INDIVIDUAL HERBS

NAME: GUA LOU REN - (GUA LOU ZI) - 栝蔞仁 - SEMEN TRICHOSANTHIS

Pharmaceutical Latin: Semen Trichosanthis
Common English: Trichosanthis Seed
Snakegourd Seed

CATEGORY

Herbs that Transform Phlegm and Stop Coughing: Herbs that Cool and Transform Phlegm-Heat

PROPERTIES

Taste Temperature Entering Meridians Dosage
Sweet
(Bitter)
(Sour)
(Acrid)
Cold
(Cool)
(Neutral)
Lung
Stomach
Large Intestine
2-18g
Tincture: 2-5ml

ACTIONS AND INDICATIONS

Actions Indications/Syndromes

Clears Heat and transforms Hot Phlegm (cools and moistens the Lungs)

Phlegm-Heat cough (especially with thick, difficult to expectorate sputum)

Expands the chest

Phlegm accumulation in the chest with a stifling sensation, pain, or diaphragmatic pressure

Moistens the Intestines and promotes bowel movements

Dry constipation (especially with Lung/Large Intestine Heat)(dry mouth, thirst, irritability)

Promotes healing of sores (dissipates nodules and eliminates pus)

Adjunctively for unsuppurated sores, breast abscess and swelling

Promotes urination

 Edema

CONTRAINDICATIONS, INCOMPATIBILITIES AND HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

CONTRAINDICATIONS
  • Contraindicated for those with weak, deficient Spleen with either nausea or loose stools.
  • Contraindicated for those with diarrhea due to Spleen and Stomach Deficiency Cold.
INCOMPATIBILITIES
  • Incompatible with Rx. Aconiti Wu Tou.
  • Antagonizes Rz. Zingiberis Gan Jiang.
  • Counteracts Rx. Achyranthis Bidentate Niu Xi.
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

MAJOR COMBINATIONS

Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum
Zhi Ban Xia
Rz. Coptidis
Huang Lian

Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum
Zhi Ban Xia
Rz. Coptidis
Huang Lian
Rx. Bupleuri
Chai Hu
Rx. Scutellariae
Huang Qin

Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum
Zhi Ban Xia
Bul. Allii Macrostemi
Xie Bai

Cough with chest pain and difficult to expectorate sputum.

Cough with chest pain and difficult to expectorate sputum with extreme Heat.

Painful obstruction of the chest or Heart.

Sm. Cannabis
Huo Ma Ren
Sm. Persicae
Tao Ren
Sm. Platycladi
Bai Zi Ren

Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui
Sm. Platycladi
Bai Zi Ren
Rx. Polygoni Multiflori
He Shou Wu
Sm. Armeniacae
Xing Ren

Hb. Houttuyniae
Yu Xing Cao
Rx. Platycodi
Jie Geng

Constipation due internal obstruction of Phlegm Heat with dry mouth and thirst.

Wasting and thirsting disorder.

Moistens the bowels.

Lung abscess.

Sp. Gleditsiae
Zao Jiao Ci
(Squama Manitis)
(Chuan Shan Jia)
Flos Lonicerae
Jin Yin Hua

Hb. Taraxaci
Pu Gong Ying

Rx. Scutellariae
Huang Qin
Fr. Aurantii Immaturus
Zhi Shi
 Arisaema cum Bile
Dan Nan Xing

Breast abscess.

Intestinal abscess.

Heat and Phlegm Accumulation with copious yellow sputum, chest oppression and constipation.

Sm. Cannabis
Huo Ma Ren
Sm. Pruni
Yu Li Ren
 Fr. Aurantii
Zhi Ke

Rx. Glycyrrhizae
Gan Cao
 Olibanum
 Ru Xiang
Myrrh
Mo Yao

Flos Lonicerae
Jin Yin Hua
Fr. Forsythiae
Lian Qiao
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui
 Rx. Astragali
Huang Qi

Constipation.

Productive cough with sputum and Blood and feelings of congestion and oppression in the chest.

Intestinal abscess with Deficiencies of Qi and Blood.

NOTES

  1. The earlier texts do not differentiate between this herb (the fruit), the seed Gua Lou or the husk, Gua Lou Pi.
  2. This herb both cools and moistens to treat coughing with chest pain and thick, difficult to expectorate sputum.
  3. This herb, Sm. Persicae Tao Ren and Sm. Cannabis Huo Ma Ren treat dry constipation. Sm. Persicae Tao Ren treats constipation due to Blood Stasis and Heat. This herb treats constipation due to Lung Heat with thirst and Sm. Cannabis Huo Ma Ren treats constipation due to severe prominent Heat.
  4. This herb is common in Lung Heat formulas, especially with Yin Deficiency.
  5. This herb has a unique combination of sweet, bitter and sour tastes.
  6. Dry-fried Trichosanthis Seeds Chao Gua Lou Ren is the usual form of this herb because its raw taste can illicit nausea and vomiting.
  7. Defatted Trichosanthis Seeds Lou Ren Schuang is less moistening of the Intestines and is used for Spleen Deficient patients with with cough and Phlegm.