Long Dan Xie Gan Tang (Gentiana Long Dan Cao Decoction to Drain the Liver)
- Clear Heat from the Organs
- Long Dan Cao
- Huang Qin
- Zhi Zi
- Ze Xie
- Mu Tong
- Che Qian Zi
- Sheng Di Huang
- Dang Gui
- Chai Hu
- Gan Cao
- Long Dan Cao is very bitter and cold. Drains excess fire from the Liver and Gallbladder above. Clears and eliminates damp heat from LJ below.
- Huang Qin and Zhi Zi are both bitter and cold. Drain fire.
- Ze Xie, Mu Tong, and Che Qian Zi clear heat and eliminate dampness by promoting urination.
- Sheng Di Huang and Dang Gui nourish Yin and Blood, prevent main ingredients from injuring Yin due to bitter and cold nature.
- Chai Hu guides other ingredients to Lv and GB channels.
- Gan Cao harmonizes the formula.
Function: Drains excess fire from Lv and GB. Clears damp heat from LJ
Indications: Lv and GB excess fire rising, or Lv and GB damp heat descending
Symptoms: Headache, red and sore eyes, hypochondriac pain, bitter taste in the mouth, deafness, swelling in the ears, irritability; swelling, itching, sweating in the pudendum, difficulty and painful urination with a burning sensation in the urethra, dark, scanty or turbid urine, or leukorrhea due to damp heat.
Tongue: Red color with yellow coating
Pulse: Wiry and Rapid
Clinical Applications:
- This formula is used for various syndromes due to Lv and GB excess fire rising, or damp heat descending.
- The key symptoms are bitter taste in the mouth, dark urine, red tongue with yellow coating, wiry, rapid, forceful pulse.
- For vigorous excess fire in Lv and GB channels, omit Mu Tong and Che Qian Zi, replace with Huang Lian.
- For cases with more damp than heat, omit Huang Qin and Sheng Di Huang and replace with Hua Shi, Yi Yi Ren.
- For sores on penis, or hemorrhoids with infection, or swelling, pain, redness, and heat in the scrotum, omit Chai Hu and replace with Lian Qiao, Huang Lian, and Da Huang.
- Currently used for migraine, eczema, hypertension, acute conjunctivitis, corneal ulcer, acute glaucoma, central rhinitis, iridocyclitis, furnace of external auditory canal, rhinitis, acute hepatitis, acute cholecystitis, urinary tract infection, episioitis, orchitis, epididymitis, acute pelvic inflammation, herpes simplex, shingles zoster, intercostal neuralgia, etc. due to Liver and Gallbladder excess fire or damp heat.
Cautions and Contraindications: It should not be taken long term or in large doses, nor in cases with Sp deficiency or injury to fluids.