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Notopterygium Dampness-Overcoming Decoction
羌活胜湿汤 〔羌活勝濕湯〕qiāng huó shèng shī tāng
Source: Nèi Wài Shāng Biàn Huò Lùn 内外伤辨惑论
Ingredients:
- Qiāng huó (羌活 Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix, notopterygium [root]) 3–10g
- Dú huó (独活 Angelicae Pubescentis Radix, pubescent angelica) 3–10g
- Gǎo běn (藁本 Ligustici Rhizoma, Chinese lovage [root]) 9–12g
- Fáng fēng (防风 Saposhnikoviae Radix, saposhnikovia) 3–10g
- Chuān xiōng (川芎 Chuanxiong Rhizoma, chuanxiong [rhizome]) 3–6g
- Màn jīng zǐ (蔓荆子 Viticis Fructus, vitex [fruit]) 6–12g
- Gān cǎo (甘草 Glycyrrhizae Radix, licorice [root]) 3g
Action: Dispels wind and resolves the exterior; relieves pain.
Indication: Wind-damp in the exterior with headache and heavy-headedness, or generalized pain, aversion to cold with
Category: Dampness-dispelling formulas / Wind-dispelling dampness-overcoming formula
Method: Decoct with water.
Warnings: Contraindicated in
Rationale: Qiāng huó and Dú huó dispel wind-damp and relieve impediment (bì) pain, the former acting on the upper body and the latter on the lower body. Fáng fēng and Gǎo běn dispel wind, disperse cold, overcome dampness, and relieve pain. Chuān xiōng quickens the blood and dispels wind, working according to the principle that when blood moves, the wind naturally disappears.
Màn jīng zǐ bears upward to relieve headache, while Zhì gān cǎo harmonizes all the agents of the formula.
Variations:
- Prevalence of cold and damp with
generalized heaviness : Add Fáng fēng (防风 Saposhnikoviae Radix, saposhnikovia), Yì yǐ rén (薏苡仁 Coicis Semen, coix [seed]), and Fù zǐ (附子 Aconiti Radix Lateralis Praeparata, aconite [accessory root]). - Prevalence of dampness and heat with heat and
joint pain : Add Cāng zhú (苍朮 Atractylodis Rhizoma, atractylodes [rhizome]), Huáng bǎi (黄柏 Phellodendri Cortex, phellodendron [bark]), and Yì yǐ rén (薏苡仁 Coicis Semen, coix [seed]). - Wind-cold
common cold and influenza: Add Jīng jiè (荆芥 Schizonepetae Herba, schizonepeta) and Shēng jiāng (生姜 Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens, fresh ginger). Wind-damp impediment (fēng shī bì) pain: Add Qín jiāo (秦艽 Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix, large gentian [root]) and Fáng fēng (防风 Saposhnikoviae Radix, saposhnikovia).Hemilateral headache : Add Chái hú (柴胡 Bupleuri Radix, bupleurum [root]) and Huáng qín (黄芩 Scutellariae Radix, scutellaria [root]).Headache and tension in the neck due to hypertension: Add Gé gēn (葛根 Puerariae Radix, pueraria [root]) and Chì sháo (赤芍 Paeoniae Radix Rubra, red peony [root]).