BLACK PEARL BP021 SHI QUAN DA BU WAN GINSENG & DANG GUI TEN

SHI QUAN DA BU WAN
十全大補丸
Ginseng & Dang-gui Ten Formula
Product Code: BP021

TCM Actions
Tonifies the Qi and nourishes the Blood, warms the Yang

Indications
General debility, side-effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy (e.g. mouth ulcers, leukopenia), anemia, erectile dysfunction, menstrual disorders (e.g. irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhoea), post-operative hypoalbuminaemia and anemia, chronic gastritis, malnutrition, chronic non-healing ulcers, post-partum debility, thrombangiitis obliterans.

Dosage & Course Of Treatment
8 pills, 3 times daily, half to one hour away from food.

Course of treatment: 3 – 6 months, or ongoing in elderly patients.

Safe for long term use.

Signs and Syndromes
Qi-Blood dual deficiency

Fatigue, muscular weakness

Poor appetite

Exertional dyspnoea (shortness of breath on mild exertion)

Weak, low voice, reluctance to speak

Palpitations

Pale or sallow complexion

Postural dizziness

Dry, lustreless skin and hair

Cold extremities

Paraesthesia or numbness of the extremities

Sweating on mild exertion

Dark rings under the eyes

Chronic sores or chronic ulcers

Pale tongue with a thin white coat

Thready and weak pulse

Cautions & Contraindications
Caution for those on anti-coagulant medications (i.e. heparin, warfarin or aspirin).

If taking antibiotics, allow at least 90 minutes before taking this formula.

Do not take during an episode of the common cold or ‘flu.

Comments
This formula, which was recorded in the ‘Formulary of the Tai Ping Welfare Dispensary Bureau’ (tai ping hui min he ji ju fang), 1151 CE, is based on a combination of Si Jun Zi Tang (Four Major Herbs Formula) and Si Wu Tang (Dang Gui Four Combination), together with two additional herbs that serve to augment the actions of tonifying the Qi and nourishing the Blood: Astragalus (huang qi) and Cinnamon (rou gui). This makes the formula more potent than Ba Zhen Wan (Ginseng and Dang-gui Eight Combination), which was not formally recorded until some four centuries later. There is a certain degree of confusion over the formula’s action to warm the Yang Qi, which would potentially restrict its use to deficiency Cold conditions. In comparison to Ba Zhen Wan, which is also warming, the two additional herbs do, if fact, augment this formula’s warming action. Astragalus root (huang qi), with a slightly warm nature, tonifies the Qi and raises the Yang Qi of the middle Jiao; while Cinnamon bark (rou gui), an Interior warming herb with a hot nature, warm-tonifies the Spleen Yang and the Kidney Yang, dispels Cold and promotes the circulation of the Qi and Blood. However, the latter herb is only used in a relatively small dose as a catalyst for Qi and Blood production; while the mild nature of the former herb is not sufficient give the formula a significant Interior Cold dispelling action. On the contrary, Astragalus (huang qi) is often used in formulas for fever due to Qi deficiency; thus, it too serves mainly to enhance both the Qi tonifying and Blood nourishing actions of the formula. Thus, in terms of clinical efficacy, the additional two herbs give this formula a stronger and more rapidly acting tonifying action than Ba Zhen Wan. The synergistic actions of the herbs are as follows:

• Astragalus root (huang qi), Codonopsis root (dang shen), Atractylodes rhiz. (bai zu), Wolfiporia cocos (fu ling), Glycyrrhiza root (zhi gan cao): tonify the Qi and strengthen the Spleen.

• Paeonia root (bai shao), Rehmannia root (shu di huang), Angelica root (dang- gui), Ligusticum root (chuan xiong): nourish the Blood.

• Atractylodes rhiz. (bai zu), Wolfiporia cocos (fu ling): dispel Damp

• Angelica root (dang-gui), Ligusticum root (chuan xiong): activate the Blood and dispel stasis

• Cinnamomum bark (rou gui): warm-tonifies the Spleen and Kidney, activates the circulation of the Qi and Blood, promotes Qi and Blood production

Ingredients
ASTRAGALUS MEMBRANACEUS, ROOT (huang qi) – 黃芪 – 69.8mg
REHMANNIA GLUTINOSA, ROOT (shu di huang) – 熟地黃 – 52.1 mg
CODONOPSIS PILOSULA, ROOT (dang shen) – 黨參 – 43.5mg
ATRACTYLODES MACROCEPHALA, RHIZ. (bai zhu) – 白朮 – 43.5mg
WOLFIPORIA COCOS, FRUIT. BODY (fu ling) – 茯苓 – 43.5mg
PAEONIA LACTIFLORA, ROOT (bai shao) – 白芍 – 43.5mg
ANGELICA POLYMORPHA, ROOT (dang-gui) – 當歸 – 26.3mg
LIGUSTICUM STRIATUM, ROOT (chuan xiong) – 川芎 – 17.6mg
GLYCYRRHIZA URALENSIS, ROOT (gan cao) – 甘草 – 17.6mg
CINNAMOMUM CASSIA, STEM BARK (rou gui) – 肉桂 – 17.6mg