San Ao Tang, Three-Unbinding Decoction, is Ma Huang, Xing Ren and Gan Cao. The catalogue classes it among the formulas that release Exterior Cold, and records it as releasing the Exterior and spreading Lung Qi.

Herb

Amount

ma huang

6 g

xing ren

6 g

gan cao

3 g

Actions and indications

Releases the Exterior

Wind-Cold contracted from outside
Aversion to cold without sweating
Aching head and body, with distending headache
Blocked nose and sneezing
Tongue normal with a thin white coat; pulse superficial or normal

Spreads Lung Qi

Cough and wheezing with lots of thin, white sputum
Gasping, and a full, distended chest
Hoarse voice

Modern uses

Common cold
Influenza
Cough
Pertussis
Bronchitis
Pneumonia
Asthma
COPD
Gasping
Hoarseness
Loss of voice
Headache
Arthralgia

Modifications

Severe Wind-Cold: + gui zhi

Too much thick sputum that is hard to cough up: + gua lou pi, + dong gua zi

Too much thick sputum that is hard to cough up, alternative additions: + jing jie, + fang feng

Lung Heat: + shi gao

Rhinitis with headache and aching body: + bai zhu, + gui zhi

Rheumatism and arthritis: + yi yi ren

Weak patients who catch a cold or flu: + zhi fu zi

Colds and flu: + gui zhi

Fever with thirst: + shi gao, + gui zhi, + sheng jiang, + da zao

Fever with sudden itching (combined with Gui Zhi Tang)

Early coughing stage of whooping cough (combined with Sang Ju Yin)

Cough (combined with Dai Ge San)

Show all 18 modifications

Cough (combined with Xing Su San)
Cough with dyspnoea (combined with Xing Su San): + zi su zi
Cough, further option (combined with Xing Su San): + gui zhi
Pneumonia: + zhi ban xia, + zi su zi, + lai fu zi, + bai jie zi, + chen pi, − gan cao
Further option listed after pneumonia (combined with Xing Su San): + hou po, + cang zhu, + yi yi ren
Pneumonia with cold limbs and a slimy tongue coat: + zhi ban xia, + zi su zi, + lai fu zi, + bai jie zi, + chen pi, + zhi fu zi, + xi xin, − gan cao

Pinyin

san ao tang

English Name

Three-unbinding Decoction

san ao tang

About san ao tang

Ingredients

Actions and indications

Releases the Exterior

Spreads Lung Qi

Modern uses

Symptoms

Modifications

Names

Classification