Wendantang: A Chinese medicine secret to dissipate phlegm and soothe the stomach
As one of the ten classic prescriptions in traditional Chinese medicine, Wen Dan Tang has the main effect of "resolving phlegm and soothing the stomach, calming the mind and soothing the nerves". It aims to restore the body's yin and yang balance and organ harmony by regulating the functions of the gallbladder and stomach, resolving phlegm and clearing away heat.
1. History of Traditional Chinese Medicine Wendantang
Wendantang, from the book Sanyin Jiyi Bingzheng Fanglun written by Chen Yan in the Southern Song Dynasty, is a traditional Chinese medicine prescription that has the effects of regulating qi and resolving phlegm, harmonizing the stomach and promoting bile secretion. Its main ingredients include Pinellia, Rhizoma Anemarrhenae, Fructus Aurantii Immaturus, Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae, Licorice Root and Poria. These herbs work together to effectively treat bile stagnation and phlegm disturbance.
Composition and usage:
Ingredients: 2 liang each of Pinellia, Rhizoma Anemarrhenae, and Immature Citrus aurantium, 3 liang of Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae, 1 liang of roasted Licorice, and 1.5 liang of Poria.
Usage: Grind the above herbs into powder, take 12g each time, add one and a half cups of water, five slices of ginger, one jujube, boil until seven parts, remove the residue, and take before meals. Modern usage can be reduced according to the original proportion, add 5 slices of ginger, 1 jujube, boil in water and take.
2. Prescription composition and drug efficacy
Wendan Decoction is made up of eight Chinese herbs: Pinellia tuber, Rhizoma Anemarrhenae, Fructus Aurantii Immaturus, Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae, Radix Licorice, Poria, Ginger, and Jujube. The main effects of Wendan Decoction are regulating Qi and resolving phlegm, harmonizing the stomach and promoting bile secretion.
It is mainly used to treat bile stagnation and phlegm disturbance, which are manifested by timidity, easy fright, dizziness, palpitations, restlessness and insomnia, frequent nightmares, or vomiting, hiccups, dizziness, epilepsy and other symptoms.
Pinellia : pungent and warm, dries dampness and resolves phlegm, harmonizes the stomach and stops vomiting, and is the main medicine.
Bamboo Rhizome : sweet and slightly cold, clears away heat and resolves phlegm, relieves restlessness and stops vomiting. When used together with Pinellia, one has a warming effect while the other has a cooling effect, resolves phlegm and harmonizes the stomach, stops vomiting and relieves restlessness.
Chenpi : pungent, spicy and warm, regulates Qi and relieves stagnation, dries dampness and resolves phlegm.
Citrus aurantium : bitter, slightly cold, descends qi, removes stagnation, eliminates phlegm and relieves abdominal distension. Chenpi and Citrus aurantium are combined, which is also one warm and one cool, and the power of regulating qi and resolving phlegm is enhanced.
Poria : Strengthens the spleen and moistens the body, thereby eliminating the source of phlegm.
Ginger and jujube : harmonize the spleen and stomach, and ginger can also control the toxicity of pinellia.
Licorice : harmonizes various medicines.
The compatibility characteristics and application of Wendan Decoction
The characteristic of the combination of Wendan Decoction is that it is a comprehensive formula. Pinellia, dried orange peel and ginger are warm in nature, while Rhizoma Anemarrhenae and Fructus Aurantii Immaturus are cool in nature. The combination of warmth and coolness makes the whole formula neither cold nor dry, and it regulates qi and resolves phlegm to harmonize the stomach. When stomach qi is harmonious and descends, the stagnation of the gallbladder can be relieved, and when the turbid phlegm is removed, the gallbladder will be free of evil spirits. In this way, the patient will be calm and tranquil, and all symptoms will heal themselves.
Wen Dan Tang was created based on this pathological mechanism, and aims to restore the body's yin and yang balance and internal organ harmony by regulating the functions of the gallbladder and stomach, resolving phlegm and clearing away heat.
Application
This prescription is commonly used to treat insomnia, palpitations, vomiting, dizziness, and epilepsy caused by bile stagnation and phlegm disturbance. In clinical application, the key points of syndrome differentiation are restlessness and insomnia, dizziness, palpitations, nausea, white and greasy tongue coating, and stringy and slippery pulse.
Addition and subtraction
For those with severe heart heat and irritability : add coptis root, yam and fermented black beans to clear away heat and relieve irritability.
For insomniacs : add amber powder and Yuanzhi to calm the mind.
For those who are frightened : add mother-of-pearl, raw oysters, and raw dragon teeth to calm the fright.
For vomiting and hiccups : add perilla leaves or stems, loquat leaves, and inula flowers to reduce vomiting and stop vomiting.
Dizziness : Add Gastrodia elata and Uncaria rhynchophylla to calm the liver and extinguish wind.
Epilepsy and convulsions : add Bile Star, Gouteng and Quanxie to extinguish wind and stop convulsions.
3. Scope of application and symptoms
Wendan Tang is a versatile Chinese medicine prescription that is suitable for a variety of conditions. In terms of the psycho-nervous system, it can help patients with insomnia caused by phlegm-heat to improve sleep quality and reduce anxiety and upset. For dizziness and tinnitus, Wendan Tang can resolve phlegm and reduce turbidity, alleviating symptoms. In addition, it can relieve the phlegm-heat symptoms associated with anxiety and depression, and regulate emotions.
In terms of the digestive system, Wendan Decoction is suitable for symptoms such as stomach distension, pain, nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. It restores the spleen and stomach functions and improves digestion by regulating qi and harmonizing the stomach, resolving phlegm and relieving adverse reactions.
For chest tightness and palpitations caused by phlegm stagnation, Wendantang can also resolve phlegm, unblock meridians, regulate qi and blood, and relieve discomfort. Wendantang has shown significant therapeutic effects through its effects of regulating qi and resolving phlegm, harmonizing the stomach and promoting bile secretion.
When using, you should consult a professional Chinese medicine practitioner based on your specific symptoms and physical condition to ensure safety and effectiveness.
4. Dietary therapy and daily conditioning
While using Wendan Decoction for treatment, combining it with some dietary therapy methods can help improve the efficacy and promote physical recovery.
You can often eat some foods that have the effects of resolving phlegm and dampness, strengthening the spleen and stomach, such as yam, coix seed, water chestnut, winter melon, etc.
The preparation method of yam porridge is simple. Peel the yam, cut it into pieces and cook it with rice. It has the effects of strengthening the spleen and stomach, nourishing the kidneys and improving the essence. It is suitable for people with weak spleen and stomach, and excessive phlegm and dampness.
Job's tears and winter melon soup, take an appropriate amount of job's tears and cook them together with winter melon. It can promote water penetration, clear away heat and resolve phlegm. It has a good regulating effect on people with heavy dampness in the body and symptoms of phlegm and heat.
In addition, it is also very important to maintain a good living habit. You should have a regular work and rest schedule, avoid staying up late, and ensure adequate sleep, because lack of sleep can easily lead to organ dysfunction and aggravate the internal generation of phlegm and dampness.
Appropriate exercise, such as walking, jogging, Tai Chi, etc., can promote the circulation of Qi and blood, enhance the spleen and stomach's function of transportation and transformation, and help expel phlegm and dampness from the body.
At the same time, we should pay attention to keeping a good mood and avoid being in a state of negative emotions such as tension, anxiety, depression, etc. for a long time, because emotional factors have a greater impact on the function of internal organs, and negative emotions can easily induce or aggravate diseases.
5. Precautions and taboo groups
People with Yin deficiency and excessive fire should use Wendan Decoction with caution. This group of people have insufficient Yin fluid and excessive fire in their bodies, and some of the drugs in Wendan Decoction are warm and dry, which may further damage Yin fluid and aggravate the symptoms of Yin deficiency and excessive fire. If symptoms such as dry mouth and throat, fever in the five hearts, hot flashes and sweating, and red tongue with little coating appear, it is not suitable to use it.
Pregnant women should not use it. During the period of taking Wendan Decoction, you should avoid eating spicy, greasy, raw and cold foods, as these foods are easy to cause dampness and phlegm, affecting the efficacy of the drug.
In short, Wendantang, as a classic Chinese medicine prescription, contains rich Chinese medicine wisdom and practical experience. It has unique therapeutic effects in resolving phlegm and soothing the stomach, calming the mind and soothing the nerves, and has a good therapeutic effect on many diseases. However, in the process of use, it is necessary to follow the principle of syndrome differentiation and treatment in Chinese medicine, apply it reasonably under the guidance of professional doctors, and cooperate with diet therapy and daily conditioning at the same time to give full play to its advantages.