INDIVIDUAL HERBS

NAME: PU HUANG - 蒲黄 - POLLEN TYPHAE - CATTAIL POLLEN

Pharmaceutical Latin: Pollen Typhae
Common English: Typha Pollen
Cattail Pollen
Bulrush

CATEGORY

Herbs that Regulate the Blood: Herbs that Stop Bleeding (Hemostatics)

PROPERTIES

Taste Temperature Entering Meridians Dosage
Sweet
Acrid
Neutral
Liver
Heart
Spleen
(Pericardium)
3-12g
Tincture: 1-4ml

ACTIONS AND INDICATIONS:

Actions Indications/Syndromes

Stops bleeding by astringing

External bleeding due to traumatic injury

Various forms of internal bleeding such as uterine bleeding, hematemesis, epistaxis, hemoptysis, hematuria, hemafecia or subcutaneous bleeding

Invigorates the Blood and dispels Blood Stasis

Chest pain, postpartum abdominal pain and menstrual pain due to Blood Stasis

Promotes urination

Lin Syndrome

CONTRAINDICATIONS, INCOMPATIBILITIES AND HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

CONTRAINDICATIONS
  • Use caution during pregnancy.
  • Do not use in raw form during pregnancy as it can cause uterine contractions.
  • Contraindicated for those with fevers from overexertion without Blood Stasis.
  • Contraindicated for those with Internal Heat due to Yin Deficiency without Blood Stasis.
  • Contraindicated for those with Blood Stasis due to Cold Obstruction.
  • Over consumption causes loose stools.
INCOMPATIBILITIES
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS
  • Use with caution for patients taking anticoagulants such as heparin, warfarin (Coumadin) and enoxaparin (Lovenox) or antiplatelet drugs such as aspirin, dipyridamole (Persantine) and clopidogrel (Plavix) as concurrent use may have an additive or synergistic effect.

MAJOR COMBINATIONS

Fossilia Ossis Mastodi
Long Gu
Fol. Artemisiae Argyi
Ai Ye
(Hb. Leonuri)
(Yi Mu Cao)

Cornu Cervi Pantotrichum
Lu Rong
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui

Rz. Zingiberis Preparatum
Pao Jiang

Prolonged menses or irregular uterine bleeding, especially if it is profuse.

Unremitting uterine bleeding due to injury and exhaustion of the Liver and Kidneys or from Deficiency of the Chong and Ren channels.

Abdominal pain and distention due lochiostasis.

Chronic hemafecia due to Kidney and Spleen Deficiency.

Endoconcha Sepiae
Hai Piao Xiao

Mel
Feng Mi

Faeces Trogopterori
Wu Ling Zhi

Topically as a powder for external bleeding from traumatic injury.

Internally for gynecological bleeding disorders such as metrorrhagia, extended periods and epistaxis at the time of menstruation.

Topically for sore with pain and swelling.

Blood Stasis causing menstrual irregularity, dysmenorrhea and lochiostasis with chest and abdominal pain.

Stabbing epigastric and chest pain due to Qi and Blood Stasis.

Joint pain.

Hb. Leonuri
Yi Mu Cao
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui

Hb. Cirsii
Xiao Ji
Rz. Imperatae
Bai Mao Gen

Hb. Cirsii
Xiao Ji

Postpartum bleeding.

Bloody urine associated with painful urinary dysfunction due to Damp-Heat in the Bladder. (Bloody Lin)

Bloody Lin.

Herba Sive Radix Cirsii Japonici
Da Ji
 Hb. Cirsii
Xiao Ji
Rz. Imperatae
Bai Mao Gen

Indigo Naturalis
Qing Dai

Faeces Trogopterori
Wu Ling Zhi
Rz. Corydalis
Yan Hu Suo

Hemoptysis or hematemesis due to Blood Heat.

Epistaxis due to Lung Heat.

Dysmenorrhea.

Rz. Zingiberis Preparatum
Pao Jiang
Cx. Cinnamomi
Rou Gui
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui
Rx. R4hmanniae Preparata
Shu Di Huang

Fol. Nelumbinis
He Ye
Cx. Moutan
Mu Dan Pi
Rz. Corydalis
Yan Hu Suo

Rx. Curcumae
Yu Jin

Postpartum abdominal pain with Blood Deficiency or Blood Stagnation or Cold.

Blood Stagnation with Heat causing profuse postpartum bleeding with irritability, distention, pain and a feeling of oppression in the chest.

Hematuria due to Heat in the Bladder.

 

Rx. Rehmanniae
Sheng Di Huang
Sm. Malvae/Abutilon
Dong Kui Zi

 

 

Burning dysuria.

 

 

NOTES

  1. This herb is a strong astringent and is very effective at stopping bleeding.
  2. It can be used singly as a topical application for External bleeding.
  3. This herb has recently been used for angina pectoris.
  4. One source categorizes this herb as a Blood Invigorator.
  5. This herb is mainly used in cases of severe Blood Stasis with sharp pain.
  6. This herb can be used topically for oral and genital herpes and ulcerations.
  7. It can be used singly for hemoptysis or hematemesis due to Rebellious Qi.
  8. The pollen is collected directly from the flowers.
  9. This herb, in modern usage is important for treating hypercholesterolemia with angina pectoris or hypertension.
  10. It hastens the expulsion of the afterbirth.
  11. Both Pu Huang and Ophicalcitum Hua Rui Shi are neutral, astringent, enter the Liver channel, stop bleeding, dispel Blood Stasis and are used for a wide variety of hemorrhagic conditions. Pu Huang considered slippery in its unprepared form and astringent dry-fried and is more often used to treat gynecological bleeding than Hua Rui Shi which is sour and primarily used for hemoptysis due to Blood Stasis or wounds due to metal.
  12. Dry-fried Typha Pollen Chao Pu Huang is used to tonify Blood and stop bleeding.
  13. Wine-fried Typha Pollen Jiu Chao Pu Huang is stronger at moving Blood, stopping pain and reducing swelling.
  14. Vinegar-fried Typha Pollen Cu Chao Pu Huang is stronger at stopping bleeding and alleviating pain.
  15. Charred Typha Pollen Pu Huang Tan is best able to stop bleeding.