Sheng Mai San, Generate the Pulse Powder, is Ren Shen, Mai Men Dong and Wu Wei Zi. The catalogue classes it among the formulas that tonify Qi, and records it as tonifying Qi, nourishing Yin and astringing a sweat that will not stop.

Herb

Amount

ren shen

9 g

mai men dong

9 g

wu wei zi

3 g

Actions and indications

Tonifies Qi

Qi and Yin deficiency of the Lung, most often after a long febrile or summerheat illness or a chronic cough
Qi deficiency of the Heart and Lung, or of the Lung and Kidney
Shortness of breath and spontaneous sweating, worse on exertion
Fatigue, a weak voice and listless speech
Palpitations with a stifling feeling in the chest, irritability and insomnia

Nourishes Yin and generates fluids

Dry mouth, tongue and throat with thirst, and dry skin
Long-standing dry or unproductive cough with scant, sticky sputum that is hard to cough up
Wei (atrophy) syndrome from Lung Heat that has consumed fluids
Tongue red or pale red and dry with a thin, dry coat; pulse empty or thin, weak and rapid, or slow and irregular

Astringes and stops excessive sweating

Qi and Yin collapsing after major loss of fluid, heavy sweating or intense summerheat, with a faint pulse close to vanishing

Modern uses

Acute collapse
Hemorrhagic shock (given by intravenous drip)
Cardiogenic shock (given by intravenous drip)
Coronary heart disease
Angina pectoris
Myocardial infarction
Heart failure
Arrhythmia
Supraventricular arrhythmias
Sick sinus syndrome
Myocarditis
Viral myocarditis
Rheumatic heart disease
Rheumatic fever
Cor pulmonale
Weakness following heart bypass surgery
Hypotension
Cerebral infarction
Stroke
Coma
Chronic bronchitis
Chronic cough
Asthma
COPD
Emphysema
Pulmonary tuberculosis
Common cold
Hay fever
Dyspnea
Heat stroke
Low-grade fever
Neurasthenia
Neurosis
Anxiety neurosis
Panic attacks
Insomnia
Palpitations
Alzheimer's disease
Hyperthyroidism
Diabetes mellitus
Leukopenia
Myasthenia gravis
Multiple sclerosis
Polyneuritis
Acute infectious polyneuritis
Guillain-Barre syndrome
Acute myelitis
Progressive muscular dystrophy
After-effects of poliomyelitis
Wei (atrophy) syndrome
Hysterical paralysis
Periodic paralysis
Facial paralysis
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Sjogren's syndrome
AIDS/HIV, including its spontaneous sweating and night sweats
Cholecystitis
Gallstones
Edema
Urinary incontinence
Vaginal discharge
Metrorrhagia
Uterine fibroids
Infertility
Morning sickness
Menopausal syndrome
Epistaxis
Spontaneous sweating
Fatigue
Dry skin
Premature graying of the hair

Modifications

Heavy sweating with scanty, dark, difficult urination: + huang qi, + dang gui

Severe cough: + kuan dong hua, + bai he

Serious injury to Yin and fluids with some Heat: + xuan shen, + sheng di huang

Prolonged cough: + bai bu

Palpitations and insomnia: + suan zao ren, + long gu, + mu li

Irritability with fairly severe insomnia: + suan zao ren, + he huan pi

Marked palpitations: + gui zhi, + long gu, + mu li

Coronary artery disease: + zhi gan cao, + dan shen, + hong hua, + chi shao

Morning sickness, Excess Heat type: + zhu ru, + huang lian

Morning sickness, rebellious Qi type: + zhi ban xia

More marked Yin deficiency: + xi yang shen, − ren shen

Combined with Xiao Ban Xia Tang (listed as an alternative)

Show all 73 modifications

Neurasthenia with insomnia and irritability: + suan zao ren, + bai zi ren
Faint pulse with a risk of shock: + ren shen
Qi and Yin deficiency after a febrile disease: + xuan shen, + sheng di huang
Chronic respiratory complaint with cough, dyspnea and phlegm: + xing ren, + chen pi
Chronic Heart complaint with deficiency of Yin and Yang: + huang qi, + gan cao
Pulmonary tuberculosis: + shan yao, + bai bu
Myocardial infarction: + dang gui, + yan hu suo, + chi shao, + bai zhu, + fu ling, + tao ren, + hong hua
Viral myocarditis: + chi shao, + long gu, + mu li
Myocarditis (combined with Gan Mai Da Zao Tang)
Hypotension: + dang gui, + gui zhi, + e jiao
Leukopenia: + yu zhu, + shi hu, + dang gui
Coronary heart disease: + jue ming zi, + zhen zhu mu, + dan shen, + ge gen, + shan zha, + chi shao, + tian ma
Combined with Liu Wei Di Huang Wan (indication unclear)
Coronary heart disease with rising Liver Yang: + jue ming zi, + zhen zhu mu, + dan shen, + ge gen, + shan zha, + chi shao, + tian ma, + gou qi zi, + ju hua
Coronary heart disease, with pronounced palpitations and poor sleep: + jue ming zi, + zhen zhu mu, + dan shen, + ge gen, + shan zha, + chi shao, + tian ma, + ye jiao teng, + suan zao ren
Coronary heart disease, with thirst and a very dry mouth and throat: + jue ming zi, + zhen zhu mu, + dan shen, + ge gen, + shan zha, + chi shao, + tian ma, + bei sha shen, + yu zhu
Coronary heart disease, with strong pain and oppression in the chest: + jue ming zi, + zhen zhu mu, + dan shen, + ge gen, + shan zha, + chi shao, + tian ma, + san qi
Stroke (combined with Shen Fu Tang)
Stroke with spontaneous sweating (combined with Shen Fu Tang): + long gu, + mu li, + huang qi
Wheezing: + sha shen, + yu zhu, + chuan bei mu, + chen pi, + qian hu, + gan cao
Wheezing, Qi deficiency predominating: + sha shen, + yu zhu, + chuan bei mu, + chen pi, + qian hu, + gan cao, + mai men dong, + huang qi, + gan jiang, + zhi kuan dong hua
Wheezing, Yin deficiency predominating: + sha shen, + yu zhu, + chuan bei mu, + chen pi, + qian hu, + gan cao, + xi yang shen, + huang jing, − ren shen
Wheezing, with irritability and poor or broken sleep: + sha shen, + yu zhu, + chuan bei mu, + chen pi, + qian hu, + gan cao, + suan zao ren, + he huan pi
Wheezing in atopic patients: + sha shen, + yu zhu, + chuan bei mu, + chen pi, + qian hu, + gan cao
Lupus erythematosus: + tai zi shen, + bei sha shen, + nan sha shen, + xuan shen, + shi hu, + sheng di huang, + huang qi, + yu zhu, + fu ling, + bai zhu, + dang gui, + dan shen, − ren shen
Lupus erythematosus: two or three of these added: + tu si zi, + du zhong, + hu tao ren, + bu gu zhi
Myasthenia gravis (combined with Liu Wei Di Huang Wan): + sheng di huang, + tai zi shen or xi yang shen, + huang qi, + bai shao, + huang jing, + dang gui, + zi he che, + gan cao, − mu dan pi, − ze xie, − ren shen
Myasthenia gravis with spontaneous sweating (combined with Liu Wei Di Huang Wan): + sheng di huang, + tai zi shen or xi yang shen, + huang qi, + bai shao, + huang jing, + dang gui, + zi he che, + gan cao, + fu xiao mai, − mu dan pi, − ze xie, − ren shen
Myasthenia gravis with night sweats (combined with Liu Wei Di Huang Wan): + sheng di huang, + tai zi shen or xi yang shen, + huang qi, + bai shao, + huang jing, + dang gui, + zi he che, + gan cao, + di gu pi, + huang bai, − mu dan pi, − ze xie, − ren shen
Myasthenia gravis with drooping eyelids (combined with Liu Wei Di Huang Wan): + sheng di huang, + tai zi shen or xi yang shen, + huang qi, + bai shao, + huang jing, + dang gui, + zi he che, + gan cao, + sheng ma, + chai hu, + ge gen, − mu dan pi, − ze xie, − ren shen
Myasthenia gravis with dry, hard stools (combined with Liu Wei Di Huang Wan): + sheng di huang, + tai zi shen or xi yang shen, + huang qi, + bai shao, + huang jing, + dang gui, + zi he che, + gan cao, + xuan shen, − mu dan pi, − ze xie, − ren shen
Palpitations, anxiety neurosis, panic disorder, neurasthenia, low-grade fever, menopausal syndrome, hyperthyroidism or coronary heart disease: + gui zhi, + long gu, + mu li
Stroke (combined with Li Zhong Wan): + zhi fu zi, + tao ren, + hong hua
Nosebleed from collapse of Yin and Yang (combined with Shen Fu Tang): + long gu
Unceasing sweating from Yin collapse: + shan zhu yu
Unceasing sweating from Yin collapse, with marked Qi deficiency: + shan zhu yu, + huang qi
Unceasing sweating from Yin collapse, severe: + shan zhu yu, + fu xiao mai, + ma huang (gen)
Unceasing sweating from Yin collapse, with palpitations: + shan zhu yu, + long chi, + mu li, + ci shi
Pulmonary tuberculosis (combined with Yue Hua Wan): + bei sha shen, + nan sha shen, − fu ling, − shui ta gan
Pulmonary tuberculosis with loose stools and little appetite (combined with Yue Hua Wan): + bei sha shen, + nan sha shen, + yi yi ren, + bai bian dou, + sha ren, − fu ling, − shui ta gan
Pulmonary tuberculosis with heavy spontaneous sweating (combined with Yue Hua Wan): + bei sha shen, + nan sha shen, + mu li, + long gu, + huang qi, − fu ling, − shui ta gan
Pulmonary tuberculosis with cough and panting (combined with Yue Hua Wan): + bei sha shen, + nan sha shen, + kuan dong hua, + bai guo, − fu ling, − shui ta gan
Pulmonary tuberculosis with coughing of blood (combined with Yue Hua Wan): + bei sha shen, + nan sha shen, + xian he cao, + ou jie, − fu ling, − shui ta gan
Deficiency of Lung Qi and Lung Yin: + sheng ma, + zhi gan cao
Rheumatic fever: + qin jiao, + dang gui, + dan shen, + yi yi ren, + bai zi ren, + han fang ji, + mu gua
Coronary heart disease from deficient Qi and Yin: + huang qi, + dang gui, + dan shen, + yu zhu
Coronary heart disease from deficient Qi and Yin, with deficiency Fire rising: + huang qi, + dang gui, + dan shen, + yu zhu, + gou qi zi, + ju hua
Coronary heart disease from deficient Qi and Yin, with anxiety and palpitations: + huang qi, + dang gui, + dan shen, + yu zhu, + suan zao ren, + ye jiao teng
AIDS/HIV/ARC: + gan cao, + pi pa ye, + xing ren
Rheumatic fever with heavy sweating, or Qi and Yin deficiency after the fever: + zhi gan cao
Sick sinus syndrome: + xi yang shen, + huang jing, + chi shao, + he shou wu, + gan cao, − ren shen
Sick sinus syndrome, Blood stagnation type: + xi yang shen, + huang jing, + chi shao, + he shou wu, + gan cao, + san qi, + mu dan pi, − ren shen
Sick sinus syndrome, Yang deficiency type: + xi yang shen, + huang jing, + chi shao, + he shou wu, + gan cao, + yin yang huo, + gui zhi, − ren shen
Sick sinus syndrome, deficiency Fire type: + xi yang shen, + huang jing, + chi shao, + he shou wu, + gan cao, + zhi mu, + huang bai, + rou gui, − ren shen
Leukopenia from Qi and Yin deficiency: + tai zi shen, + huang qi, + huang jing, + ji xue teng, + gui ban, + zhi gan cao, − ren shen
Leukopenia from Qi and Yin deficiency, with marked Liver and Kidney Yin deficiency: + tai zi shen, + huang qi, + huang jing, + ji xue teng, + gui ban, + zhi gan cao, + shu di huang, + shan zhu yu, + gou qi zi, − ren shen
HIV-related spontaneous sweating and night sweats: + bie jia, + di gu pi, + zhi mu, + fu xiao mai, + shu di huang, + zhi gan cao
Marked Qi deficiency with heavy spontaneous sweating: + huang qi
Profuse sweating, to astringe more strongly: + long gu, + mu li
Milder cases, or where the warmth of Ren Shen is unwanted: + xi yang shen, − ren shen
Milder cases, using Dang Shen: + dang shen, − ren shen

Cautions

contraindication An exterior pathogen that has not cleared, such as early cold or flu or an unresolved external cough: the sour, astringent Wu Wei Zi can trap it inside

contraindication High fever, or summerheat fever without any damage to Qi or fluids; use extreme caution

contraindication Mild early-stage summer flu, or any case where the fluids are not yet injured

caution Cough with active Phlegm-Damp or Phlegm-Heat: the enriching, astringent herbs can make Phlegm or a lingering pathogen stay

Pinyin

sheng mai san

English Name

Generate the Pulse Powder

sheng mai san

About sheng mai san

Ingredients

Actions and indications

Tonifies Qi

Nourishes Yin and generates fluids

Astringes and stops excessive sweating

Modern uses

Symptoms

Modifications

Cautions

Preparation

Names

Classification