Transform Phlegm, Stop Coughing

HBR class 4

Herbs for Cold Phlegm

• Ban xia - Pinellia / Rz Pinelliae

• warm, acrid, toxic / LU,SP,ST

• A&I: Phlegm-damp cough, chest bind. (Er Chen Tang)

• Nausea & vomiting d/t counterflow St qi w/phlegm. (Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang, Ban Xia Bai Zhu Tian Ma Tang)

• Plum-pit qi. (Ban Xia Hou Po Tang)

• All types of phlegm nodules. (Hai Zao Yu Hu Tang)

• C&C: Contraindicated in cough d/t def yin, bleeding, damage to fluids.

• 4.5-9 g

• Tian nan xing - Arisaema tuber / Rz Arisaematis

• warm, bitter, acrid, toxic / LR, LU, SP

• A&I: Wind-phlegm: dizziness, vertigo, facial paralysis, epilepsy, convulsions, tetanus. (Xiao Huo Luo Dan)

• C&C: Contraindicated in pregnancy, yin def, lung heat, dry phlegm.

• Raw herb is highly toxic, not used internally, use prepared.

• 4.5-9 g

• Dan nan xing - bile-treated Arisaema / Rz Arisaemae cum Felle Bovis

• cold, bitter / LR, LU, SP

• A&I: Convulsions, windstroke, infant seizures d/t phlegm-heat (Ding Xian Wan)

• Phlegm-heat cough (Qing Qi Hua Tan Wan)

• C&C: see above

• 3-6 g

• Xuan fu hua - Inula flower / Fl Inulae

• sl warm, bitter, acrid, salty / LR,LU,ST, SP

• A&I: Phlegm damp: LU: asthma, cough; ST: vomit, hiccough. (Xuan Fu Dai Zhe Tang)

• Chest fullness, distension.

• Decoct in cheesecloth.

• 3-12 g

• Bai qian - Cynanchum / Rx et Rz Cynanchi

• sl warm, acrid, sweet/ LU

• A&I: Turbid phlegm blocking the lungs: cough, wheezing, chest fullness. (Zhi Sou San)

• C&C: Contraindicated: qi def, kidney def

• 3-9 g

• Bai jie zi - White mustard seed / Sm Sinapsis seu Brassicae

• warm, acrid / LU

• A&I: Phlegm-damp: cough, chest fullness, especially chronic. (San Zi Yang Qin Tang)

• Bi d/t phlegm in channels.

• Yin sores. (Yang He Tang)

• C&C: Contraindicated: yin def, lung def.

• 3-9 g

• Jie geng - Platycodon root / Rx Platycodi

• neutral, bitter, acrid / LU

• A&I: Cough w/phlegm d/t wind-heat or wind-cold. (Ren Shen Bai Du San, Sang Ju Yin, Zhi Sou San)

• Sore throat d/t wind-heat, phlegm-heat, yin def heat. (Yin Qiao San)

• Lung or throat abcess. (Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin)

• Guides other herbs to upper jiao.

• C&C: Contraindicated: coughing blood, yin def cough.

• 3-9 g

Herbs that Stop Cough

• Xing ren - Apricot seed / Sm Armeniacae

• sl warm, bitter, sl toxic / LI, LU

• A&I: Cough & wheezing, esp exterior dry. (Sang Xing Tang, Xing Su San, Ma Xing Shi Gan Tang)

• Moistens intestines: for dry constipation (Ma Zi Ren Wan)

• C&C: Contraindicated: diarrhea, yin def. Slightly toxic, avoid overdosing.

• Caution in infants. Lethal dose 50 seeds in adults, 10 in kids.

• 3-9 g

• Zi wan - Aster root / Rx Asteris

• sl warm, bitter / LU

• A&I: Cough d/t wind-cold. Cough w/copious phlegm, difficult expectoration or bloody sputum (Zhi Sou San)

• C&C: Caution: yin def, xs heat. Large dose, long-term not recommended.

• 3-9 g

• Kuan dong hua - Coltsfoot flower / Fl Farfarae Tussilago

• warm, acrid / LU

• A&I: Cough & wheezing/asthma, esp in cold patterns.

• C&C: Caution: cough d/t heat.

• Western: hepatotoxic

• 1.5-9 g

• Su zi, Zi Su Zi - Perilla seed / Fr Perillae

• warm, acrid / LI, LU

• A&I: Cough, wheezing/asthma w/phlegm and chest oppression. (San Zi Yang Qin Tang, Su Zi Jiang Qi Tang)

• Moistens intestines: for dry constipation

• C&C: Contraindicated: diarrhea.

• 4.5-9 g

• Pi pa ye - Loquat leaf / Fm Eriobotryae

• cool, bitter / LU, ST

• A&I: Lung heat: cough, wheezing.

• Stomach heat: hiccough, nausea, vomiting.

• C&C: Contraindicated: cough or vomiting d/t cold.

• 4.5-12 g

• Bai bu - Stemona root / Rx Stemonae

• sl warm, sweet, bitter/ LU

• A&I: Cough, esp d/t deficiency, incl yin def. (Zhi Sou San)

• Topical: kills lice, fleas.

• Enema for pinworm.

• C&C: Contraindicated: Sp def, diarrhea.

• 3-9 g enema: 30-60 g

• Sang bai pi - Mulberry bark / Cx Mori

• cold, sweet, bland / LU,SP

• A&I: Lung heat: cough, wheezing. (Xie Bai San)

• Promotes urination: skin or facial edema. (Wu Pi Yin)

• Hypertension.

• C&C: excess urination, cough d/t wind-cold.

• 6-15 g

• Treat turbid dampness accumulated in middle jiao: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.

• Most enter SP/ST

• Usually symptoms of ST qi stagnation; many herbs in this category move qi

• Warm, Acrid (treat stagnation), Aromatic (penetrate turbidity and "awaken" SP)

• Tend to be VERY drying, inappropriate for Yin-Blood deficiency

Aromatic herbs for Transforming Dampness

• Huo xiang - Agastache / Hb agastachis seu pogastemonis

• sl warm, acrid / LU,SP,ST

• A&I: Turbid-dampness: chest fullness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. (Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San)

• Morning sickness.

• Summerheat-damp. (Gan Lu Xiao Du Dan)

• Stomach flu.

• Bad breath.

• C&C: Contraindicated: yin def heat, St fire. Don't cook longer than 15 min.

• 4.5-9 g

• Pei lan - Eupatorium / Hb Eupatorii

• neutral, acrid / SP,ST

• A&I: Transforms dampness w/o drying: for damp or damp-heat sx.

• Summerheat-damp.

• C&C: Contraindicated: yin def.

• 4.5-9 g

• Hou po - Magnolia bark / Cx Magnoliae officinalis

• warm, bitter, acrid, aromatic/ LU,LI,SP, ST

• A&I: Turbid-damp + stagnant qi or food: chest/ab fullness, nausea, diarrhea, etc. (Ping Wei San, Ban Xia Hou Po Tang)

• Wheezing d/t phlegm-damp. (Su Zi Jiang Qi Tang)

• C&C: Caution in pregnancy.

• 3-9 g

• Cang zhu - Atractylodes / Rz atractylodis

• warm, bitter, acrid, aromatic/ SP,ST

• A&I: Dries dampness, strengthens Sp: damp, low appetite, diarrhea, ab distension. (Ping Wei San)

• Wind-damp bi.

• Low jiao damp-heat: leg qi, leukorrhea, etc (Er Miao San)

• C&C: Contraindicated: yin def heat, qi def sweat.

• Very drying.

• 4.5-9 g

• Bai dou kou - Cardamom seed / Fr Amomi kravanh

• warm, acrid, aromatic/ LU,SP,ST

• A&I: Various damp + qi stagnation sx: chest fullness, low appetite. (San Ren Tang)

• Warms middle, stops vomiting.

• C&C: Contraindicated: yin or blood def, absence of cold-damp.

• decoct: 3-6 g powder: 1.5-4.5 g

• Cao dou kou - Katsumadai seed / Sm Alpiniae katsumadai

• warm, acrid, aromatic/ SP,ST

• A&I: Dries dampness, warm middle: cold pain, vomiting, diarrhea. (Hou Po Wen Zhong Tang)

• C&C: Contraindicated: yin or blood def. Add at end of decoction.

• 1.5-6 g

• Cao guo - Tsaoko / Fr Amomi Tsaoko

• warm, acrid/ SP,ST

• A&I: Strongly dries damp, warms middle: cold pain, vomiting, etc.

• Meat stagnation.

• Malaria. (Da Yuan Yin)

• C&C: qi or blood def, absence of cold-damp. OD: vomiting.

• 1.5-6 g roast to reduce vomiting

• Sha ren - Amomum fruit / Fr Amomi

• warm, acrid, aromatic/ SP,ST

• A&I: Qi stagnation, dampness, or food stagnation. (Dan Shen Yin, Jian Pi Wan)

• Restless fetus + morning sickness.

• Add to tonic formulas to prevent stagnation. (Shen Ling Bai Zhu San, Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi tang)

• C&C: Contraindicated: yin def heat.

• 1.5-6 g Add at end of decoction.

• Used for Food Stagnation patterns; mild, usually made of food substances

• Neutral or slightly warm or cool; sweet or acrid.

• Enter SP/ST

Herbs for relieving Food Stagnation

• Shan zha - Hawthorn fruit / Fructus Crataegi

• sl warm, sour, sweet / LR,SP,ST

• A&I: Food stagnation, esp fatty food: meat, milk, etc. (Bao He Wan, Jian Pi Wan)

• Ab distension, pain, diarrhea. Postpartum ab pain, lochia d/t blood stasis.

• Hypertension, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease

• C&C: Caution: Sp/St def w/o food stagnation, also gastric hyperacidity (sour, acidic).

• 9-15 g

• Mai ya - Germinated barley / Fr Hordei germinatus

• neutral, sweet / LR,SP,ST

• A&I: Food stagnation, esp starch, milk. (Bao He Wan)

• Restrains lactation.

• LR Qi stagnation: fullness in chest, ribs, epigastric pain.

• C&C: Contraindicated during lactation.

• powder: 6-15 g decoct: 12-30 g lactation: 60 g

• Gu ya - Germinated rice / Fr Oryzae germinatus

• neutral, sweet / SP,ST

• A&I: Food stagnation, esp starch, w/ SP & ST deficiency.

• C&C: Effects are weakened by cooking, best added as powder to decoction.

• 9-15 g

• Shen qu - Medicated leaven / Massa fermentata medicinalis

• warm or cool, acrid, sweet / SP,ST

• A&I: Food stagnation, ab distension, diarrhea, gan accumulation. (Bao He Wan, Yue Ju Wan)

• Added to formulas with mineral substances to increase absorption.

• C&C: Caution: pregnancy.

• 6-15 g

• Ji nei jin - Chicken gizzard skin / Endothelium corneum gigeriae galli

• neutral, sweet / UB,SI,SP, ST

• A&I: Strongly dispels food stagnation: ab fullness, diarrhea, infant gan.

• Gallstones, urinary tract stones.

• Topical: mouth & throat sores.

• Bedwetting.

• 3-9 g

• Lai fu zi - Radish seed / Sm Raphani

• neutral, acrid, sweet / LU,SP,ST

• A&I: Food stagnation w/ stagnant Qi: distension, belching, diarrhea. (Bao He Wan)

• Coughing, wheezing d/t phlegm. (San Zi Yang Qin Tang)

• C&C: Caution: Qi def.

• 6-12 g

• Primarily treat Stagnant LR (hypochondriac, PMS) or ST (epigastric, digestive) Qi; some also enter LU, SP.

• Mostly warm & acrid, some also bitter

• Very drying/scattering, caution in deficiency.

Herbs for regulating Qi

• Chen pi, Ju Pi - Tangerine peel / Pericarpium Citri reticulatae

• warm, acrid / LU, SP, ST

• A&I: Qi stagnation and/or turbid dampness in middle jiao w/nausea, vomiting, ab fullness, hiccough. (Er Chen Tang, Ping Wei San)

• Phlegm-damp in the lung: cough w/ profuse sputum. (San Zi Yang Qin Tang)

• Often added to tonic formulas to prevent stagnation. (Liu Jun Zi Tang)

• Ju hong: Red peel: stronger, transforms phlegm.

• Ju bai: White Peel: milder, harmonizes stomach.

• Ju he: Shan qi, bladder qi pain.

• Ju luo: qi stag in luo vessels, chest pain w/chronic cough.

• 3-9 g

• Qing pi - Green tangerine peel / Pericarpium Citri reticulatae viride

• warm, acrid, bitter / GB,LR,ST

• A&I: LR qi stagnation esp w/phlegm bind: chest, breast & rib pain, mastitis.

• Food stagnation, esp severe or w/Liver qi. (Mu Xiang Bing Lang Wan)

• Shan qi. (Tian Tai Wu Yao San)

• C&C: Contraindicated: qi def. Raises blood pressure

• 3-9 g

• Da fu pi - Areca peel / Pc Arecae catechu

• sl warm, acrid / LI,SI,SP, ST

• A&I: Descends qi, reduces stagnation: food stagnation w/constipation.

• Expels dampness: ab distension w/superficial edema, leg qi. (Wu Pi Yin)

• C&C: Caution: qi def

• 6-9 g

• Zhi shi - Immature bitter orange / Fr Aurantii immaturus

• sl cold, acrid, bitter / LI,SP,ST

• A&I: Breaks up qi stagnation: chest & ab fullness, etc. (Si Ni San, Da Chai Hu Tang)

• Constipation w/qi or food stagnation. (Xiao Cheng Qi Tang)

• Prolapse: gastric, rectal, uterine.

• C&C: Caution: pregnancy, weak right qi, sp/st def. Raises blood pressure.

• 3-9 g

• Zhi ke - Bitter Orange / Fr Citri Aurantii

• cool, acrid, bitter / SP,ST

• A&I: Sim to Zhishi but milder, better for weaker patients.

• Diarrhea w/tenesmus.

• Phlegm stagnation in chest, ab fullness, etc.

• Prolapse: gastric, rectal, uterine. (Huai Hua San)

• C&C: Caution: pregnancy, sp/st def

• 3-9 g

• Xiang fu - Cyperus tuber / Rz Cyperi

• Neutral, acrid, sl bitter, sl sweet/ LR,TB

• A&I: LR qi stagnation: painful or irregular menses, flooding & spotting, chest/ab fullness & pain. (Yue Ju Wan, Chai Hu Shu Gan Tang)

• Phlegm.

• Shan qi.

• C&C: qi def w/o stagnation, yin def heat

• 4.5-9 g

• Mu xiang - Costus root / Rx Aucklandiae seu Vladimiriae

• warm, acrid, bitter / GB,LI,SP, ST

• A&I: Various qi stagnation sx: chest & ab fullness, nausea (Hou Po Wen Zhong Tang)

• Diarrhea, dysentery, tenesmus, pain. (Mu Xiang Bing Lang Wan)

• Often added to tonics to prevent stagnation. (Gui Pi Tang, Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang))

• C&C: Contraindicated: yin def or fluid depletion.

• 1.5-4.5 g add @ end of decoction.

• Wu yao - Lindera root / Rx Linderae

• warm, acrid / K,UB,LU, SP

• A&I: Qi stagnation, esp w/cold: chest & ab fullness & pain, vomiting, lower ab pain, cold shan. (Si Mo Tang, Tian Tai Wu Yao San)

• Frequent urination, incontinence d/t Kidney def. (Suo Quan Wan)

• C&C: Contraindicated: qi def, internal heat

• 3-9 g

• Chen xiang - Aquilaria / Lignum Aquilariae resinatum

• warm, acrid, bitter, aromatic/ K,SP,ST

• A&I: Cold & qi stagnation: ab distension/pain, nausea/vomiting. (Si Mo Tang, Su He Xiang Wan)

• Wheezing d/t xs or def. (Si Mo Tang)

• Constipation, dysuria d/t qi stagnation.

• C&C: Contraindicated: qi def w/ prolapse, yin def heat

• 3-9 g

• Tan xiang - Sandalwood / Lignum Santati albi

• warm, acrid / LU,SP,ST

• A&I: Cold & qi stagnation: ab pain, vomiting w/ clear fluid. (Su He Xiang Wan)

• Chest pain, coronary artery disease. (Dan Shen Yin)

• Cheaper substitute for Chen Xiang.

• C&C: Contraindicated: yin def heat

• 1-3 g

• Xie bai - Macrostem onion / Bulbus Allii macrostemi

• warm, acrid, bitter / LU, LI, ST

• A&I: Cold phlegm in chest: chest pain radiating to back, dyspnea. (Gua Luo Xie Bai Bai Jiu Tang)

• Dysentery w/ tenesmus.

• C&C: Caution: qi def, peptic ulcers

• dried: 4.5-9 g fresh: 30-60 g

• Fo shou - Finger citron / Fr Citri sarcodactylis

• sl warm, acrid, bitter / LU,LR, ST,SP

• A&I: Strongly moves qi, but weak for stopping pain.

• Harmonizes St & Sp: poor appetite, belching, nausea & vomiting.

• Chronic cough w/chest pain d/t phlegm.

• C&C: Contraindicated: yin def heat, absence of stagnation

• 3-9 g

• Chuan lian zi / Jin ling zi - Sichuan chinaberry / Fr Melia Toosedan

• cold, bitter, sl toxic / LR, UB, SI, ST

• A&I: Liver qi stagnation w/damp heat or liver fire patterns: rib, chest, stomach, hernia pain. (Jin Ling Zi San, Yi Guan Jian)

• Parasites (roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms; topically for scalp fungus)

• C&C: Contraindicated: sp/st def cold

• 3-9 g

• Shi di - Persimmon calyx / Calyx kaki

• neutral, bitter, astringent

• A&I: Directs qi downward, stops hiccough d/t heat or cold. (Ding Xiang Shi Di Tang)

• 6-12 g