Herb

Amount

gui zhi

9 g

9 g

9 g

9 g

9 g

Actions and indications

Invigorates the Blood and transforms Blood stasis

Blood stasis forming a fixed mass (zheng jia) in the Lower Jiao or uterus
Blood stasis in the uterus leaving the fetus poorly nourished, or Blood stasis after an abortion
Painful, irregular or prolonged periods with dark, clotted blood; absent or painful periods with distension; scanty flow
Slight, ongoing bleeding of purple-black blood in pregnancy, with an unsettled fetus
Lochia retained after childbirth
Tongue purple or dark purple, with dark or purple spots along the edges, bruise-like patches or petechiae, or pale with purplish spots; white coat
Pulse choppy, possibly wiry and slippery in pregnancy, or tense, deep and slow

Softens lumps and reduces fixed abdominal pain

Fixed, immovable masses in the lower abdomen from stagnant Phlegm and Blood, felt as fullness or hardness
Chronic fixed, stabbing pain of the lower abdomen made worse by pressure, with spasm and tension of the abdomen
Protruding abdomen and a sense of excess weight in the pelvis
Headache, sinus congestion, stiff shoulders, vertigo and a flushed face, with a cold lower body and feet
Low back ache, constipation, nervousness and fatigue
Skin eruptions, or dry, scaly skin

Modern uses

Primary dysmenorrhea
Uterine fibroids
Cervical erosion
Ovarian cysts
Chronic salpingitis
Chronic pelvic inflammatory disease
Endometritis
Endometriosis
Lochioschesis (retained lochia)
Adnexitis
Hysteromyoma
Metropolypus
Pelvic cellulitis
Menstrual irregularity
Dysmenorrhea
Amenorrhea
Uterine myoma
Infertility
Ovaritis
Contusions
Hemorrhoids
Dermatitis
Eczema
Postpartum uterine bleeding
Inflammation of the oviduct
Menopausal disorders
Perimenopause with uterine leiomyomas
Ectopic pregnancy
Stillbirth
Male infertility with varicocele
Prostatitis
Nephrotic syndrome
Premature ovarian failure
Abdominal pain
Abdominal spasms
Fatigue
Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy
Abdominal pain during pregnancy
Dry skin
Lower abdominal masses
Breast cancer
Leukorrhea
Fetal instability
Premenstrual syndrome
Stiff, painful low back
Shoulder stiffness
Headache
Urticaria
Black skin spots
Pimples
Frigorism
Nervousness
Neurosis
Hysteria
Hordeolum
Hemophthalmos
Blepharitis
Keratitis
Prostamegaly
Hypertension
Arthritis
Neuralgia
Rheumatism
Vertigo
Hand skin thickening from cleaning agents
Allergy to cosmetics
Prostatic hypertrophy
Post ischemic brain injury
Scleroderma
Bladder cancer
Abdominal tension
Post-hemorrhoidectomy
Enuresis
Retained placenta
Constipation
Fetal restlessness
Thyroid cancer
Pelvic inflammatory disease

Symptoms

Abdominal distention

Abdominal mass

Abdominal pain

Amenorrhea

Bleeding

Cold limbs

Constipation

Dizziness

Dry skin

Dysmenorrhea

Fatigue

Fixed pain

Flushed face

Headache

Irregular menstruation

Low back pain

Lower abdominal pain

Menstrual clots

Nasal congestion

Nervousness

Pain aggravated by pressure

Prolonged menstruation

Rash

Retained lochia

Scanty menstruation

Stabbing pain

Stiff shoulders

Modifications

Marked Blood stasis: + da huang

Anaemia: + dang gui, + chuan xiong

Period pain: + chuan xiong, + e zhu, + yan hu suo

Oedema with scanty urine: + ze xie

Liver tension: + chai hu, + xiang fu

Liver tension, other option: + chuan xiong, + dang gui, + hong hua, + yan hu suo, + huai niu xi

Uterine tumour: + chai hu, + zhi ke, + yi yi ren, + gan cao

Blood stasis after miscarriage or abortion: + hong hua

To tonify Qi: + dang shen

Fibroids: + e zhu, + yi mu cao

Internal cold: + gan jiang

Cramping period pain: + xiang fu, + chen pi, + yan hu suo

Show all 46 modifications

Enlarged prostate: + hu zhang
Severe dysmenorrhoea (combined with Shi Xiao San): + yan hu suo
Nephrotic syndrome (combined with Wu Pi San)
Amenorrhea: + zhi shi, + hong hua
Obesity or Phlegm-Damp with fibroids: + zhi ban xia, + zhe bei mu, + xia ku cao, + hai zao, + kun bu
Obesity or Phlegm-Damp with fibroids, other option: + fu ling pi, + xiang fu, + hong hua, + wu yao, + chong wei zi, − fu ling
Large or stubborn fibroids (combined with Si Ni San): + bie jia, + chuan shan jia, + zhi ke, − zhi shi
Fibroids with Qi deficiency: + dang shen, + huang qi, + bai zhu
Fibroids with Blood deficiency: + dang gui, + e jiao
Fibroids with Qi stagnation: + qing pi, + chai hu, + san leng, + e zhu, + chuan lian zi, + yan hu suo, + pu huang, + wu ling zhi
Uterine fibroids: + dan shen, + huai niu xi, + mu li
Uterine fibroids, other option: + bie jia, + mu li, + yin chen, + qing pi, + xu duan, + huang bai, + huang qi, + shi shang bai
Pelvic inflammatory disease: + xiang fu, + yan hu suo, + dang gui
Ovarian cysts: + huang yao zi, + ji nei jin, + shui zhi, + li zhi he, + wu yao
Ovarian cysts, other option (combined with Da Huang Zhe Chong Wan): + da huang, + gui ban
Endometriosis: + da huang, + gan cao
Severe endometriosis: + da huang, + gan cao, + san leng, + e zhu, + chuan shan jia
Endometriosis with severe pain: + da huang, + gan cao, + ru xiang, + mo yao, + lu lu tong
Endometriosis with constipation: + da huang, + gan cao, + tao ren
General weakness and Qi deficiency in endometriosis: + da huang, + gan cao, + huang qi, + dang shen
Endometriosis with irregular periods: + da huang, + gan cao, + dang gui, + xiang fu, + yi mu cao
Perimenopausal syndrome with uterine leiomyoma (combined with Shao Yao Gan Cao Tang)
Brain injury after ischaemia (combined with Huang Lian Jie Du Tang or Chai Hu Long Gu Mu Li Tang)
Urinary stones with lower-abdominal Blood stasis and pain on pressure: + yi yi ren
Infertility with painful periods: + hong hua, + dan shen, + san leng, + e zhu
Endometriosis with Yang deficiency: + bai shao, + da huang, + wu zhu yu, + dang shen, + e jiao, − chi shao
Endometriosis with short cycles and heavy flow from Heat: + bai shao, + da huang, + pu huang (tan), + zhi xiang fu, + dan shen, + dang gui, + zhi zi, + san qi, − chi shao
Endometriosis with short cycles and scanty flow from heavier Blood stasis: + bai shao, + da huang, + pu huang, + wu ling zhi, + shan zha, + e zhu, + huai niu xi, + dang gui, + chai hu, − chi shao
Endometriosis with abdominal lumps from still more severe Blood stasis: + bai shao, + da huang, + dan shen, + wang bu liu xing, + wa leng zi, + hai zao, + chuan xiong, + ru xiang, − chi shao
Endometriosis from severe Blood stagnation: + san leng, + e zhu, + chuan lian zi, + yan hu suo, + dan shen, + xia ku cao, + shan ci gu
Endometriosis from severe Blood stagnation, with heavy menstrual bleeding: + san qi, + wu ling zhi, + pu huang, + chuan lian zi, + yan hu suo, + dan shen, + xia ku cao, + qian cao gen, + hai piao xiao, − tao ren
Thyroid cancer: + yi yi ren
Chronic pelvic inflammatory disease: + xiang fu, + dan shen, + bai shao, + yan hu suo, + lian qiao, + mo yao, + ji nei jin
More pronounced Damp: + yi yi ren

Cautions

pregnancy Pregnancy: generally avoided, since Tao Ren and Mu Dan Pi break up Blood; its classical use for a mass with bleeding in pregnancy calls for extreme caution and direct supervision by a qualified practitioner, never self-prescription

caution After childbirth: use only with extreme caution

contraindication Use only when Blood stasis is confirmed; in Blood deficiency without stasis the Blood-breaking herbs needlessly drain healthy Blood

contraindication Not meant for serious Blood stagnation or for excess Heat in the Blood

caution Heavy bleeding, or bleeding not caused by stasis: Tao Ren and Mu Dan Pi move the Blood rather than astringe it

caution Medical and gynaecological diagnosis and care are needed for fibroids, ovarian cysts, pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility and bleeding after childbirth, and heavy postpartum bleeding is an emergency; the formula is used alongside that care, not in place of it

Honey pills of the finely ground herbs, begun at a very small amount before meals and raised only slowly if there is no effect; today also decocted for a quicker, stronger action outside pregnancy, and made as granule or tablet extracts (Keishibukuryogan)

Pinyin

gui zhi fu ling wan

English Name

Cinnamon Twig and Poria Pill

gui zhi fu ling wan

About gui zhi fu ling wan

Ingredients

Actions and indications

Invigorates the Blood and transforms Blood stasis

Softens lumps and reduces fixed abdominal pain

Modern uses

Symptoms

Modifications

Cautions

Preparation

Names

Classification

Support