zhen wu tang

True Warrior Decoction

About zhen wu tang

Zhen Wu Tang, True Warrior Decoction, is Zhi Fu Zi, Bai Zhu, Fu Ling, Sheng Jiang and Bai Shao. The catalogue classes it among the formulas that warm and transform water and Dampness.

Ingredients

Herb	Amount
zhi fu zi	9 g
bai zhu	6 g
fu ling	9 g
sheng jiang	9 g
bai shao	9 g

Actions and indications

Warms Kidney and Spleen Yang

Kidney Yang, or Spleen and Kidney Yang, too weak to transform fluids, so water overflows
Chronically cold person with chills, cold limbs, aversion to cold and shivering
Tired and weak, with chronic low back pain, weak knees and heavy aching limbs
Impotence and seminal emission
Tai Yang Cold Damage passing into Shao Yin, with sweating that does not bring the fever down
Tongue pale, or dark purple, swollen and tooth-marked, with a white slippery coat; pulse deep and thin, weak or slippery

Promotes urination and drains Water-Damp

Generalized or pitting edema, often worse in the lower body; gradual weight gain
Urine scanty and difficult without thirst, or frequent and copious clear urine at night
Loose stools or watery diarrhea, abdominal pain worse for cold, fullness and distension of the abdomen
Nausea, cyclic vomiting or hiccup
Leukorrhea
Water flooding the Lungs: cough, wheezing, asthma and breathlessness
Fluids backing up with a stuffy nose running clear, bouts of sneezing, or a feeling of something stuck in the throat

Calms the Heart and stops tremor

Water Qi insulting the Heart: palpitations, including throbbing below the heart, and chest pain
Dizziness or vertigo worse on standing, with a heavy or distended head, feeling unsteady as if about to fall
Twitching or trembling of muscles all over, especially after excessive sweating has damaged Yang

Modern uses

Edema, including renal and cardiac edema
Edema in pregnancy
Chronic glomerulonephritis and nephritis
Nephrotic syndrome
Chronic renal failure and renal atrophy
Oliguria and polyuria
Congestive heart failure
Coronary heart disease
Rheumatic valvular heart disease
Cor pulmonale
Arrhythmia and palpitations
Liver cirrhosis and chronic liver disorders
Ascites
Chronic peritonitis
Chronic enteritis and gastroenteritis
Intestinal tuberculosis
Chronic diarrhea
Dysentery
Irritable bowel syndrome
Crohn's disease
Celiac disease
Constipation
Indigestion
Gastroptosis
Poor appetite
Nausea and vomiting, including cyclic vomiting
Abdominal pain
Abdominal fullness and distension
Common cold and influenza
Pneumonia
Pleurisy
Cough
Chronic bronchitis
Emphysema
COPD
Asthma
Dyspnea
Allergic rhinitis
Chronic sinusitis
Meniere's disease
Dizziness and vertigo
Primary hypertension
Hypotension
Basilar insufficiency
Cerebral bleeding
Post-concussion syndrome and headache
Trigeminal neuralgia
Facial tics
Essential tremor
Restless legs
Monoplegia
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Primary hyperaldosteronism
Hypothyroidism
Hypopituitarism
Rheumatoid arthritis, joint effusion
Osteoarthritis
Painful obstruction (Bi)
Sciatica
Piriformis syndrome
Lumbar disc disease
Low back pain
Shoulder and upper back pain
Raynaud's disease
Thrombophlebitis
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Fatigue and weakness
Obesity
Profuse sweating
Chronic eczema
Scrotal eczema
Pruritus
Alopecia
Leukorrhea
Uterine prolapse
Dysmenorrhea
Amenorrhea
Endometriosis
Pelvic inflammatory disease, chronic, with effusion
Postpartum pain
Infertility
Impotence
Spermatorrhea
Benign prostatic hypertrophy
Prostatitis
Insomnia
Forgetfulness
Anxiety
Neurasthenia

Symptoms

Abdominal distention
Abdominal pain
Abdominal pulsation
Absence of thirst
Aversion to cold
Blurred vision
Body aches
Chest pain
Chills
Clear profuse urine
Cold limbs
Cold low back
Constipation
Cough
Diarrhea
Difficult urination
Dizziness
Edema
Emotional distress
Erythema
Fatigue
Feeling of a lump in the throat
Fever
Flaccid abdomen
Flank pain
Frequent colds
Gum pain
Hair loss
Headache
Heavy head
Heavy limbs
Hernia
Hiccups
Hoarseness
Impotence
Loose stools
Low back pain
Muscle twitching
Nasal congestion
Nasal discharge
Nausea
Nocturia
Palpitations
Papules
Poor memory
Scanty urination
Shortness of breath
Sneezing
Spermatorrhea
Sweating
Swollen gums
Toothache
Tremor
Vaginal discharge
Vomiting
Weak limbs
Weight gain
Wheezing

Modifications

Arthritis: + gui zhi
Diarrhea, Spleen Yang markedly weak: + gan jiang, − bai shao
Diarrhea: + gan jiang, − bai shao
Cough as Cold and fluid reach the Lungs: + wu wei zi, + xi xin, + gan jiang
Severe cough: + gan jiang, + xi xin, + wu wei zi
Cough with heavy fluid build-up in the Lungs: + ting li zi
Cough with fullness of chest and flanks: + bai jie zi, + xuan fu hua
Cough with marked shortness of breath: + dang shen
Cough with loose stools: + gan jiang
Frequent urination, or urination that is not difficult: − fu ling
Palpitations from deficient Yuan Qi: + ren shen
Palpitations, wheezing or cough with much sputum: + xi xin, + wu wei zi

Show all 72 modifications

Persistent spontaneous sweating from Yang deficiency with an unstable Exterior: + ren shen, + huang qi, + wu wei zi
Vomiting from water retained in the Stomach, with no Lower Jiao signs: + sheng jiang, − zhi fu zi
Vomiting: + sheng jiang, − zhi fu zi
Chest Bi: + gua lou ren, + xie bai, + gui zhi, + dan shen
Abdominal distension after wrong purging has injured Spleen Yang: + hou po, + cao dou kou, + ze xie
Leukorrhea from Cold and Damp: + gui zhi, + dang shen
Leukorrhagia: + lu jiao, − sheng jiang
Difficult urination with aching, heavy limbs (combined with Wu Lin San)
Edema of chronic nephrotic syndrome (combined with Fang Ji Huang Qi Tang): + dang shen, + sha ren, + du zhong, + tu si zi, + yin yang huo
Nephrotic syndrome (combined with Wu Pi Yin)
Yang-deficient edema in chronic heart failure: + che qian zi, + ze xie, + guang fang ji
Ascites in cirrhosis, Spleen and Kidney Yang weak: + dang shen, + huang qi, + ba ji tian, + hu lu ba, + lu jiao
More peritoneal fluid with shortness of breath: + ze xie, + yi yi ren, + che qian zi, + shāng lù
Wind-Damp Bi (rheumatoid arthritis): + gui zhi, + dang shen
Long-standing bronchitis, Spleen and Kidney Yang weak: + sheng jiang, − gan jiang
Severe edema (combined with Wu Ling San)
Stubborn long-term eczema or rashes: + ma huang, + lian qiao, + chi xiao dou
Limb pain: + ma huang, + xi xin
Qi-deficient allergic sinusitis: + huang qi, + dang shen
Allergic sinusitis with a blocked nose: + cang er zi, + xin yi hua
Coronary heart disease: + gan jiang, + che qian zi, + ze lan, + yi mu cao, + ze xie, + gan cao, + rou gui, − sheng jiang
Coronary heart disease, Qi markedly weak: + gan jiang, + che qian zi, + ze lan, + yi mu cao, + ze xie, + gan cao, + rou gui, + huang qi, + dang shen, − sheng jiang
Coronary heart disease, Blood deficient: + gan jiang, + che qian zi, + ze lan, + yi mu cao, + ze xie, + gan cao, + rou gui, + dang gui, + shu di huang, − sheng jiang
Coronary heart disease, Blood markedly stagnant: + gan jiang, + che qian zi, + ze lan, + yi mu cao, + ze xie, + gan cao, + rou gui, + dan shen, + hong hua, + san qi, − sheng jiang
Coronary heart disease with panting as the Kidneys fail to grasp Qi: + gan jiang, + che qian zi, + ze lan, + yi mu cao, + ze xie, + gan cao, + rou gui, + ge jie, + bu gu zhi, + hu tao ren, − sheng jiang
Coronary heart disease, little urine: + gan jiang, + che qian zi, + ze lan, + yi mu cao, + ze xie, + gan cao, + rou gui, + sheng jiang pi, + dong gua pi, − sheng jiang
Coronary heart disease with unceasing sweating: + gan jiang, + che qian zi, + ze lan, + yi mu cao, + ze xie, + gan cao, + rou gui, + shan zhu yu, + mu li, + fu xiao mai, − sheng jiang
Cardiac failure: + wu jia pi, + dan shen, + yi mu cao
Hypertension (combined with Fang Ji Fu Ling Tang)
Meniere's disease, often nauseous and vomiting: + zhi ban xia, + wu zhu yu
Meniere's disease, alternative: + tao ren, + hong hua
Tinnitus in Meniere's disease: + ci shi
Meniere's disease with rising Liver Wind: + long gu
Chronic renal failure (uremia): + gan jiang, + dang shen, + gui zhi, + sha ren, − sheng jiang
Uremia, Kidney Yang badly depleted: + gan jiang, + dang shen, + gui zhi, + sha ren, + ba ji tian, + yin yang huo, + rou cong rong, − sheng jiang
Lumbar pain in uremia: + gan jiang, + dang shen, + gui zhi, + sha ren, + du zhong, + xu duan, − sheng jiang
Uremia with diarrhea: + gan jiang, + dang shen, + gui zhi, + sha ren, + bu gu zhi, + wu wei zi, + rou dou kou, + wu zhu yu, − sheng jiang
Uremia with edema: + gan jiang, + dang shen, + gui zhi, + sha ren, + che qian zi, + da fu pi, + zhu ling, + jiao mu, − sheng jiang
Uremia with accumulated Damp: + gan jiang, + dang shen, + gui zhi, + sha ren, + huo xiang, + chen pi, − sheng jiang
Uremia with frequent night urination: + gan jiang, + dang shen, + gui zhi, + sha ren, + yi zhi ren, + tu si zi, − sheng jiang
Rapid panting: + gui zhi, + huang qi, + han fang ji, + ting li zi, + gan cao
Rapid panting with strong palpitations and blue lips and nails: + gui zhi, + huang qi, + han fang ji, + ting li zi, + gan cao, + dan shen, + san qi
Severe rapid panting: + gui zhi, + huang qi, + han fang ji, + ting li zi, + gan cao, + hou po, + ma huang
Rapid panting, marked edema: + gui zhi, + huang qi, + han fang ji, + ting li zi, + gan cao, + fu ling, + ze xie
Palpitations, Yang badly depleted: + gui zhi
Palpitations with edema: + wu jia pi, + zhu ling
Palpitations, urine short and scanty: + chao gui zhi, + ze xie
Palpitations with diarrhea: + gan jiang, + wu zhu yu, + xi xin, − bai shao
Palpitations with dizziness: + zhi ban xia, + tian ma
Palpitations with pulmonary edema, scanty urine, breathlessness when lying flat and frothy sputum, with or without Cold: + che qian zi, + ze xie
Asthma as weak Heart Yang lets fluid flood the Lungs: + huang qi, + han fang ji, + ting li zi, + gui zhi, + gan cao
The same asthma with palpitations and cyanosis: + huang qi, + han fang ji, + ting li zi, + gui zhi, + gan cao, + dan shen, + san qi
The same asthma with severe edema: + huang qi, + han fang ji, + ting li zi, + gui zhi, + gan cao, + zhu ling, + ze xie
The same asthma with severe rapid panting: + huang qi, + han fang ji, + ting li zi, + gui zhi, + gan cao, + hou po, + ma huang
ME/CFS or Epstein-Barr syndrome: + rou gui, + zhu ling, − sheng jiang, − bai shao
Osteoarthritis (plus two or three of Lu Rong, Chuan Jiao, Wu Zhu Yu, Bi Ba, Gao Liang Jiang, Xi Xin, Chi Shi Zhi): + huang qi, + gui zhi, + sang zhi, + huai niu xi, + zhi chuan wu, + yin yang huo, + zhi gan cao, − zhi fu zi, − sheng jiang
Osteoarthritis with loose stools: + huang qi, + gui zhi, + sang zhi, + huai niu xi, + zhi chuan wu, + yin yang huo, + zhi gan cao, + dang shen, + bu gu zhi, − zhi fu zi, − sheng jiang
Osteoarthritis with swollen joints: + huang qi, + gui zhi, + sang zhi, + huai niu xi, + zhi chuan wu, + yin yang huo, + zhi gan cao, + cang zhu, + yi yi ren, − zhi fu zi, − sheng jiang
Osteoarthritis, very painful or feeling cold: + huang qi, + gui zhi, + sang zhi, + huai niu xi, + zhi chuan wu, + yin yang huo, + zhi gan cao, + xi xin, − zhi fu zi, − sheng jiang
Thrombophlebitis (combined with Dang Gui Si Ni Tang): + zhi chuan wu, + zhi cao wu

Cautions

contraindication Heat patterns, including Yin deficiency with Heat signs (night sweats, flushed cheeks, red tongue with little coat)
contraindication Damp-Heat patterns
contraindication Water accumulation that comes purely from an excess condition
caution Contains Fu Zi, which is toxic unprocessed; only the prepared root is used, under professional supervision
caution Heart failure, cirrhosis and kidney disease need medical diagnosis and care, and new or worsening edema always needs assessment; the formula is only an adjunct
pregnancy Because it contains Fu Zi it is usually avoided in pregnancy; any use there is for a qualified practitioner to direct

Preparation

Decoction, strained and taken warm in three portions over the day; prepared Fu Zi only, usually cooked first and longer; Sheng Jiang used fresh and sliced

Names

Pinyin	zhen wu tang
English Name	True Warrior Decoction

Classification

Category: Warm and Transform Water and Dampness