INDIVIDUAL HERBS
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Radix Ophiopogonis Tuber Ophiopogonis |
| Common English: | Ophiopogon Tuber Creeping Lily-Turf Root Dwarf Lily-Turf Root |
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
Sweet Slightly Bitter |
Slightly Cold (Cool) |
Heart |
6-15g Tincture: 2-4ml |
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Moistens the Lungs, nourishes Yin and stops coughing |
Lung Yin Deficiency with a hacking, dry cough or a cough with thick, difficult to expectorate sputum, or hemoptysis Pathogenic Warm-Dryness Dryness that has transformed into Fire |
Nourishes Stomach Yin and generates Fluids |
Stomach Yin Deficiency with dry mouth and tongue |
Moistens the Intestines |
Constipation, dry mouth and irritability as a result of febrile disease or Yin Deficiency |
Clears the Heart and eliminates irritability |
Ying Stage Heat with fever and irritability which is worse at night Yin Deficiency with fever and irritability which is worse at night |
CONTRAINDICATIONS |
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INCOMPATIBILITIES |
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HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
Rz. Anemarrhenae |
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Warm-Dryness Injuring the Lungs with a fever, coughing, wheezing and fullness and pain in the chest and lower rib areas. |
Pathogenic Dryness that has transformed into Fire with coughing of thick, viscous, yellow sputum with chest pain and possible hemoptysis. |
Significant hemoptysis. |
Rx. Asparagi |
Rx. Scrophulariae |
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Lung and Kidney Yin Deficiency with consumptive coughing and occasional hemoptysis. |
As a tea for an itchy, dry throat, thirst and a nonproductive cough due to Lung Yin Deficiency. |
Those with Yin Deficiency constitution who develop a swollen, painful diphtheria disorder after contracting an epidemic toxin. |
Rx. Adenophorae/Glehniae |
Fr. Mume |
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Insufficient Stomach Yin from Yang Ming Stage or Qi Level disease with profuse sweating, especially if purging was used. |
Chronic, dry, non-productive cough due to Lung Yin Deficiency. |
Upper or Middle Jiao wasting and thirsting disorder with intense Dryness of the throat and an unquenchable thirst. |
Rx. Rehmanniae |
Rx. Astragali |
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Thirst, constipation, irritability and a low-grade fever due to Stomach Yin Deficiency in the aftermath of warm febrile disease where the fluids have been injured. |
Profuse sweating, wheezing, increased Heart rate and exhaustion due to severe Deficiency of the Heart and Lungs. Symptoms associated with excessive loss of fluids in Summerheat disorders. Qi and Yin Deficiency with fatigue, shortness of breath thirst and dry mouth. |
Irritability due to severe loss of fluids due to sweating. |
Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae |
Rx. Adenophorae/Glehniae |
Rx. Asparagi |
Irritability and insomnia due to Yin Deficiency. |
Dry cough with little Phlegm and a parched throat due to Lung Dryness or Heat injuring the Lung Yin. Dry throat, constipation, thirst and a red tongue with little coat due to pathogenic Warmth or Heat injuring the Stomach Yin or long-term Yin Deficiency. |
Fire and Dryness in the Lungs with coughing with Blood and/or thick yellow difficult-to-expectorate sputum, and chest pain. |
Rx. Rehmanniae |
Rx. Rehmanniae |
Rz. Bletillae |
Sore throat with epistaxis, hematemesis or Blood-streaked sputum due to Yin Deficiency with Excess Heat. |
Loss of voice, dry throat and thirst. |
Lung and Kidney Yin Deficiency with excessive hemoptysis. |
Sm. Cannabis |
Rx. Rehmanniae |
Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum |
Post-febrile disease with constipation. |
Hematemesis or epistaxis due to Yin Deficiency with Excess Heat. |
Stomach Yin Deficiency with hiccups and vomiting. |
Rx. Panacis Quinquefolii |
Rz. Coptidis |
Rz. Coptidis |
Xiao Ke syndrome with extreme thirst. |
Xiao Ke syndrome with Heat and thirst. |
Heart Yin and Blood Deficiency with Heat, with insomnia, palpitations, irritability and nigh fever or restless sleep. |
Rx. Rehmanniae |
Hb. Phylostachys Nigra |
Rx. Rehmanniae |
Heat in the Ying Stage with nocturnal fever, irritability and insomnia. |
Qi and Blood Deficiency caused by chronic febrile disorder with irritability, and insomnia. |
Yin and Blood Deficiency with restlessness, irritability, insomnia palpitations, fatigue and a red tongue with little coat. |
Sm. Platycladi |
Rx. Scrophulariae |
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Disharmony between the Heart and Kidneys with insomnia, forgetfulness, night sweats and palpitations. |
Constipation. |
- It is often used with Rx. Asparagi Tian Men Dong (syrup).
- It is used for any syndrome that damages fluids (Jin Ye).
- Some sources say that this herb resolves Phlegm.
- Rx. Trichosanthis Tian Huan Fen, Tub. Ophiopogonis Japonici Mai Men Dong, and Tub. Asparagi Tian Men Dong all Clear Heat and moisten the Lungs. Tian Huan Fen is best for Lung Heat from Stomach Heat, Mai Men Dong is best for Lung Heat from Heart Fire and Tian Men Dong is best for Lung Dryness from Kidney Yin Deficiency.
- Both Mai Men Dong and Rx. Glehniae/Adenophorae Sha Shen nourish Yin, moisten Dryness, augment the Stomach, generate fluids, nourish Lung Yin and clear Lung Heat. Mai Men Dong is heavier, more moist and more compact than Sha Shen and is better at generating Stomach fluids. Sha Shen is lighter and is stronger at clearing Lung Heat and nourishing Lung Yin but it cannot clear the Heart or calm irritability.
- Both Mai Men Dong and Rx. Asparagi Tian Men Dong nourish Lung Yin, moisten Dryness and stop coughs and are used together for dry coughs with Blood tinged sputum, thirst due to injured Yin and constipation from Intestinal Dryness. Mai Men Dong is slightly cold and less Yin-nourishing but is less greasy and cloying than Tian Men Dong, and can eliminate irritability which Tian Men Dong cannot do. Tian Men Dong is very cold and more strongly clears Heat and moistens Dryness. It also enriches Kidney Yin which Mai Men Dong cannot do.
- Ophiopogonis Succus Sheng Mai Men Dong Zhi is very cold with strong Heat clearing, Blood cooling and hemostatic actions.
- Prepared Ophiopogon Zhi Mai Dong is less cooling and less cloying so that it nourishes Yin without obstructing digestion. It is used for those with Lung or Stomach Yin Deficiency, but whose digestion is easily upset.
- Center-retained Ophiopogon Lian Xin Mai Dong nourishes Yin, generates fluids, unblocks blood vessels and opens the Heart Orifices .
- Cinnabar Ophiopogon Zha Mai Dong has an enhanced Spirit-calming property and is used for Heart Yin Deficiency with irritability, mania and delirium.