Herbs_Tonify Qi Flashcards
Sp Qi Xu - signs & symptoms
- tiredness, lack of energy
- loose stools
- undigested food in stools
- poor appetite
+ - abdominal bloating after food
- weak limbs, fatigue
- cold hands and feet
- tendency to Damp & Phlegm
- overthinking & worry
+
As Sp Qi holds in fluids & organs: - oedema
- prolapse
- bleeding disorders, varicose veins
P: Empty, may be soft & slippery
T: pale, quivering, swollen
if chronic: maybe cracks around edges
Lu Qi Xu - signs & symptoms
- shortness of breath/ breathlessness
- easily catches colds
- slight chronic cough
- wheezing
- spontaneous sweating
- weak voice, tired on speaking
- inappropriate grief
+ - oedema (superficial)
P: Empty, esp. FRP
T: pale
He Qi Xu - signs & symptoms
- palpitations, awareness of heart beat - daytime, worse on exertion
- tiredness
- SOB on exertion
+ - pale face
- sadness, lack of joy
- spontaneous sweating
P: Xu, esp. FLP
T: pale, may have midline crack
Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix) - (man root)
Sweet, warm
LU, SP
3-9gr
- Strongly tonifies Yuan Qi - rescues and revitalises after serious or long-term illness
- Tonifies Spleen Qi - Sp Qi Xu
- Tonifies Lung Qi - Lu Qi Xu
- Calms the Shen - due to He Qi, Sp Qi and Blood Xu (anxiety, fearfulness, forgetfulness, insomnia)
- Generates fluids - Xiao Ke (W&TD) due to Sp Qi Xu
- Tonifies Qi and Blood
- Treats Impotence
- Tonifies Wei Qi - Qi Xu plus frequent colds
- Cautions : warm and sweet = retention of EPF; not with Heat conditions; not with high doses of caffeine/stimulants
Dang Shen (Codonopsis Radix)
sweet, neutral
LU, SP
6-9gr - up to 30gr
- Tonifies Sp & St Qi (Middle Jiao) - all St and Sp Qi Xu
- Tonifies Lung Qi - Lu Qi Xu
- Nourishes Blood - chronic illness with Qi & Blood Xu or Qi & Yin Xu
- Nourish Wei Qi - expels EPFs (Wind-Cold)
- Cautions : can cause digestive issues
- may generate Heat
- always combine w herbs to expel EPFs!
Mild and gentle - cheap and frequent substitute for Ren Shen (by doubling dosage)
Bai Zhu
(Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae)
bitter, sweet, warm
SP, ST
9-15gr (30gr for constipation)
One of the most important digestive herbs!
Sheng = unprepared (draining/moving bowls)
Zhi = stir-fried in honey (tonifying)
- Tonifies Sp Qi (Middle Jiao) - Qi Xu, Blood Xu, Qi Xu with Damp (bloating, diarrhoea, constipation)
- Dries Damp and eliminates Water accumulation - oedema
- Wei Qi Xu with spontaneous sweating
- Stabilizes pregnancy - miscarriage
- with Cang Zhu - better for treating Damp
- Caution - Yin Xu or Heat. Qi Stasis in bowl - use with Qi moving herbs
Huang Qi
(Radix Astragali)
sweet, sl. warm
LU, SP
9-15gr
Sheng = unprepared (Wei Qi)
Zhi = stir-fried in honey (tonifying)
Strongly ascending!
- Tonifies Qi and Raises the Yang! for Sp Qi Xu + bleeding & prolapse! (see Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang)
- Tonifies Lung Qi - SOB, fatigue, wheezing
- Strengthens Wei Qi - frequent colds/EPFs, allergies, spontaneous sweating (see Yu Ping Feng San)
- Helps protect the Qi against the effects of chemotherapy (=detoxifying action)
- Promotes the discharge of pus and generates flesh - chronic non healing ulcers and sores
- Regulates water circulation and reduces oedema
- Relieves numbness and pain - in the muscles/extremities (neuropathy) due to Qi Xu
- Treats Xiao Ke Syndrome - W&TD, tonifies Qi and promotes the generation of fluids
- Cautions - warm, powerful, raises the yang qi: LYR, LQS, heat
Gan Cao
“Sweet herb” - liquorice root
neutral
sweet
HT, LU, SP, ST (all 12 channels)
1.5-9 grams
- Tonifies the Spleen and Stomach the Qi
- Moistens the Lungs and Stops Cough
- Relieves Pain - muscular cramps and pains and pain in the epigastrium and abdomen.
- Clears Heat and Eliminates Toxins - sores, swellings and a toxic sore throat
- Treats Poisoning - an antidote
- Harmonises Other Herbs
- Cautions - dampness. Overdose can raise blood pressure
Tai Zi Shen
“Prince root” (‘little’ as suitable for children)
sweet, sl. bitter, neutral
LU, SP
9- 30gr
- Tonifies Sp Qi and St Yin
- Tonifies the Lung - Lu Qi Xu with spontaneous sweating
- Generates of Fluids - Qi and Yin Xu, post febrile disease
- Much gentler Qi tonic than Ren Shen and Dang Shen useful for children, or chronic illness or too weak to benefit from strong tonics
Da Zao
Jujube “Big Date”
Temp: warm
Taste: sweet
Channels: SP, ST
Dosage: 10-30 grams or 3-12 pieces
- Tonifies the Spleen and Stomach Qi
- Tonifies Blood
- Calms the Shen - irritable, disturbed sleep, and emotional instability caused by He Xu plus LQS
- Harmonises other Herbs
- Cautions - Damp, Heat, Phlegm in MJ
Shan Yao
(Rhizoma Dioscoreae)
Temp: neutral
Taste: sweet
Channels: KI, LU, SP
Dosage: 9-30 grams (also used in food therapy)
- Tonifies Spleen Qi
- Tonifies Stomach Qi & Yin
- Tonifies Lu Qi and Yin - moistens lung and stops cough (Lu Yin and Qi Xu)
- Generates fluids - treats Xiao Ke
- Tonifies Kidney Qi & Jing - vaginal discharge, urinary frequency, spermatorrhea
- Cautions can cause fullness and bloating; not where there is excess heat
Which of these herbs raises the Yang?
- Huang Qi
- Bai Zhu
- Ren Shen
Huang Qi
Which herb would you most likely for diarrhoea due to Spleen Qi Xu and Dampness?
- Gan Cao
- Dang Shen
- Bai Zhu
Answers
Bai Zhu
“Shen”
“Root”
As in
Ren Shen
Ren Shen vs Dang Shen
Ren Shen
* strong & fast acting
* most important to tonify Qi (Lu & Sp)
* tonifies Yuan Qi - rescues Yang collapse
* very expensive, only in severe cases, short-term & acute
Dang Shen
* much gentler in tonifying Lu & Sp Qi
* good substitute for RS, large dose (6x bigger than RS)
* as gentle and not hot; good esp. in chronic disease,
* does not tonify Yuan Qi
* generates Yin and Fluids, good for Qi & Yin Xu
