Ba Wei Dai Xia Fang

Source: Selected Formulas of Famous Physicians (1781)

Category: Formulas that Expel Dampness

Pattern: Damp-Heat in the lower Jiao

Key Symptoms: Subjective feeling of cold due to underlying deficiency with profuse red, yellow or white vaginal discharge
Secondary Symptoms: Aching in the lower back, abdominal pain, itching sores

Tongue: Pale with white or yellow coat
Pulse: Slippery and forceless

Ingredients

Dang Gui

Pinyin: Dang Gui Chinese: 當歸 Pharmaceutical: Radix Angelicae sinensis Taxonomy: Angelica sinensis English: Chinese Angelica Root / Tang-Kuei / Dong Quai Root
Tastes: Sweet, Pungent, Warm Meridians Entered: Heart and Liver
Actions & Indications: Tonifies the Blood and regulates the menses Blood Deficiency, especially when affecting the Heart and Liver with pale, ashen complexion, lusterless nails, tinnitus, blurred vision and palpitations Blood Deficiency associated irregular menstruation, amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea Invigorates and harmonizes the Blood and disperses Cold (stops pain due to Blood Stasis) Blood Stasis causing abdominal pain and carbuncles and pain due to Blood Stasis from traumatic injury, especially when accompanied by Deficiency Cold Postpartum menstruation Pregnancy (use with caution) Blood Deficiency with chronic Wind-Damp-Bi Moistens the Intestines and unblocks the bowels Dry Intestines due to Blood Deficiency Reduces swelling, expels pus, generates flesh and alleviates pain Sores and abscess (Chuang Yung), internally and topically Stops coughing and treats dyspnea Used adjunctively for coughing Tonifies the Blood while suppressing Parasites Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998) Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
Standard Dosage: 6-12g in decoction. Cautions: It is contraindicated in cases of Damp-Heat stagnating in the Middle, Lung Heat with Phlegm Fire, and Yin deficiency with effulgent Yang because it is warm and sweet in properties. In addition, it should be used with caution in cases of loose stool because it can moisten intestines to smooth stool. Many sources recommend using caution, avoiding or only taking under guidance of a TCM physician during pregnancy as it can cause uterine contractions. However, there are no studies supporting this and the only scientific literature seems to suggest that Z-Ligustilide has anti-spasmodic activities that alleviate dysmenorrhoea by inhibiting uterine contractions (Du et al., 2006; Dietz et al., 2016). Caution is also advised in breast cancer patients due to its oestrogen stimulating activity. This based upon Lau et al (2005) who found it may stimulate breast cancer growth in vitro, however Yue et al, (2019) demonstrated that it is not that stimulatory in breast cancer both in vitro and in vivo through a series of tests, although they suggested it should still be used with caution in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Conversely, a large population study in Taiwan by Wu et al (2014) found it reduced the subsequent risk of endometrial cancer in breast cancer survivors taking tamoxifen, especially in those of reproductive age.

0.5-1g

(add near end)

Pinyin: Da Huang Chinese: 大黄 Pharmaceutical: Radix et Rhizoma Rhei Taxonomy: Rheum palmatum English: Chinese Rhubarb Root
Tastes: Bitter, cold Meridians Entered: Large Intestine, Spleen, Stomach, Liver and Heart
Actions & Indications: Drains Heat and purges accumulations Intestinal Heat Excess, with high fever, profuse sweating, thirst, constipation, abdominal distention and pain, delirium, a yellow tongue coat and a full pulse Yang-Ming Fu Stage Qi Level Heat in the Intestines Drains Fire Fire from Excess with intense fever, sore throat, and painful eyes and constipation Fire toxin sores due to Xue Level Heat, especially with constipation Clears Heat, transforms Dampness and promotes urination Damp-Heat with oedema, jaundice, painful urinary dysfunction and acute, hot dysenteric disorders Drains Heat from the Blood Bloody stool either from hemorrhoids or Heat in the Intestines Chaotic movement of hot Blood with hemoptysis or epistaxis with constipation It can be powdered and administered orally for bleeding in the upper digestive tract Invigorates the Blood and dispels Blood Stasis Blood Stasis with amenorrhea, fixed abdominal masses or fixed pain Blood Stasis due to traumatic injury Intestinal abscess Clears Heat and reduces Fire toxicity Topically or internally for burns or skin lesions (Chuang Yung) due to Heat Clears Heat and eliminates Phlegm Chronic Accumulation of Phlegm-Heat with cough, dyspnea, mania, disorientation and other symptoms of Phlegm Misting the Heart
Standard Dosage: 10-15g in decoction. Excessive decoction will reduce the purgative action. Therefore it should be added at end to achieve this purpose and over-decocted to eliminate this action. Cautions: It should be used with caution in case of spleen and stomach deficiency for its bitter and cold property which is easily to damage stomach qi. It is contraindicated to women during pregnancy, menstruation or lactation for it has actions of activating blood and resolving stasis, and can make the purged substances follow lactating out.

Preparation: Decoction.

Actions: Clears Heat, resolves toxicity, dispels Dampness, stops vaginal discharge

Contraindications: Vaginal discharge in the absence of Damp-Heat

Notes:
In modern practice the dosages are often increased. Da Huang may be omitted if the stools are loose.

Research Links:

American Dragon

TCMWiki

Journal of Chinese Medicine

National Resource Centre for Chinese Materia Medica, China

TCM-ID Integrated Database, East China Normal University

TCM-ID Information Database, National University of Singapore

Pubmed

Science Direct

Google Scholar

Bai Du (Chinese)

A+ Medical Encyclopedia (Chinese)

Reference Notes: (click to display)

These pages are intended to assist clinicians and are not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment for which a qualified professional should be consulted.

Herb Formulas Notebook

Eight Ingredient Formula for Vaginal Discharge