HERB FORMULAS

ZHI GAN CAO TANG

English: Honey- fried Licorice Decoction
Also Known As: Prepared Licorice Decoction
Baked or Roasted Licorice Combination or
Fu Mai Tang (Restore the Pulse Decoction).

HERBS AND ACTIONS

Pharmaceutical Latin
Pin Yin
Dosage
Actions
Rx. Glycyrrhizae Preparata Zhi Gan Cao 3-12g Tonifies the Spleen, augments Qi and nourishes the Heart.
With Ren Shen, relieves palpitations and anxiety.
With Da Zao and Ren Shen, tonifies Spleen and Stomach Qi.
With Ren Shen, Gui Zhi, Sheng Di Huang and E Jiao, for Heart Qi and Blood Deficiencies with an irregular heart beat and palpitations.
Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen 3-6g Calms the Shen, strongly tonifies Yuan Qi and tonifies the Heart.
(Rx. Codonopsis) (Dang Shen) 6-18g (Tonifies the Middle Jiao and augments Qi - may substitute for Ren Shen.)
(With Zhi Gan Cao, for anorexia, fatigue and loose stools due to Spleen Deficiency and palpitations due to Heart Qi Deficiency.)
Ram. Cinnamomi Gui Zhi 3-10g Assists the Heart Yang and warms and facilitates the flow of Yang Qi in the chest.
 With Ren Shen, strongly unblocks Heart Qi.
With Zhi Gan Cao, for palpitations and shortness of breath due to injured Yang of the chest.
With Zhi Gan Cao, Ren Shen and E Jiao, for palpitations and intermittent pulse due to Heart Yin and Yang Deficiencies.
Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang 6-48g Clears Heat, cools Heart Fire and nourishes Blood and Heart Yin.
With E Jiao for coughing, hematemesis, epistaxis, and uterine hemorrhage due to Heat from Deficiency.
Tub. Ophiopogonis Mai Men Dong 6-10g Moistens Stomach and Lung Dryness, moistens the Intestines clears the Heart and eliminates irritability.
With Sheng Di Huang, for hematemesis or epistaxis due to Yin Deficiency with Excess Heat.
Colla Corii Asini E Jiao 2-10g Enriches Yin, nourishes the Blood and moistens Dryness.
Sm. Cannabis Huo Ma Ren 3-20g Nourishes Yin and moistens Intestines.
With Sheng Di Huang and Mai Men Dong, for Yin Deficiency with constipation.
Rz. Zingiberis Recens Sheng Jiang 3-9g Normalizes the flow of Qi at the center and warms the Middle.
With Da Zao, regulates Ying and Wei.
With Gui Zhi, warms and dispels thin mucus in the Stomach with nausea, hiccough, Stomach pain, acid reflux or vomiting of clear fluid.
Fr. Zizyphi Jujube Da Zao 3-6g Benefits the Spleen, nourishes the Heart, nourishes Blood, calms the Shen and moderates and harmonizes the harsh properties of other herbs.
With Zhi Gan Cao and Ren Shen, tonifies Spleen and Stomach Qi.
With Sheng Jiang, enhances the effect of Blood tonics by facilitating digestion and absorption.
White Wine Bai Jiu   Assists movement.

FORMULA ACTIONS

  • Augments Qi
  • Nourishes Blood
  • Enriches Yin
  • Restores the Pulse

SYNDROMES

  • Heart Qi Deficiency
  • Qi, Blood and Yin Deficiencies due to worry and emotional excess injuring Heart and Spleen
  • Irregular pulses (knotted and intermittent) due to Yang Deficiency and Yin Deficiency
  • Generalized numbness due to Exhaustion of Ying and Wei
  • Lung atrophy due to Yin Deficiency

CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS

  • Palpitations
  • Anxiety
  • Irritability
  • Insomnia
  • Emaciation
  • Shortness of breath
  • Constipation
  • Dry mouth and throat
  • Numbness
  • Dry cough
  • Cough with little or no sputum
  • Cough with blood streaked sputum
  • Spontaneous perspiration
  • Night sweats
  • Five sole Heat due to stress
  • Early menses
  • Restlessness
  • Dry tongue
  • Pale copious menstrual flow
  • Weakness
  • Memory loss
  • Excess dreams
  • Fright
  • Tired body
  • Dry, hard stool
  • Coarse skin
  • Dry throat
  • Fatigue
  • Weakness
  • A skinny appearance
  • T: Pale and shiny or Red
  • C: Thin and white or None
  • P: Knotted or Intermittent or Minute, forceless and Deficient or Thready and rapid

TREATS

  • Supraventricular arrhythmia
  • Rheumatic heart disease
  • Mitral stenosis
  • Mitral valve prolapse
  • Hyperthyroidism
  • Pulmonary tuberculosis
  • Emphysema
  • Neurasthenia
  • Hyperpnea
  • Atrial fibrillation
  • Upper gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to cirrhosis
  • Hyperactivity of the sympathetic nervous system
  • Hepatitis C

CONTRAINDICATIONS AND HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

CONTRAINDICATIONS
  • Contraindicated for those with Heat from Yin Deficiency.
  • Contraindicated for those with severe diarrhea
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

NOTES

  • This is historically considered the best formula to treat irregular heart beat characterized by a knotted pulse (slow and regularly irregular).and an intermittent pulse Irregularly irregular).

MODIFICATIONS

For Lung atrophy: For chest pain and discomfort:
+ Less or omit Ram Cinnamomi Gui Zhi + Rx. Salviae Miltiorrhizae Dan Shen
+ Less or omit Rz. Zingiberis Sheng Jiang + Sm. Persicae Tao Ren
- White Wine Bai Jiu
For insomnia:
+ Gecko Ge Jie - Sm. Cannabis Huo Ma Ren
+ Sm. Stemonae Bai Bu + Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae Suan Zao Ren
For severe Lung Yin Deficiency:
or
- Ram Cinnamomi Gui Zhi - Sm. Cannabis Huo Ma Ren
- Rz. Zingiberis Sheng Jiang + Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae Suan Zao Ren
+ Bul. Lily Bai He + Sm. Platycladi Bai Zi Ren
+ Rx. Glehniae Bei Sha Shen
or
For severe palpitations:
 - Sm. Cannabis Huo Ma Ren
+ Magnetitum Ci Shi + Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae Suan Zao Ren
+ Cinnabaris Zhu Sha + Fossilia Dentis Mastodi Long Chi
For nosebleed due to Yin Deficiency:
or
+ More Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang - Sm. Cannibals Huo Ma Ren
+ Tub. Ophiopogonis Mai Men Dong + Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae Suan Zao Ren
+ Rx. Scutellariae Huang Qin + Magnetitum Ci Shi
+ Rz. Coptidis Huang Lian
For Qi Deficiency:
For arrhythmias:
+ Rx. Astragali Huang Qi
+ Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae Suan Zao Ren
For Yang Deficiency:
+ Sm. Platycladi Bai Zi Ren + Rx. Aconiti Lateralis Preparata Zhi Fu Zi
For generalized fatigue and Deficiency:
For a poor appetite:
+ Rx. Asparagi Tian Men Dong + Per. Citri Reticulatae Chen Pi
+ Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata Shu Di Huang + Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum Zhi Ban Xia
For cough due to Lung atrophy:
For a feeling of chest congestion:
+ Rx. Platycodi Jie Geng + Poria Fu Ling
+ Fr. Aurantii Immaturus Zhi Shi + Sm. Armeniacae Xing Ren
For irritability and fright:
For nausea and vomiting:
+ Rx. Astragali Huang Qi
+ Warm the Gallbladder Decoction:
Wen Dan Tang
+ Fr. Schisandrae Wu Wei Zi
For edema:
For edema:
+ Poria Fu Ling
+ Less Rx. Glycyrrhizae Preparata Zhi Gan Cao + Sm. Plantaginis Che Qian Zi
For hepatitis C due to Kidney and Liver Yin Deficiencies:
    
   
- Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen    
- Ram. Cinnamomi Gui Zhi    
- Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang    
- Rz. Zingiberis Recens Sheng Jiang    
- Rx. Paeoniae Alba Bai Shao    
+ Plastrum Testudinis Gui Ban    
+ Carapax Trionycis Bie Jia    
+ Concha Ostreae Mu Li