Zuo Gui Yin, Restore the Left Decoction, is Shu Di Huang, Shan Yao, Gou Qi Zi, Fu Ling, Shan Zhu Yu and Zhi Gan Cao. The catalogue classes it among the formulas that nourish and tonify Yin.

Herb

Amount

6 g

6 g

6 g

6 g

3 g

3 g

Actions and indications

Nourishes Yin and tonifies the Kidneys

True Kidney Yin deficiency, mild to moderate, without strong Fire or any Excess to drain, so pure tonification is needed
Deficiency of Kidney Yin and Jing
Wasting and weakness (Wei syndrome) from Liver and Kidney deficiency
Sore, weak lower back and knees with general debility
Night sweats or spontaneous sweating, and seminal emissions
Dizziness, with thirst and dry mouth and throat
Tongue red with a peeled, shiny coat; pulse thin and rapid

Modern uses

Menopausal and perimenopausal symptoms (hot flushes, night sweats, dryness)
Post-menopausal uterine bleeding
Amenorrhea
Diabetes
Renal tuberculosis
Addison's disease
Osteoporosis
Lumbago
Atrophy (Wei) syndrome
Myasthenia gravis
Multiple sclerosis
Polyneuritis
Acute infectious multiple neuritis
Guillain-Barre syndrome
Acute myelitis
Progressive muscular dystrophy
After-effects of poliomyelitis
Periodic paralysis
Hysterical paralysis
Facial paralysis
Impotence
Spermatorrhea
Nocturnal emissions
Night sweats
Excessive tearing
Alopecia
Constipation

Modifications

Irritability from Lung Heat: + mai men dong

Blood stasis: + mu dan pi

Spleen Heat with constant hunger that is never satisfied: + bai shao

Kidney Heat with steaming bones and heavy sweating: + di gu pi

Heart Heat with Dryness: + xuan shen

Bleeding: + sheng di huang

Blood deficiency: + dang gui

More sweating or seminal emission, to secure Jing: + wu wei zi

Marked dryness of mouth and throat: + mai men dong

To guide the formula to the lower back and knees: + chuan niu xi

Menopausal syndrome: + he shou wu, + zhen zhu mu, + mu li

Menopausal syndrome, itchy skin: + he shou wu, + zhen zhu mu, + mu li, + fang feng, + yu zhu, + chan tui

Show all 36 modifications

Menopausal syndrome with pronounced aching of waist and legs: + he shou wu, + zhen zhu mu, + mu li, + xu duan, + sang ji sheng
Amenorrhoea from Kidney Qi deficiency (combined with Er Zhi Wan): + shi jue ming, + yu jin, + bai shao, − shan yao
Watering eyes in the wind: + fang feng, + bai zhi, + mu zei, + xi xin
Alopecia (combined with Er Zhi Wan): + zhi he shou wu, + zi he che, + e jiao
Osteoporosis: + sang ji sheng, + bu gu zhi
Osteoporosis where Heat in Lung and Stomach has injured Yin: + sang ji sheng, + bu gu zhi, + mai men dong, + shi hu
Osteoporosis, Heart Heat: + sang ji sheng, + bu gu zhi, + xuan shen
Osteoporosis with Spleen Heat and hunger soon after eating: + sang ji sheng, + bu gu zhi, + bai shao
Osteoporosis, pronounced deficiency Heat: + sang ji sheng, + bu gu zhi, + zhi mu, + huang bai
Osteoporosis with bleeding from Blood-level Heat: + sang ji sheng, + bu gu zhi, + sheng di huang, + mo han lian
Osteoporosis, Blood deficient: + sang ji sheng, + bu gu zhi, + dang gui
Severe osteoporosis: + sang ji sheng, + bu gu zhi, + gu sui bu, + gui ban
Osteoporosis with severe or fixed stabbing pain from Blood stasis: + sang ji sheng, + bu gu zhi, + chi shao, + ru xiang, + mo yao
Post-menopausal bleeding: + he shou wu, + gui ban
Post-menopausal bleeding, itchy skin: + he shou wu, + gui ban, + chan tui, + lu feng fang, + bai xian pi, + hai tong pi
Post-menopausal bleeding with dizziness and headache: + he shou wu, + gui ban, + tian ma, + gou teng, + shi jue ming
Post-menopausal bleeding, heavy sweating: + he shou wu, + gui ban, + fu xiao mai, + huang qi
Post-menopausal bleeding, heavy sweating, alternative: + he shou wu, + gui ban, + huai niu xi, + sang ji sheng
Post-menopausal bleeding, thirst: + he shou wu, + gui ban, + tian men dong, + mai men dong
Post-menopausal bleeding, tinnitus: + he shou wu, + gui ban, + ci shi
Post-menopausal bleeding from Kidney Yin and Yang deficiency (combined with Er Zhi Wan): + shu di huang
Post-menopausal bleeding from Kidney Yin and Yang deficiency, with insomnia (combined with Er Zhi Wan): + shu di huang, + ye jiao teng, + zhen zhu
Bleeding after menopause with lumbar pain, both Kidney Yin and Yang deficient (combined with Er Zhi Wan): + shu di huang, + xu duan, + bu gu zhi
No periods, both Kidney Yin and Yang deficient: + du zhong, + tu si zi, + nu zhen zi, + han lian cao, + dang gui, − zhi gan cao

Cautions

caution Heavy, rich Shu Di Huang dominates it: where digestion is weak (little appetite, a full abdomen, loose stools), leave it out or adjust it, as prolonged use can bog down the Spleen

contraindication Conditions dominated by Damp, Phlegm or food stagnation

contraindication Cold (Yang) deficiency or exterior conditions, since it neither warms nor releases the exterior

caution With prescription medicines: in an animal study it induced liver enzymes that break down drugs (equivalent to human CYP2C19 and CYP3A4), so take care when combining

Pinyin

zuo gui yin

English Name

Restore the Left (kidney) Decoction

zuo gui yin

About zuo gui yin

Ingredients

Actions and indications

Nourishes Yin and tonifies the Kidneys

Modern uses

Symptoms

Modifications

Cautions

Preparation

Names

Classification