INDIVIDUAL HERBS
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Rhizoma Alismatis |
| Common English: | Alisma Rhizome Water Plantain Rhizome |
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
Sweet Bland |
Cold |
Kidney Bladder |
4.5-16g Tincture: 2-4ml |
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Promotes urination and leaches out Dampness |
Stagnation due to Dampness with urinary difficulty, painful urinary dysfunction, diarrhea and dizziness Especially useful for Damp-Heat in the Lower Jiao |
Settles Ministerial Fire in the Kidneys by draining Damp-Heat from the lower Jiao |
Spermatorrhea due to Damp-Heat in the Lower Jiao disturbing the ministerial Fire of the Kidneys |
Drains Kidney Fire |
Kidney Yin Deficiency with Fire Rising |
CONTRAINDICATIONS |
|
INCOMPATIBILITIES |
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
|
Caulis Akebiae |
Fr. Amomi |
|
Lin Syndrome with scanty urine and edema. |
Scanty urine, abdominal distention and urinary discomfort. |
Turbid Dampness in the Middle Jiao causing epigastric and abdominal distention. |
Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae |
Cx. Moutan |
Cx. Moutan |
Thin mucus beneath the Heart leading to coughing, vertigo, dizziness and tinnitus. Spleen Deficiency leading to accumulation of Dampness with urinary difficulty, loose stools, diarrhea, Milky Lin or vaginal discharge. Meniere's disease. |
Steaming bone disorder, dizziness and vertigo. |
Lin Syndrome and edema. |
Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata |
Kidney Tonics |
Poria |
Assists weight loss. |
Prevents Kidney Fire as a result of tonification. |
Facilitates the removal of water and leaches out Dampness to treat stagnant water and Dampness leading to edema, jaundice, diarrhea, Milky Lin, and scanty, difficult urination with abdominal distention. |
Fol Perillae |
Cx. Mori |
|
Daily as a tea, reduces body weight and lowers cholesterol. |
Generalized edema. |
Edema during pregnancy. |
Hb. Lygodii |
Talcum |
Poria |
Stone Lin. |
Damp-Heat Lin. |
Turbid Lin (chyluria). |
Rx. Bupleuri |
Rx. Rehmanniae |
|
Liver and Gallbladder Damp-Heat with jaundice, red eyes, hypochondriac pain nausea, poor vision and scanty dark urine. |
Kidney Deficiency Fire. |
|
- This herb is especially helpful for Damp-Heat in the Lower Jiao and Kidney Fire.
- It promotes urination but is less injurious to the Yin than other diuretics.
- Classically, it was used as an auxiliary herb to treat Xiao Ke.
- This herb may irritate the intestinal tract causing gastroenteritis if used too long.
- Its name means “ a flood unleashed from a marsh” indicating its rapid diuretic action.
- This is a mild herb and needs to be used in large quantities.
- Both the root and seed are traditionally held to regenerate the womb, promote fertility and ease labor and are beneficial for use in the last part of pregnancy.
- It is used in formulas to treat hypertension and immediate allergies.
- Both Ze Xie and Scl. Polyporus Zhu Ling enter the Kidney and Bladder channels to promote urination. Ze Xie is cold and therefore better at cooling Heat. It treats spermatorrhea due to Damp-Heat with Heat predominant. Ze Xie is especially appropriate for treating ministerial Fire. It is also a stronger diuretic. It treats spermatorrhea due to Lower Jiao Damp-Heat with Dampness predominant which manifests as turbid urine.
- Both Ze Xie and Sm Plantaginis Che Qian Zi facilitate water, reduce edema, clear Heat, enter the Kidney channel and drain Dampness. They are often used together to treat abdominal distention due to edema, Lin Syndrome and Summerheat-Dampness diarrhea. Ze Xie clears and drains ministerial Fire to treat Blazing Fire due to Yin Deficiency. Che Qian Zi benefits the Kidneys by removing pathogenic Dampness, clears the Liver and eyes and transforms Phlegm in the Lungs to treat pathogenic Heat leading to red eyes and Lung Heat transforming into Phlegm.
- Both Ze Xie and Caul. Akebiae Mu Tong promote the flow of fluid pathways and are commonly used together. Ze Xie clears ministerial Fire in the Kidney channel. Mu Tong clears Fire from the Heart and Small Intestine channels and unblocks the flow of Qi and Blood.
- Dry-fried Alisma Chao Ze Xie is less cold and does less damage to Middle Jiao Qi. With bran included in the process, it harmonizes the Stomach to treat Fluid retention due to Spleen and Stomach Yang Deficiency.
- Salt-fried Alisma Yan Ze Xie has an enhanced ability to facilitate urination while reducing injury to the Yin.