Ge Gen Tang, Kudzu Decoction, adds Ge Gen and Ma Huang to the Gui Zhi Tang base. The catalogue classes it among the formulas that release an Exterior disorder showing in the head and neck.

Herb

Amount

12 g

9 g

6 g

6 g

9 g

12 g

6 g

Actions and indications

Releases the Exterior and expels Wind-Cold from the muscle layer

Excess-type Tai Yang Cold damage, or Tai Yang and Yang Ming disorder together
Chills and fever with no sweating, and dislike of wind and cold
Headache, possibly with irritability or disturbed sleep
Early Wind-Cold with diarrhea or loose stools, and at times nausea
Rhinitis or sinusitis passing from acute to chronic, with stuffy nose, swollen mucosa and sensitivity to dust
Tongue normal or slightly red with a thin white coat; pulse floating and tight

Raises fluids and relaxes the muscles of the neck and upper back

Neck pain, with marked stiffness and rigidity of the neck, shoulders and upper back, and muscle spasms
Early Wind-Cold Bi in a few joints, with intense but brief inflammation that changes over days or weeks

Harmonizes Ying and Wei and the Stomach

Modern uses

Common cold
Influenza
Upper respiratory tract infection
Stomach flu
Fever
Pneumonia
Bronchitis
Tonsillitis
Scarlet fever
Rubella
Early-stage poliomyelitis
Early-stage encephalitis
Meningitis
Headache
Tension headache
Neck pain and stiffness
Torticollis
Acute cervical myositis
Cervical spine disease
Cervical spondylosis
Cervical osteoarthritis
Shoulder pain
Frozen shoulder
Periarthritis of the shoulder
Tendinitis of shoulder
Bursitis of shoulder
Forty-year wrists
Fifty-year shoulders
Lumbar disc disease
Lumbar strain
Lumbago
Soft tissue injuries
Arthralgia
Rheumatoid arthritis
Painful obstruction
Neuralgia
Trigeminal neuralgia
Facial paralysis
Bell's palsy
Hypertension
Cerebral vascular insufficiency
Cerebrovascular disease
Eclampsia
Allergic rhinitis
Chronic rhinitis
Sinusitis
Stuffy nose
Otitis media
Otitis externa
Gingivitis
Iritis
Keratitis
Conjunctivitis
Trachoma
Hordeolum
Aqueous flare following complicated cataract surgery
Chronic pediatric diarrhea
Acute enteritis
Bacillary dysentery
Diarrhea
Constipation alternating with diarrhea
Gastritis
Anorexia
Gynecomastia
Liver cirrhosis with painful gynecomastia
Urticaria
Eczema
Psoriasis
Scleroderma
Furuncles
Boils
Lymphadenitis
Mastitis

Modifications

Severe nasal blockage: + chuan xiong, + huang qin, + xin yi hua, + jie geng

Urticaria: + chan tui

Severe facial pain (combined with Tao He Cheng Qi Tang): + du huo

Interior Heat: + huang qin, + shi gao

Headache: + qiang huo, + bai zhi

Rebellious Stomach Qi with nausea and vomiting: + zhi ban xia, + fu ling

Fever and thirst: + zhi mu, + shi gao

Severe shoulder pain: + fu ling, + bai zhu, + zhi fu zi

Diarrhea and belly pain with burning: + huang qin, + huang lian

Itchy skin: + jiang can

Fibromyalgia, channels blocked by Phlegm stagnation: + xin yi hua, + chuan xiong

Fibromyalgia from Blood deficiency (combined with Shi Quan Da Bu Tang)

Show all 30 modifications

Fibromyalgia from Qi deficiency or other patterns: formulas listed without a clear match are Shen Tong Zhu Yu Tang, Shen Qi Wan, Yi Qi Cong Ming Tang and Fu Zi Li Zhong Tang
Neck and shoulder pain (combined with San Bi Tang): + ge gen, + gui zhi
Periarthritis of the shoulder (combined with Shi Pi Yin or San Bi Tang): + xi xin, + qiang huo
Facial paralysis: + zhi bai fu zi, + jiang can, + quan xie
Facial paralysis with Dampness (combined with Qian Zheng San): + fu ling, + cang zhu
Facial paralysis, alternatively Qian Zheng San alone
Facial paralysis with fever (combined with Qian Zheng San): + huang qin, + chai hu
Aqueous flare after cataract surgery (combined with Huang Lian Jie Du Tang)
Scleroderma: + ge gen
Crick in the neck: + qiang huo, + luo shi teng
Neck and upper back pain with cervical osteoarthritis: + qiang huo, + qin jiao, + sang zhi, + jiang huang, + xi xin, + ru xiang, + mo yao, + mu gua, + bu gu zhi, − ma huang, − sheng jiang, − da zao, − gan cao
Neck pain: + qiang huo
Neck pain, headache: + qiang huo, + chuan xiong, + bai zhi
Neck pain, feverish: + qiang huo, + chai hu, + qian hu
Neck pain, runny nose: + qiang huo, + jie geng, + fang feng
Neck pain, aversion to cold: + qiang huo, + zhi fu zi, + xi xin
Eclampsia from Phlegm-Heat: + zhu li, + zhi ban xia
Eclampsia from Phlegm stagnation: + zhe bei mu, + mu dan pi, + han fang ji, + fang feng, + dang gui, + chuan xiong, + rou gui, + ze xie, + du huo, + shi gao, + ren shen, − ma huang, − gui zhi, − bai shao, − sheng jiang, − da zao

Cautions

contraindication Not for exterior deficiency with spontaneous sweating, or once sweating has already happened; that case calls for Gui Zhi Tang without Ma Huang

contraindication Not for Wind-Heat, or once Wind-Cold has turned into interior Heat

contraindication Not for Lin syndrome

contraindication Not for bleeding from Yin deficiency

contraindication Not for bacterial (Heat-type) infections or infections of the skin

contraindication Not for patients with a weak pulse, general debility or copious urination

caution Use carefully in hypertension; Ma Huang has ephedrine-type stimulant effects on the heart and circulation and is a regulated herb in many jurisdictions

caution Do not let the patient sweat heavily, and keep courses short

caution Fever, severe headache, drowsiness or a rash alongside neck stiffness can signal meningitis or encephalitis; send for emergency care

Pinyin

ge gen tang

English Name

Kudzu Decotion

ge gen tang

About ge gen tang

Ingredients

Actions and indications

Releases the Exterior and expels Wind-Cold from the muscle layer

Raises fluids and relaxes the muscles of the neck and upper back

Harmonizes Ying and Wei and the Stomach

Modern uses

Symptoms

Modifications

Cautions

Preparation

Names

Classification

Support