gan cao gan jiang tang

Name: gan cao gan jiang tang
Creator: Bencao Index

Licorice and Ginger Decoction

About gan cao gan jiang tang

Gan Cao Gan Jiang Tang, Licorice and Ginger Decoction, pairs Zhi Gan Cao with Gan Jiang. The catalogue classes it among the formulas that warm the Middle and dispel Cold, and records it as warming the Lungs and restoring the Yang of Spleen and Lung.

Ingredients

Herb	Amount
zhi gan cao	12 g
gan jiang	6 g

Actions and indications

Warms the Lungs and restores Spleen and Lung Yang

Lung atrophy of the deficiency-Cold type (Cold in the Lung)
Spitting up plenty of thin, clear, frothy saliva or sputum, with no cough and no thirst
Dizziness, with frequent clear urine or incontinence because the weak Lung above cannot control the lower body
Cold breath, spontaneous sweating and irritability
After wrongly applied sweating has damaged Yang: cold limbs and a dry throat, where Yang is restored first and Yin nourished afterwards

Warms the Middle Jiao and strengthens the Stomach

Spleen-Stomach deficiency abdominal pain that warmth and pressure relieve and cold worsens
Cold pain in the epigastrium, poor appetite and loose stools from a weak, under-warmed Middle Jiao
Bleeding from Spleen Yang deficiency
Externally contracted fever with Cold inside
Bland taste and a pale complexion
Tongue pale and moist without coat; pulse frail, or deep and slow, or wiry and tight

Modern uses

Enuresis
Urinary incontinence
Excessive drooling
Allergic rhinitis
Hayfever
Recurrent epistaxis
Recurrent metrorrhagia
Gastric prolapse
Ulcer
Chronic gastritis
Emphysema
Pulmonary tuberculosis

Symptoms

Abdominal pain
Absence of thirst
Bland taste in the mouth
Clear profuse urine
Cold breath
Cold limbs
Dizziness
Dry throat
Epigastric pain
Excessive salivation
Frequent urination
Irritability
Loose stools
Muscle spasms
Pain relieved by pressure
Pallor
Poor appetite
Preference for warmth
Spontaneous sweating
Urinary incontinence

Modifications

Urinary incontinence: + yi zhi ren, + wu yao
Epigastric and abdominal pain from Spleen-Stomach deficiency Cold: + gao liang jiang, + rou gui
Nosebleed, blood in the stool or vomiting of blood from deficiency Cold: + pao jiang, − gan jiang
Pulmonary tuberculosis: + fu ling, + xing ren, + zhi ban xia
Pulmonary tuberculosis with greater Qi deficiency: + fu ling, + xing ren, + zhi ban xia, + huang qi, + dang shen, + bai zhu
Pulmonary tuberculosis, marked dizziness: + fu ling, + xing ren, + zhi ban xia, + shi chang pu

Cautions

contraindication Unsuitable where there is Heat, Yin deficiency showing Heat, excess, or Damp-Heat
caution Too mild on its own for severe Yang collapse with icy limbs and a faint or barely palpable pulse
caution Prolonged or high-dose use of Zhi Gan Cao can lead to pseudoaldosteronism, with low potassium, raised blood pressure and edema
caution With diuretics, corticosteroids or digoxin: check potassium during prolonged use; the same applies in hypertension or kidney or heart disease
pregnancy Pregnant patients should take it only with a qualified practitioner overseeing

Preparation

Both herbs simmered in water; drink warm

Names

Pinyin	gan cao gan jiang tang
English Name	Licorice and Ginger Decoction

Classification

Category: Warm the Middle and Dispel Cold

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