Huang Lian Jie Du Tang (Coptis Decoction to Relieve Toxicity)
- Clear Heat and Relieve Toxicity
- Huang Lian
- Huang Qin
- Huang Bai
- Zhi Zi
- Huang Lian drains Ht fire, and drains fire from the middle jiao.
- Huang Qin drains fire from the upper jiao.
- Huang Bai drains heat from the lower jiao.
- Zhi Zi drains fire from the San Jiao, guides fire down through urination.
- Huang Bai and Zhi Zi both clear damp heat in the UB channel.
Function: Drains fire and relieves toxicity.
Indications: Vigorous fire toxin accumulation in the San Jiao.
Symptoms:
- High fever, irritability, dry mouth and throat, incoherent speech, insomnia, dark and scanty urine (shen disturbance, Ying level heat).
- Also for febrile disease causing nosebleed, or vomiting of blood. Severe heat that causes macula and eruption.
- Diarrhea and jaundice due to damp heat.
- Carbuncles, deep-rooted boils, sores due to toxic heat.
Tongue: Red with yellow coating
Pulse: Rapid and forceful
Clinical Applications:
- The key symptoms are high fever, irritability, dry mouth and throat, red tongue with yellow coating, rapid and forceful pulse.
- For cases with constipation, add Da Huang.
- For jaundice due to blood stasis and heat accumulation, add Da Huang and Yin Chen Hao.
- For cases with vomiting blood, nosebleed, macula and eruption, and Xuan Shen, Sheng Di Huang and Mu Dan Pi.
- Currently used for septicemia toxemia, encephalitis, meningitis, dysentry, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and infective inflammation due to toxic heat.
Cautions and Contraindications: Because it is very bitter and cold, this formula should not be taken long-term and should be prescribed in cases with excess fire.