HERB FORMULAS

ZHI GAN CAO TANG - 炙甘草湯 - PREPARED LICORICE DECOCTION

English: Honey- fried Licorice Decoction
Also Known As: Prepared Licorice Decoction
Baked or Roasted Licorice Combination or
Fu Mai Tang (Restore the Pulse Decoction).

HERBS AND ACTIONS

Pharmaceutical Latin
Pin Yin
Dosage
Actions
Rx. Glycyrrhizae Preparata Zhi Gan Cao 3-12g Tonifies the Spleen, augments Qi and nourishes the Heart.
With Ren Shen, relieves palpitations and anxiety.
With Da Zao and Ren Shen, tonifies Spleen and Stomach Qi.
With Ren Shen, Gui Zhi, Sheng Di Huang and E Jiao, for Heart Qi and Blood Deficiency with an irregular heart beat and palpitations.
Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen 3-6g Calms the Shen, strongly tonifies Yuan Qi and tonifies the Heart.
(Rx. Codonopsis) (Dang Shen) 6-18g (Tonifies the Middle Jiao and augments Qi - may substitute for Ren Shen.)
(With Zhi Gan Cao, for anorexia, fatigue and loose stools due to Spleen Deficiency and palpitations due to Heart Qi Deficiency.)
Ram. Cinnamomi Gui Zhi 3-10g Assists the Heart Yang and warms and facilitates the flow of Yang Qi in the chest.
 With Ren Shen, strongly unblocks Heart Qi.
With Zhi Gan Cao, for palpitations and shortness of breath due to injured Yang of the chest.
With Zhi Gan Cao, Ren Shen and E Jiao, for palpitations and intermittent pulse due to Heart Yin and Yang Deficiency.
Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang 6-48g Clears Heat, cools Heart Fire and nourishes Blood and Heart Yin.
With E Jiao for coughing, hematemesis, epistaxis, and uterine hemorrhage due to Heat from Deficiency.
Tub. Ophiopogonis Mai Men Dong 6-10g Moistens Stomach and Lung Dryness, moistens the Intestines clears the Heart and eliminates irritability.
With Sheng Di Huang, for hematemesis or epistaxis due to Yin Deficiency with Excess Heat.
Colla Corii Asini E Jiao 2-10g Enriches Yin, nourishes the Blood and moistens Dryness.
Sm. Cannabis Huo Ma Ren 3-20g Nourishes Yin and moistens Intestines.
With Sheng Di Huang and Mai Men Dong, for Yin Deficiency with constipation.
Rz. Zingiberis Recens Sheng Jiang 3-9g Normalizes the flow of Qi at the center and warms the Middle.
With Da Zao, regulates Ying and Wei.
With Gui Zhi, warms and dispels thin mucus in the Stomach with nausea, hiccup, Stomach pain, acid reflux or vomiting of clear fluid.
Fr. Zizyphi Jujube Da Zao 3-6g Benefits the Spleen, nourishes the Heart, nourishes Blood, calms the Shen and moderates and harmonizes the harsh properties of other herbs.
With Zhi Gan Cao and Ren Shen, tonifies Spleen and Stomach Qi.
With Sheng Jiang, enhances the effect of Blood tonics by facilitating digestion and absorption.
White Wine Bai Jiu   Assists movement.

FORMULA ACTIONS

  • Augments Qi
  • Nourishes Blood
  • Enriches Yin
  • Restores the Pulse

SYNDROMES

  • Heart Qi Deficiency
  • Qi, Blood and Yin Deficiency due to worry and emotional excess injuring Heart and Spleen
  • Irregular pulses (knotted and intermittent) due to Yang Deficiency and Yin Deficiency
  • Generalized numbness due to Exhaustion of Ying and Wei
  • Lung atrophy due to Yin Deficiency

CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS

  • Palpitations
  • Fatigue
  • Anxiety
  • Irritability
  • Insomnia
  • Emaciation
  • Shortness of breath
  • Constipation
  • Dry mouth and throat
  • Numbness
  • Dry cough
  • Cough with little or no sputum
  • Cough with blood streaked sputum
  • Spontaneous perspiration
  • Night sweats
  • Five sole Heat due to stress
  • Early menses
  • Restlessness
  • Dry tongue
  • Pale copious menstrual flow
  • Weakness
  • Memory loss
  • Excess dreams
  • Fright
  • Tired body
  • Dry, hard stool
  • Coarse skin
  • Dry throat
  • A skinny appearance
  • T: Pale and shiny or Red
  • C: Thin and white or None
  • P: Knotted or Intermittent or Minute, forceless and Deficient or Thready and rapid

TREATS

CONTRAINDICATIONS AND HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

CONTRAINDICATIONS
  • Contraindicated for those with Heat from Yin Deficiency.
  • Contraindicated for those with severe diarrhea
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

NOTES

  • This is historically considered the best formula to treat irregular heart beat characterized by a knotted pulse (slow and regularly irregular).and an intermittent pulse Irregularly irregular).

MODIFICATIONS

For Lung atrophy: For chest pain and discomfort:
+ Less or omit Ram Cinnamomi Gui Zhi + Rx. Salviae Miltiorrhizae Dan Shen
+ Less or omit Rz. Zingiberis Sheng Jiang + Sm. Persicae Tao Ren
- White Wine Bai Jiu
For insomnia:
+ Gecko Ge Jie - Sm. Cannabis Huo Ma Ren
+ Sm. Stemonae Bai Bu + Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae Suan Zao Ren
For severe Lung Yin Deficiency:
or
- Ram Cinnamomi Gui Zhi - Sm. Cannabis Huo Ma Ren
- Rz. Zingiberis Sheng Jiang + Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae Suan Zao Ren
+ Bul. Lily Bai He + Sm. Platycladi Bai Zi Ren
+ Rx. Glehniae Bei Sha Shen
or
For severe palpitations:
 - Sm. Cannabis Huo Ma Ren
+ Magnetitum Ci Shi + Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae Suan Zao Ren
+ Cinnabaris Zhu Sha + Fossilia Dentis Mastodi Long Chi
For nosebleed due to Yin Deficiency:
or
+ More Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang - Sm. Cannibals Huo Ma Ren
+ Tub. Ophiopogonis Mai Men Dong + Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae Suan Zao Ren
+ Rx. Scutellariae Huang Qin + Magnetitum Ci Shi
+ Rz. Coptidis Huang Lian
For Qi Deficiency:
For irritability and fright:
+ Rx. Astragali Huang Qi
+ Rx. Astragali Huang Qi
For Yang Deficiency:
+ Fr. Schisandrae Wu Wei Zi + Rx. Aconiti Lateralis Preparata Zhi Fu Zi
For generalized fatigue and Deficiency:
For a poor appetite:
+ Rx. Asparagi Tian Men Dong + Per. Citri Reticulatae Chen Pi
+ Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata Shu Di Huang + Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum Zhi Ban Xia
For cough due to Lung atrophy:
For a feeling of chest congestion:
+ Rx. Platycodi Jie Geng + Poria Fu Ling
+ Fr. Aurantii Immaturus Zhi Shi + Sm. Armeniacae Xing Ren
For edema:
For nausea and vomiting:
+ Poria Fu Ling
+ Warm the Gallbladder Decoction:
Wen Dan Tang
+ Sm. Plantaginis Che Qian Zi
For arrhythmias:
or
 + Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae Suan Zao Ren
+ Less Rx. Glycyrrhizae Preparata Zhi Gan Cao + Sm. Platycladi Bai Zi Ren
For hepatitis C due to Kidney and Liver Yin Deficiency:
For angina pectoris:
- Sm. Cannabis Huo Ma Ren
- Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen - Rz. Zingiberis Recens Sheng Jiang
- Ram. Cinnamomi Gui Zhi + Plastrum Testudinis Gui Ban
- Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang + Fr. Schisandrae Wu Wei Zi
- Rz. Zingiberis Recens Sheng Jiang + Caulis Spatholobi Ji Xue Teng
- Rx. Paeoniae Alba Bai Shao
For coronary Heart disease with arrhythmia and palpitations:
+ Plastrum Testudinis Gui Ban
+ Carapax Trionycis Bie Jia - Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen
+ Concha Ostreae Mu Li + 15g Rx. Codonopsis Dang Shen
For Spleen Yin Deficiency:
- Sm. Cannabis Hou Ma Ren
- Ram. Cinnamomi Gui Zhi - Rz. Zingiberis Recens Sheng Jiang
+ Rx. Paeoniae Alba Bai Shao - Fr. Jujube Da Zao
For severe palpitations:
 + 15g Rx. Salviae Miltiorrhizae Dan Shen
+ 2g Succinum Hu Po
+ 1g Cinnabaris Zhu Sha + 15g Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Dang Gui
For palpitations with severely deficient Heart Blood:
+ 9g Bul. Allii Xie Bai
+ 30-50g Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata Shu Di Huang + 5g Rx Aconiti Lateralis Preparata Zhi Fu Zi
+ 15g Rx. Paeoniae Alba Bai Shao
For palpitations with Liver Heat:
+ 15g Colla Corii Asini E Jiao + 9g Fr. Gardeniae Zhi Zi
For palpitations with abdominal and epigastric fullness, anorexia and a greasy or glossy tongue coat:
 + 6g Rx. Bupleuri Chai Hu
For palpitations with severe insomnia:
+ 10g Rz. Zingiberis Preparatum Zhi Ban Xia + 6g Fr. Schisandrae Wu Wei Zi
+ 9g Sm. Platycladi Bai Zi Ren
+ 10g Per. Citri Reticulatae Chen Pi + 30g Caulis Polygoni Multiflori Ye Jiao Teng
For palpitations with poor concentration and a poor memory:
 + 9g Cx. Albizziae He Huan Pi
+ 10g Dens Draconis Long Chi
+ 6g Rz. Acori Tatarinowii Shi Chang Pu + 30g Concha Ostreae Mu Li
For palpitations:
For palpitations due to Blood and Yang Deficiency:
 + 9g wine-fried Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Jiu Chao Dang Gui
+ 6g Rx. Aconiti Lateralis Preparata Zhi Fu Zi + 9g stir-fried Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae Suan Zao Ren
For lupus erythematosus with spontaneous perspiration:
For lupus erythematosus with spontaneous perspiration and palpitations or arrhythmia:
- Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang - Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang
- Sm. Cannabis Huo Ma Ren - Sm. Cannabis Huo Ma Ren
For lupus erythematosus with spontaneous perspiration and constipation with dry, bound stools:
 + 12g Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae Suan Zao Ren
- Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang + 9g Magnetitum Ci Shi
For lupus erythematosus with spontaneous perspiration and Blood Stagnation with chest pain:
For sick sinus syndrome:
- Colla Corii Asini E Jiao
- Sm. Cannabis Huo Ma Ren
- Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang + 30g Rx. Astragali Huang Qi
- Sm. Cannabis Huo Ma Ren +30g Rz. Polygonati Odorati Yu Zhu
+ 9g Sm. Persicae Tao Ren
+ 9g Rx. Salviae Miltiorrhizae Dan Shen + 12g Sm. Sesame Nigrum Hei Zhi Ma
For sick sinus syndrome with Blood Stagnation:
 + 10g Fr. Schisandrae Wu Wei Zi
- Colla Corii Asini E Jiao
For full-blown AIDS due to Yin and Yang Deficiency:
- Sm. Cannabis Huo Ma Ren
+ 30g Rx. Astragali Huang Qi - Ram. Cinnamomi Gui Zhi
+30g Rz. Polygonati Odorati Yu Zhu - Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang
- Sm. Cannabis Huo Ma Ren
+ 12g Sm. Sesame Nigrum Hei Zhi Ma + Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata Shu Di Huang
+ 10g Fr. Schisandrae Wu Wei Zi + Cx. Cinnamomi Rou Gui
+ one or two of the following:
    
20g Rx. Salviae Miltiorrhizae Dan Shen    
   
12g Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Dang Gui    
   
10g Flos Carthami Hong Hua    
12g Rx. Paeoniae Rubra Chi Shao