Tao He Cheng Qi Tang, Peach Pit Decoction to Order the Qi, is Tao Ren, Da Huang, Gui Zhi, Mang Xiao and Zhi Gan Cao. The catalogue classes it among the formulas that invigorate the Blood and dispel stasis, and records it as draining Heat downward through the bowels.

Herb

Amount

12 g

12 g

6 g

6 g

6 g

Actions and indications

Breaks up Blood stasis

Blood amassment: Heat binding with static Blood in the Lower Jiao, typically after a Tai Yang cold-damage disorder fails to resolve and moves inward, or at the Yang Ming stage
Sudden pain, fullness and hardness of the lower abdomen, fixed and stabbing, classically worse at night
Periods that are painful, irregular or absent, or scant, dark and clotted; retained lochia after childbirth
Injury from trauma with stubborn pain and difficulty passing stool
Tongue red and dry, or purple, with a yellow coat; pulse deep and forceful, or choppy

Drains Heat downward through the bowels

Hard stools or constipation, with dark or black stools from old Blood
Urination that is frequent or cannot be held
Fever at night or in the afternoon, thirst, and a dark red face
Bleeding from Heat and stasis, such as coughing blood or blood in the urine

Calms agitation from Heat disturbing the Blood

Irritability, restlessness and delirious talk; in severe cases behaviour looks manic although the mind stays clear
Headache with a distended feeling, vertigo, red eyes, toothache and ringing in the ears
Palpitations, poor sleep and unstable emotions
Also recorded: chills of the waist and feet, tremors, severe abdominal pain with cold, possible chills with fever, and severe wheezing with a distended chest

Modern uses

Endometriosis, including acute endometriosis
Irregular menstruation
Dysmenorrhea
Amenorrhea
Metrorrhagia and uterine bleeding
Uterine fibroids and uterine myoma
Pelvic masses
Acute pelvic inflammatory disease
Pelvic cellulitis
Endometritis
Oophoritis
Retained placenta
Retained or prolonged lochia
Difficult childbirth
Stillbirth
Ectopic pregnancy
Habitual abortion
Puerperal fever
Post tubal ligation syndrome
Climacteric and perimenopausal disorders
Menopausal symptoms brought on by GnRH agonist drugs
Intestinal obstruction
Enteroparalysis
Habitual constipation
Colitis and ulcerative colitis
Intestinal and anal bleeding; blood in the stool
Hemorrhoids
Cholecystitis
Cholelithiasis
Hepatitis
Jaundice
Cystitis
Urethritis
Pyelonephritis
Urolithiasis and renal colic
Hematuria
Oliguria
Enuresis
Urinary incontinence
Renal insufficiency and kidney failure
Renal syndrome hemorrhagic fever
Prostatitis
Benign prostatic hypertrophy
Gonorrhea
Traumatic headache
Sequelae of brain trauma and cerebral contusion
Headache from subarachnoid hemorrhage
Recalcitrant migraine
Headache
Trigeminal neuralgia
Neuralgia
Cerebrovascular disease
Epilepsy
Schizophrenia
Bipolar disorder
Hysterical psychosis
Reactive psychosis
Neurosis
Insomnia
Palpitations
Tinnitus
Hypertension
Arteriosclerosis
Myocardial infarction
Varicose veins
Diabetes mellitus and hyperglycemia
Red eyes
Conjunctivitis
Conjunctival bleeding
Hemophthalmia
Blepharitis
Hordeolum
Pterygium
Retinitis
Glaucoma
Toothache
Gingivitis with bleeding
Periodontitis
Pyorrhea
Bleeding of the tongue
Pharyngitis
Hemoptysis
Seborrheic dermatitis
Exudative eczema
Urticaria
Acne
Brandy nose
Erysipelas
Allergic purpura
Athlete's foot
Ringworm
Frostbite
Warts
Scarlet fever
Rheumatism
Low back pain
Swellings
Afternoon fever
Bladder cancer
Liver cancer
Stomach cancer
Breast cancer

Symptoms

Abdominal pain

Amenorrhea

Chest fullness

Chills

Cold abdomen

Cold limbs

Constipation

Delirium

Dizziness

Dry stools

Dysmenorrhea

Fever

Flushed face

Frequent urination

Headache

Hematuria

Hemoptysis

Insomnia

Irregular menstruation

Irritability

Lower abdominal distention

Lower abdominal pain

Mania

Melena

Menstrual clots

Mood swings

Palpitations

Red eyes

Restlessness

Retained lochia

Scanty menstruation

Stabbing pain

Thirst

Tidal fever

Tinnitus

Toothache

Tremor

Urinary incontinence

Wheezing

Modifications

Irregular or painful periods: + dang gui, + hong hua

Qi stagnation as well: + xiang fu, + wu yao, + qing pi, + mu xiang

Heavier stasis blockage (retained blood after haemorrhage, injury, poor circulation, hard bowel movements or bowel obstruction) with unrelenting stabbing belly pain, fever, thirst and choppy pulse: + chi shao, + san qi

Nosebleed or coughed blood that is dark or purple, with a stuffy, oppressed chest: + sheng di huang, + bai mao gen

Blood Deficiency: + dang gui, + bai shao

Restlessness and thirst: + huang lian, + huang qin

Retained lochia, a hard, full lower belly, or bad wheezing with a distended chest (taken together with Shi Xiao San)

Stagnant Qi causing pain and bloating: + xiang fu, + zhi ke

Constipation: + zhi shi, + hou po

Upflaring Fire: headache, a swollen feeling in the head, reddened face and eyes, vomiting blood: + sheng di huang, + mu dan pi, + zhi zi, + huai niu xi

Oliguria: + che qian zi, + fu ling, + mu tong

Show all 52 modifications

Periods early, absent or flooding: + dang gui, − zhi gan cao
Trauma-related pain: + chi shao, + dang gui (wei), + hong hua, + su mu
Stasis-type belly pain after surgery, or injury pain from stasis and Heat, notably early thoracic or lumbar vertebral fractures: + chuan niu xi, − zhi gan cao
Gallstones: + jin qian cao, + hai jin sha, + yu jin, + ji nei jin
Amenorrhea or dysmenorrhea: + dang gui, + chuan xiong
Retention of lochia: + wu ling zhi, + pu huang
Endometriosis, marked Qi stagnation: + xiang fu, + qing pi
Endometriosis, marked Blood stagnation: + dang gui, + hong hua
Cholecystitis: + huang lian, + huang qin, + zhi shi, − mang xiao
Hepatitis (taken together with Chai Ling Tang)
Small Intestine paralysis after chest or lumbar spine injury: + zhi shi, + hou po, + fan xie ye, − gui zhi
Small Intestine paralysis after spinal injury, bowels still closed after the first dose: + zhi shi, + hou po, + fan xie ye, − gui zhi
Pyelonephritis, diarrhea: − mang xiao
Pyelonephritis, urination urgent and frequent: + hua shi
Pyelonephritis, lower belly pain: + gui zhi
Renal insufficiency: + huang qi, + zhi fu zi, + ze xie, + yi mu cao, + nu zhen zi, − mang xiao
Taken together with Tian Tai Wu Yao San
Pharyngitis: + huai niu xi, + she gan, + jie geng, + pang da hai
Toothache: + xia ku cao, + bai zhi
Wind-Fire toothache: + xia ku cao, + bai zhi, + fang feng, + quan xie
Stomach Fire toothache: + xia ku cao, + bai zhi, + shi gao, + sheng ma
Toothache from deficient Yin Fire: + xia ku cao, + bai zhi, + sheng di huang, + bai shao
Toothache with abscesses: + xia ku cao, + bai zhi, + lu feng fang, + wei ling xian
Bloody stools from heavy Intestinal stasis with Heat: + mu dan pi, + chi shao, + san qi
Bloody, very painful stools from heavy Intestinal stasis with Heat: + mu dan pi, + chi shao, + san qi, + pu huang, + chao wu ling zhi
Jaundice: + yin chen
Bladder cancer: + zhi zi, + dang gui, + wu ling zhi, + xi jiao, + hai jin sha
Hemorrhoids: + zhi ke, + huai hua mi
Hemorrhoids without constipation: + zhi ke, + huai hua mi, − mang xiao
Hemorrhoids, stabbing anal pain: + zhi ke, + huai hua mi, + wu ling zhi, + pu huang
Hemorrhoids with severe bleeding: + zhi ke, + huai hua mi, + san qi, + pu huang, + di yu
Hemorrhoids, the anus swollen and sore, bearing down, or belly fullness: + zhi ke, + huai hua mi, + mu xiang, + bing lang
Severe, protruding hemorrhoids: + zhi ke, + huai hua mi, + huang qi, + sheng ma
Bad, painful hemorrhoids, constipated: + chi shao, + pu huang, + chao wu ling zhi, + san qi
Liver cancer, marked Blood stagnation: + dang gui, + hong hua
Liver cancer, marked Qi stagnation: + xiang fu, + qing pi
Endometriosis, irregular and painful periods: + dang gui, + hong hua
Endometriosis, Qi stagnation prominent: + xiang fu, + qing pi
Endometriosis, marked Blood stagnation (another option): + chi shao, + san qi
Endometriosis, nosebleeds of clotted purple blood before periods: + sheng di huang, + bai mao gen

Cautions

contraindication Exterior symptoms that have not yet cleared

pregnancy Contraindicated in pregnancy: its Blood-breaking and strongly purging herbs are held able to cause miscarriage

contraindication Scanty or absent periods that come from Blood deficiency rather than stasis with Heat

caution Deficient, cold Spleen and Stomach, long-standing diarrhea, frailty or old age, unless a true excess pattern is present

caution Only for confirmed Blood stasis with Heat and excess signs; not a general laxative or Blood mover

caution A short-term formula: stop once the stool passes and the stasis clears

caution Intestinal obstruction and pelvic inflammatory disease need prompt medical care

Pinyin

tao he cheng qi tang

English Name

Peach Pit Decoction to Order the Qi

tao he cheng qi tang

About tao he cheng qi tang

Ingredients

Actions and indications

Breaks up Blood stasis

Drains Heat downward through the bowels

Calms agitation from Heat disturbing the Blood

Modern uses

Symptoms

Modifications

Cautions

Preparation

Names

Classification

Support