ku shen

苦参·Radix Sophorae Flavescentis

Sophora Root

About ku shen

Ku Shen (苦参) is the root of sophora, a legume, recorded as Radix Sophorae Flavescentis. It is bitter in flavour and cold in temperature, and enters six channels: the Heart, Liver, Stomach, Bladder and both Intestines. The catalogue files it among the herbs that clear Heat and dry Dampness.

Names

Pinyin	ku shen
Chinese	苦参
Latin Name	Radix Sophorae Flavescentis
English Name	Sophora Root
Japanese	kujin
Korean	kosam

Classification

Category: Clear Heat, Dry Dampness
Channels: Large Intestine, Stomach, Heart, Small Intestine, Bladder, Liver
Flavour: Bitter
Temperature: Cold
Part used: Root
Family: Fabaceae
Species: Sophora Favescens
Tags: Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Clears Heat and dries Damp

Lower Jiao Damp-Heat with jaundice, diarrhea or dysentery, vaginal discharge or sores
Acute dysentery with tenesmus
Viral hepatitis

Dispels Wind, kills parasites and stops itching

Chronic itching from Damp-toxin skin lesions or infestations, with scabies, weeping or bleeding, used internally and topically
Damp, itchy, weeping skin such as eczema or ringworm, very often as an external wash
Itching of the genitals with vaginal discharge, used internally or topically
Trichomonas vaginitis
Bronchial asthma

Clears Heat and promotes urination

Small Intestine Damp-Heat
Painful or difficult urination from Damp-Heat
Edema of a Heat type

Combinations

mu xiang
Damp-Heat dysentery. Jaundice
huang bai + bai zhi + she chuang zi
Itchy vaginal discharge that is thick and yellow
she chuang zi + dan shen
Eczema and other damp skin lesions
huai hua (chao) + di yu
Intestinal Heat with blood in the stool or bleeding hemorrhoids. Stomach Heat with vomiting of blood
chan tui + jing jie
Generalized itching.
shi wei + che quan zi + pu gong ying
Damp-Heat with burning, rough, painful and difficult urination
dang gui + zhe bei mu
Urinary dysfunction during pregnancy.
fu ling
Hot, painful urinary dysfunction with edema
zhi zi + huang bai + long dan cao
Jaundice.
mu xiang + gan cao
Diarrhea.
huang bai + she chuang zi
Yellow vaginal discharge. Used as a wash for general itching or for vaginitis from trichomonas
ku lian pi
Hemorrhoid pain.
huang bai + she chuang zi + ming fan
Itchy skin with lesions and abscesses, applied topically
che qian zi
Itching, used as an herbal wash
bai xian pi + chi shao + hong hua + sang zhi + fang feng + lian qiao + chuan shan jia + zao jiao ci + chan tui + she tui
Urticaria.
da feng zi + cang er zi
Leprosy.

Dosage

Age	Raw	Granule	Tincture	Concentrate	Frequency
Any 3-15g; Up to 30g when used topically; Tincture: 1-4ml	3-15 g	—	1-4 ml	—	—

Cautions

contraindication Deficiency Cold of the Spleen and Stomach; extremely bitter and cold, it readily damages Spleen and Stomach Qi
contraindication Kidney deficiency without fever
caution Generally avoided with poor appetite, loose stools or weak digestion
pregnancy Use with caution in pregnancy
caution Not to be given by injection
caution Given its strength, long internal courses call for professional guidance rather than unsupervised use

Interactions

Antagonistic with

tu si zi Antagonistic pairing with Tu Si Zi (Cuscuta seed)
zhe bei mu Antagonistic pairing with Bei Mu (Fritillaria bulb)