Pinellia, Atractylodes Macrocephala and Gastrodia Decoction

Pinellia, Atractylodes Macrocephala and Gastrodia Decoction

Pinelliae Rhizoma (Ban Xia) 1.5 qian (4.5g), Gastrodiae Rhizoma (Tian Ma) 1 qian (3g), Poria (Fu Ling) 1 qian (3g), Citri Expocarpium Rubrum (Ju Hong) 1 qian (3g), Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (Bai Zhu) 3 qian (9g), Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Gan Cao) 5 fen (1.5g), Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens (Sheng Jiang) 1 piece, Jujubae Fructus (Da Zao) 2 pieces

Prepare as a decoction.

Dries dampness and dissolves phlegm, calms the liver and extinguishes wind.

Ban Xia Bai Zhu Tian Ma Tang is designed to treat the pattern of wind-phlegm harassing the upper body. Symptoms include dizziness, headache, pi and oppression in the chest and diaphragm, nausea, and vomiting. The tongue coating is greasy and white. The pulse is wiry and slippery.

Spleen deficiency easily leads to phlegm or damp production. Phlegm-dampness may travel upward and harass the body along with internal liver wind causing various disorders. When it harasses the brain, headache and dizziness occur. When it blocks the center jiao disorders including chest and diaphragm pi and oppression, nausea and vomiting will appear. The white and greasy tongue coating indicates internal phlegm-turbidity. The wiry and slippery pulse indicates wind-phlegm. The treatment principle is to dissolve phlegm wind and extinguish wind, reinforce the spleen and dispel dampness.

1. Essential pattern differentiation Ban Xia Bai Zhu Tian Ma Tang is a representative formula used to treat dizziness and headache caused by wind and phlegm. This clinical pattern is marked by dizziness and headache, white and greasy tongue coating, wiry and slippery pulse. 2. Modern applications This formula is often used to treat patterns of wind–phlegm harassing the upper body such as aural vertigo, hypertension, neurological dizziness, seizures, and facial paralysis. 3. Cautions and contraindications This formula is not appropriate for dizziness caused by yin deficiency and yang hyperactivity or insufficiency of qi and blood.

Cheon-ma ( Gastrodia elata ) is listed as "Vulnerable" in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Also, it is listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II. Its trade is allowed but subject to licensing controls.