Herb

Amount

wu zhu yu

9 g

sheng jiang

18 g

ren shen

9 g

da zao

12 g

Actions and indications

Warms and tonifies the Liver, Stomach, Spleen and Kidneys

Deficiency Cold of the Stomach, or of the Stomach and Liver together
Cold attacking the Middle Jiao, and Cold in the Shao Yin or Jue Yin (Liver) channels
Cold, painful epigastrium and abdomen, perhaps with focal distention below the heart
Liking for warmth, symptoms worse with exposure to cold, and tiredness
Tongue pale with a white, slippery coat; pulse slow and weak, deep, slow and thin, or wiry and slow

Directs rebellious Qi downward and stops vomiting

Vomiting straight after eating, or vomiting clear fluid
Dry retching or spitting of clear, frothy fluid together with a severe headache at the vertex, sometimes spreading to the eyes
Long-standing headache
Sour regurgitation, belching and a vague gnawing hunger
Fullness and distention through the chest and diaphragm

Warms Shao Yin Cold with reversal

Cold hands and feet with vomiting and diarrhea
Marked agitation, fidgeting and irritability, at worst so severe the patient wishes to die
Pain of the groin and testicles

Modern uses

Acute gastritis
Chronic gastritis
Acute gastroenteritis
Gastroptosis
Pyloric spasm
Peptic ulcer
Gastralgia
Acid reflux
Hiccup
Indigestion
Nausea and vomiting
Morning sickness
Recalcitrant perimenopausal vomiting
Food poisoning
Diarrhea
Chronic enteritis
Colitis
Ulcerative colitis
Irritable bowel syndrome
Bacillary dysentery
Abdominal migraine
Cholecystitis
Chronic hepatitis
Stomach cancer
Migraine
Neurogenic headache
Parietal headache
Headache from raised intracranial pressure
Trigeminal neuralgia
Meniere's disease
Vertigo with vomiting
Hypertension
Eclampsia
Eye fatigue
Corneal ulcer
Recalcitrant hordeolum
Conjunctivitis
Glaucoma
Acute congestive glaucoma
Blocked nasolacrimal duct with cold tearing
Renal failure
Chronic nephritis
Chronic glomerulonephritis
Nephrotic syndrome
Edema
Chronic prostatitis
Prostatic hypertrophy
Orchitis
Dysmenorrhea
Amenorrhea
Infertility
Keshan disease
Thrombocytopenic purpura
Withdrawal from drug addiction
Common cold
Influenza
Cough
Chronic bronchitis
Palpitations
Congestive heart failure
Hypothyroidism
Urticaria

Modifications

Morning sickness or heavy vomiting: + zhi ban xia, + sha ren

Severe headache: + chuan xiong, + dang gui

Morning sickness or heavy vomiting, second option: + zhi ban xia, + sha ren, + chen pi

Severe headache, second option: + gao ben, + bai zhi, + chuan xiong, + dang gui

Morning sickness or heavy vomiting, third option: + zhi ban xia, + sha ren, + fu ling

Severe headache, third option: + chuan xiong, + chuan lian zi

Pronounced Cold: + chuan jiao, + gan jiang

Hernia disorders from Cold: + zhi fu zi

Distention from Cold Qi producing turbidity: + rou gui, + hou po, + pao jiang, + chuan jiao, + chen pi, + bai zhu, − sheng jiang, − ren shen, − da zao

Acid reflux: + wa leng zi, + hai piao xiao

Palpitations with insomnia: + dang gui, + fu ling

Vomiting without cold hands and feet: + dang shen, − ren shen

Show all 47 modifications

Abdominal pain: + bai shao
Abdominal pain with extreme Cold (combined with Si Ni Tang)
Abdominal fullness and distention: + sha ren, + hou po
Drooling, nausea or dry retching: + gan jiang, + rou gui
Headache: + man jing zi, + chuan xiong, + dang gui, + bai ji li
Irritability with marked cold: + zhi fu zi, + xi xin
Cold tearing from Liver and Kidney Cold: + dang gui, + xi xin, + mu zei
Severe epigastric pain: + dan shen, + mu xiang
Amenorrhea after Wind-Cold invasion: + zi su ye, + xi xin
To harmonize the Liver and Spleen: + fang feng, + mu xiang
Vomiting with Damp: + huo xiang, + pei lan
Vomiting with full, painful chest and ribs: + chen xiang, + qing pi
Vomiting, irritability and a red tongue: + huang lian, + zhu ru
Chronic vomiting, deficient Stomach Yin: + sha ren, + mai men dong
Nausea: + shi di, + zhi ke, + pi pa ye
Meniere's disease: + gui zhi
Meniere's disease, cold limbs: + gui zhi, + zhi fu zi
Meniere's disease, nausea and vomiting: + gui zhi, + zhi ban xia
Meniere's disease, Qi deficiency: + gui zhi, + huang qi
Ulcerative colitis, Liver overacting on the Spleen: + chai hu, + ji nei jin
Ulcerative colitis, purple spotted tongue and abdominal pain worse for pressure: + chuan xiong, + yan hu suo
Ulcerative colitis, Damp-Heat: + bai tou weng, + qin pi
Ulcerative colitis, Cold-Damp: + xiao hui xiang, + fu ling
Ulcerative colitis, weak Spleen and Stomach: + shan yao, + chao bai bian dou
Ulcerative colitis, food stagnation: + shen qu, + shan zha
Ulcerative colitis, deficient Yang of Spleen and Kidney: + ba ji tian, + bu gu zhi
Ulcerative colitis, Blood stasis from long illness: + dan shen, + rou dou kou, + qian cao gen, + pu huang (tan)
Hypertension: + zhi ban xia, + fu ling, + fu shen, + bai zhi, + di long, + jiang can, + chai hu, + qing pi, + chen pi, + gou teng, + zhi gan cao
Hypertension, purple tongue: + zhi ban xia, + fu ling, + fu shen, + bai zhi, + di long, + jiang can, + chai hu, + qing pi, + chen pi, + gou teng, + zhi gan cao, + chuan xiong
Hypertension, tinnitus: + zhi ban xia, + fu ling, + fu shen, + bai zhi, + di long, + jiang can, + chai hu, + qing pi, + chen pi, + gou teng, + zhi gan cao, + chuan xiong, + chan tui
Hypertension, greasy tongue coat: + zhi ban xia, + fu ling, + fu shen, + bai zhi, + di long, + jiang can, + chai hu, + qing pi, + chen pi, + gou teng, + zhi gan cao, + chuan xiong, + sha ren, + bai dou kou, − da zao
Severe Kidney Yang deficiency with 'water toxin' (combined with Fu Zi Li Zhong Wan): + che qian zi, + mu tong, + da huang
Migraine, severe vomiting: + zhi ban xia, + chen pi, + sha ren
Migraine, severe: + gao ben, + chuan xiong, + bai zhi, + dang gui
One-sided headache: + zhi ban xia, + chen pi, + bai zhu, + fu ling, + zhi bai fu zi, + gan cao, − da zao

Cautions

contraindication Vomiting, acid reflux or headache that come from Heat, including headache from rising Liver Yang with red eyes and irritability

caution Yin deficiency: avoid, or use only in a modified form, since the hot, drying nature of Wu Zhu Yu can injure Yin further

caution Wu Zhu Yu is mildly toxic; avoid large amounts or long-term use

pregnancy Use in pregnancy only under professional guidance, because the formula is strongly acrid, warming and downward-directing

Decoction taken warm in divided doses, with a relatively large share of Sheng Jiang; Wu Zhu Yu is first rinsed or soaked in hot water, or processed with licorice water, to soften its harshness; when vomiting is very severe the decoction is taken cool

Pinyin

wu zhu yu tang

English Name

Evodia Decoction

wu zhu yu tang

About wu zhu yu tang

Ingredients

Actions and indications

Warms and tonifies the Liver, Stomach, Spleen and Kidneys

Directs rebellious Qi downward and stops vomiting

Warms Shao Yin Cold with reversal

Modern uses

Symptoms

Modifications

Cautions

Preparation

Names

Classification