INDIVIDUAL HERBS

NAME: YI MU CAO - 益母草 - HERBA LEONURI

Pharmaceutical Latin: Herba Leonuri
Common English: Leonurus
Chinese Motherwort
Asian Motherwort Herb

CATEGORY

Herbs that Regulate Blood: Herbs that Invigorate Blood

PROPERTIES

Taste Temperature Entering Meridians Dosage
Acrid
Bitter
Slightly Cold
Heart
Liver
Bladder
(Kidney)
(Pericardium)
(Chong)
(Yin Wei)
(Ren)
9-60g
Dried: 90-120g
Fresh: 180-240g
Tincture: 2-4ml
For glomerulonephritis with edema: up to 120g

ACTIONS AND INDICATIONS

Actions Indications/Syndromes

Invigorates the Blood, dispels Stasis, regulates menstruation and reduces masses

Gynecological disorders due to Blood Stasis with irregular menstruation, premenstrual abdominal pain and postpartum abdominal pain with retained lochia

Abdominal masses and infertility due to Blood Stasis due to Blood Deficiency

Traumatic pain

Promotes urination and reduces swelling and edema

Acute systemic edema accompanied by Blood Stasis, especially with hematuria

Clears Heat and resolves toxicity internally or topically

Sores, abscesses and toxic swellings

Itchy rashes from Damp-Heat in the muscles and surrounding tissues

CONTRAINDICATIONS, INCOMPATIBILITIES AND HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

CONTRAINDICATIONS
  • Contraindicated during pregnancy (may cause miscarriage).
  • Contraindicated for those with Yin, Blood or Yang Deficiency with prolapse.
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

Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui

Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui
Rz. Chuanxiong
Chuan Xiong

Rx. Paeoniae Rubra
Chi Shao
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui
Rx. Aucklandiae
Mu Xiang

Blood Stasis with infertility, irregular menstruation, lower abdominal pain and fullness and scanty menstruation.

Dysmenorrhea or lower abdominal pain due to postpartum Blood Stasis.

Blood Stasis with infertility, irregular menstruation, lower abdominal pain and fullness and scanty menstruation.

Rx. Paeoniae Rubra
Chi Shao
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui
Rx. Aucklandiae
Mu Xiang
Rx. Ligustici Chuanxiong
Chuan Xiong
Rz. Cyperi
Xiang Fu

Pollen Typhae
Pu Huang

 

Rz. Imperatae
Bai Mao Gen

 

Postpartum Blood Stasis causing lower abdominal pain and dysmenorrhea.

Lochioschesis.

Edema with Blood Stasis.

Nephritic edema.

Rz. Polygonati
Huang Jing
Fol Pyrrosiae
Shi Wei
Sm. Malvae
Dong Kui Zi

Hb. Lycopi
Ze Lan

Fr. Aurantii
Zhi Ke
Pollen Typhae
Pu Huang

Stone Lin and Bloody Lin.

Disorders which include both Blood Stasis and accumulation of pathogenic water such as Blood separation. (amenorrhea followed by generalized edema)

Stimulates uterine contractions.

Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui
Rx. Paeoniae Alba
Bai Shao
Rx. Salviae Miltiorrhizae
Dan Shen

 

 

Abdominal pain due to irregular menstruation or amenorrhea.

 

 

NOTES

  1. Sm. Leonuri Chong Wei Zi is sweet and cool. It breaks up Blood Stasis, astringes, tonifies, cools the Liver and improves vision. It is used for menorrhagia, metrorrhagia, and red, painful, swollen eyes or pterygium due to Liver Heat. The dosage is 9-15g.
  2. This is one the most commonly used herbs.
  3. It is primarily used to treat Blood Stasis, retention of the placenta, tissue damage and gynecological problems.
  4. It is said that this is a sacred herb for hemopathy because it promotes Blood circulation without affecting new Blood and promotes new Blood without inducing hemostasis.
  5. The seeds are good at nourishing and treat Wind-Heat affecting the channels of the hands and feet, ophthalmopathy and menoxia.
  6. The whole herb is effective at promoting Body Fluids and treats swelling, ulcers, carbuncles, edema and puerperal diseases.
  7. It aids delivery during labor.
  8. It can be used alone for severe postpartum abdominal pain or uterine bleeding.
  9. It is especially good to remove toxic conditions after birth.
  10. Some sources say that this herb disperses Phlegm and generates flesh.
  11. In high doses, it can be used alone to stimulate diuresis.
  12. This herb has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
  13. This herb has shown to be useful in treating Heart Qi Stagnation.
  14. Both Yi Mu Cao and Hb. Lycopi Ze Lan invigorate the Blood facilitate, urination and treat toxic swellings. Ze Lan is known for its gentle and harmonious action and is suitable for either Heat or Cold disorders involving Blood Stasis including reducing swelling. Yi Mu Cao is stronger as a Blood mover and diuretic. It is cooling and better suited for for Blood Heat combined with Blood Stasis.
  15. Both Yi Mu Cao and Flos Carthami Hong Hua invigorate the Blood and enter the Blood Levels of the Heart and Liver channels. Hong Hua is warm and more strongly invigorates the Blood, reduces swellings and, in large doses, strongly breaks up Blood Stasis . Yi Mu Cao is slightly cold and gently cools Blood Heat when Heat is associated with Stag-nation. It also facilitates urination.
  16. Wine-fried Leonurus Jiu Chao Yi Mu Cao is not so cold and is better able to invigorate the Blood, dispel Stasis, regulate the menses and stop pain.