Ling Gui Zhu Gan Tang, Poria, Cinnamon Twig, Atractylodes and Licorice Decoction, is those four. The catalogue classes it among the formulas that warm and transform Cold-Phlegm, and records it as strengthening the Spleen and transforming congested fluids.

Herb

Amount

12 g

9 g

6 g

6 g

Actions and indications

Warms and transforms Phlegm and congested fluids

Phlegm-fluids (Tan Yin) from Spleen Yang deficiency, pooling in the chest and epigastrium
Heart Yang lacking vigour, with Water Qi assailing the Heart and deficient Lung and Spleen Qi
Cold injury after purgatives or emetics were wrongly used
Fullness of the chest and flanks; a feeling of fluid moving, sometimes a splashing sound below the epigastrium
Palpitations, shortness of breath and laboured breathing; cough with clear, thin, watery sputum
Dizziness or vertigo, worse on standing or moving the head; headache or migraine, ringing in the ears, anxiety
Tongue pale and swollen with a white coat that is slippery or greasy; pulse slippery and wiry, soggy, soft, or deep and tight

Strengthens the Spleen and resolves Damp

Nausea or vomiting, a weak abdomen, difficult or scanty urination, mild oedema and cold feet

Modern uses

Meniere's disease
Peripheral vertigo
Vertigo
Dizziness
Motion sickness
Basilar insufficiency
Hypertension
Hypotension
Headache
Migraine
Tinnitus
Chronic bronchitis
Bronchial asthma
Cardiac asthma
Pulmonary emphysema
COPD
Pleurisy
Pertussis
Cough
Hyperpnea
Dyspnea
Rhinitis
Pediatric rhinitis
Hay fever
Sinusitis
Coronary heart disease
Chronic heart failure, alongside standard care
Congestive heart failure
Cor pulmonale
Myocarditis
Valvular disease
Mitral valve prolapse
Pericardial effusion
Cardiac arrhythmia
Premature heartbeats
Palpitations
Keshan disease
Chronic gastritis
Chronic gastroenteritis
Functional stomach disorders
Functional dyspepsia with a splashing sound
Slow gastric emptying
Gastroptosis
Peptic ulcer
Acid reflux
Indigestion
Nausea and vomiting
AIDS/HIV-related vomiting
Morning sickness
Abdominal fullness and distention
Anorexia
Ulcerative colitis
Cholecystitis
Cirrhosis of the liver
Ascites
Nephritis
Chronic nephritis
Pyelonephritis
Nephrotic syndrome
Chronic renal failure
Renal atrophy
Renal calculus
Hydronephrosis
Dysuria
Edema
Cardiac edema
Nephritic edema
Anasarca
Flushing up from water poisoning
Hydrocele
Pediatric inguinal hernia
Polyhydramnios
Excessive amniotic fluid
Rheumatoid arthritis
Muscle Bi
Skin Bi
Multiple sclerosis
Motor dysfunction
Neurosis
Neurasthenia
Hysteria
Anxiety
Autonomic nervous system instability
Vegetative nerve disturbance
Basedow's disease
Obesity
Anemia
Fatigue
Weakness
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Myalgic encephalomyelitis
Epstein-Barr virus syndrome
Central serous retinopathy
Viral conjunctivitis
Chronic optic nerve disorders
Optic nerve atrophy
Cataracts
Nebulae

Modifications

Vomiting: + zhi ban xia

Vomiting of water and sputum: + zhi ban xia, + chen pi

Severe belching and vomiting: + shi di, + sha ren

Spleen Qi deficiency with tiredness and lethargy: + dang shen

Asthma from deficient Lung Qi: + huang qi, + zhi ban xia, + chen pi, + rou gui, + zhi fu zi

Epigastric distension and pain: + zhi ke, + hou po

Marked dizziness from retained fluid: + ze xie

Meniere's disease, or vertigo from low blood pressure (combined with Zhen Wu Tang)

Marked Spleen Qi deficiency with deficiency-Cold abdominal pain (combined with Li Zhong Tang)

Nausea or vomiting from heavy Phlegm accumulation (combined with Er Chen Tang)

Diarrhoea from Spleen deficiency with Damp build-up (combined with Ping Wei San)

General weakness and fatigue (combined with Xiao Jian Zhong Tang)

Show all 59 modifications

Epigastric distension or sloshing sounds in the abdomen: + zhi shi
Cough with much sputum: + zhi ban xia, + dang shen
Swollen limbs and reduced urine: + zhu ling, + ze xie
Oedema: + huang qi, + han fang ji, + ze xie
Copious sputum: + zi su zi, + ting li zi, + da zao
Skin Bi: + yi yi ren, + wu jia pi, + bai jie zi, + mu gua, + mu xiang, + lai fu zi, − zhi gan cao
Muscle Bi: + du huo, + ge gen, + zhi chuan wu, + mu gua, + lu lu tong, + zhi ma qian zi, − zhi gan cao
Meniere's disease: + ze xie, + zhi shi
Heart failure: + ze xie, + dan shen, + yuan zhi, + ge gen
Heart failure, alternatively combined with Sheng Mai San
Heart failure, alternatively combined with Zhi Gan Cao Tang
Nephrotic syndrome: + yi mu cao, + qian shi, + ze xie, + bai mao gen
Low back pain in hydronephrosis: + chuan lian zi, + chi shao
Hydronephrosis with painful urination: + shi wei
Hydronephrosis with blood in the urine: + bai mao gen, + hu po
Nausea or vomiting in hydronephrosis: + zhi ban xia
Keshan disease (combined with Ji Sheng Shen Qi Wan): + yin chen hao, + shan zha
Nausea and vomiting in Kidney Yang deficiency: + gan jiang, + zhi ban xia
Palpitations with poor appetite and distension of the epigastrium and abdomen: + hou po, + shen qu, + dang shen
Palpitations in Kidney Yang deficiency, Cold marked: + hu lu ba, + ba ji tian, + rou gui
Palpitations with heavy sweating (add two or three of these): + ren shen, + zhi gan cao, + wu wei zi, + duan mu li, + duan long gu
Palpitations with heavy sweating, alternative: + hu lu ba, + ba ji tian, + yin yang huo
Chronic fatigue, myalgic encephalomyelitis or Epstein-Barr: + wu zhu yu, + dang shen, + gan jiang
Dizziness and vertigo from Spleen Yang deficiency: + gan jiang, + zhi fu zi, + bai jie zi
Diarrhoea with abdominal pain (combined with Ji Jiao Li Huang Wan): + chao bai shao, + chao xiao hui xiang, + gao liang jiang
Palpitations: + zhi ban xia, + sheng jiang, + yuan zhi, + fu shen, + shi chang pu
Palpitations and nausea or vomiting: + zhi ban xia
Palpitations and cough: + zhi ban xia, + sheng jiang, + yuan zhi, + fu shen, + shi chang pu, + xuan fu hua, + chen pi, + xing ren
Palpitations and cough, alternative: + zhi ban xia, + sheng jiang, + yuan zhi, + fu shen, + shi chang pu, + chen pi
Palpitations plus dizziness and vertigo: + zhi ban xia, + sheng jiang, + yuan zhi, + fu shen, + shi chang pu, + tian ma
Palpitations plus abdominal pain, nausea and diarrhoea: + zhi ban xia, + sheng jiang, + yuan zhi, + fu shen, + shi chang pu, + gan jiang
Palpitations plus abdominal pain, nausea and diarrhoea, second version: + zhi ban xia, + sheng jiang, + yuan zhi, + fu shen, + shi chang pu, + hou po, + cang zhu
Palpitations and much Phlegm: + zhi ban xia, + sheng jiang, + fu shen, + shi chang pu, + ze xie, + ju hong
Too much amniotic fluid: + dang gui, + bai shao, + sheng jiang pi, + da fu pi, + sang bai pi, + li yu
Too much amniotic fluid, abdomen badly distended: + dang gui, + bai shao, + sheng jiang pi, + da fu pi, + sang bai pi, + li yu, + ze xie, + che qian zi
Too much amniotic fluid in Qi deficiency, with weakness and exhausted spirit: + dang gui, + bai shao, + sheng jiang pi, + da fu pi, + sang bai pi, + li yu, + huang qi
Too much amniotic fluid in Kidney deficiency: + dang gui, + bai shao, + sheng jiang pi, + da fu pi, + sang bai pi, + li yu, + tu si zi, + sang ji sheng
Too much amniotic fluid in Blood deficiency, with a pale white face: + dang gui, + bai shao, + sheng jiang pi, + da fu pi, + sang bai pi, + li yu, + e jiao, + he shou wu
Too much amniotic fluid, breathing severely laboured: + dang gui, + bai shao, + sheng jiang pi, + da fu pi, + sang bai pi, + li yu, + xing ren
Ulcerative colitis: + ting li zi, + bing lang, + han fang ji, + zhi ke, + chuan jiao, + da zao
Ulcerative colitis, Spleen Qi markedly deficient: + bing lang, + han fang ji, + zhi ke, + chuan jiao, + da zao, + zhu ling, + cang zhu, + zhi ban xia, + huang qi
Ulcerative colitis, diarrhoea severe: + ting li zi, + bing lang, + han fang ji, + zhi ke, + chuan jiao, + da zao, + sha ren, + chen pi, + zào xīn tŭ
Ulcerative colitis, Phlegm copious: + ting li zi, + bing lang, + han fang ji, + zhi ke, + chuan jiao, + da zao, + chen pi, + zhi ban xia
Ulcerative colitis and vomiting of clear fluid: + ting li zi, + bing lang, + han fang ji, + zhi ke, + chuan jiao, + da zao, + xuan fu hua, + chen pi, + zhi ban xia
Ulcerative colitis and a full, distended abdomen: + ting li zi, + bing lang, + han fang ji, + zhi ke, + chuan jiao, + da zao, + mu xiang
Ulcerative colitis and dizziness: + ting li zi, + bing lang, + han fang ji, + zhi ke, + chuan jiao, + da zao, + chao tian ma
AIDS/HIV-related vomiting (combined with Xiao Ban Xia Tang): + chen pi, − gan cao

Cautions

contraindication Congested fluids from Damp-Heat, or Damp that has already turned into Damp-Heat

contraindication Yin deficiency, lack of body fluids, or Heat; signs of a shift toward Heat or Dryness include thirst, dry mouth, red tongue and quick pulse

contraindication Liver Yang rising

caution Stop or change the formula when the retained fluid has cleared; kept up too long, its warming and draining can use up Spleen Qi and fluids

pregnancy Contains Gui Zhi, which moves Qi and Blood; use in pregnancy only under professional guidance

Pinyin

ling gui zhu gan tang

English Name

Poria, Cinnamon Twig, Atractylodes, Macrocephala and Licorice Decoction

ling gui zhu gan tang

About ling gui zhu gan tang

Ingredients

Actions and indications

Warms and transforms Phlegm and congested fluids

Strengthens the Spleen and resolves Damp

Modern uses

Symptoms

Modifications

Cautions

Preparation

Names

Classification