used successfully as an antidote. Especially in conjunction with cardiac glycosides, ephedrine can cause cardiac arrhythmias. |
Gan Cao / Licorice Root (Chinese) | |||
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Taste: Sweet • Temperature: Neutral (raw root) • Category: Tonic / Harmonize • Sub Category: Tonify Qi | |||
Dosage2-12g |
Actions1. Tonifies the Spleen & augments the qi: commonly used for Spleen deficiency with shortness of breath, lassitude, & loose stools. Also for qi or blood deficiency patterns with an irregular or intermittent pulse & /or palpitations.2. Moistens the Lungs & stops coughing: for coughing & wheezing. Because of its neutral properties, it can be used for either heat or cold in the Lungs. 3. Clears heat & relieves fire toxicity: used raw for carbuncles, sores, or sore throat due to fire toxin. For this purpose, it can be taken internally or applied topically. 4. Moderates spasms & alleviates pain: for painful spasms of the abdomen or legs. 5. Moderates & harmonizes the characteristics of other herbs: by virtue of its sweet, neutral, & moderating properties, this herb moderates hot & cold herbs, & mitigates the violent properties of other herbs. Since it is said to enter all 12 primary channels, it can lead & conduct other herbs into the channels. 6. Used as an antidote for a variety of toxic substances, both internally & topically. 7. The raw root clears heat & relieves toxicity, the honey-fried tonifies the middle & moderates spasms. |
MeridiansAll 12 channels (principally the Heart, Lung, Spleen, & Stomach) |
CautionsContraindicated in cases of excess dampness, nausea, or vomiting. May be in compatible with jing da ji, yuan hua, gan sui, & hai zao, & may antagonize yuan zhi. The toxicity of gan cao is very low, but if taken long-term it may cause hypertension &/or edema. Glycyrrhetinic acid has been reported to cause a reduction in the activity of the thyroid & a reducation in the basal metabolic rate. |