BLACK PEARL BP037 YU PING FENG SAN JADE SCREEN

YU PING FENG SAN
玉屏風散
Jade Screen Formula
Product Code: BP037

TCM Actions
Tonifies the Qi, strengthens the Exterior to stop excessive sweating

Indications
Recurrent upper respiratory tract infections, allergic rhinitis, maintenance therapy for asthma and chronic bronchitis.

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

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

Safe for long term use.

Signs and Syndromes
Insecurity of the defensive Qi Qi deficiency (general)

Recurrent upper respiratory tract infections

Aversion to cold drafts

Excessive sweating

Pale complexion

Pale tongue with a thin white coat

Weak or soft pulse that may also be floating

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Astragalus root is used orally to strengthen and regulate the immune system, and to increase the production of blood cells particularly in individuals with chronic degenerative disease or in individuals with cancer undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy. It is also used to treat the common cold, upper respiratory infections, chronic nephritis and diabetes. Astragalus has been shown to have the following actions: antibacterial, antiviral, tonic, immune stimulant, hepatoprotective, anti- inflammatory, antioxidant, diuretic, vasodilator and hypotensive.

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Atractylodes rhizome is used orally in formulas to treat a wide variety of digestive disorders as well as respiratory, nervous and rheumatic disorders. It is frequently used in tonic formulas as well as formulas to treat threatened or habitual miscarriage.

It has been shown to have hepatoprotective, anticancer, hypoglycaemic, immunostimulant and antibacterial actions.

Cautions & Contraindications
None noted.

Comments
This formula was first recorded in ‘Effective Prescriptions from Generations of Physicians’ (shi yi de xiao fang) by Wei Yi-lin, 1345. It is a simple formula consisting of three ingredients only. It was designed to promote resistance against attack by exogenous pathogens in susceptible patients through tonification of the defensive Qi (wei qi) and thus strengthening the Exterior. Because one of the main clinical manifestations of weak defensive Qi is spontaneous sweating, an important action of the formula is to strengthen and secure (or ‘consolidate’) the Exterior. There is some disagreement in the English language TCM likterature over the synergistic interactions of the herbs, centred on the actions of Saposhnikovia (fang feng) in this formula. This herb is classified as an Exterior releasing herb and is normally used in formulas to dispel pathogens from the Exterior by diaphoresis. However, in this formula the aim is to stop sweating, not increase it. This is the reason that it is used in a lower dosage and is pre-prepared by dry-frying. This removes its diaphoretic action and enhances its tonifying actions as described below. The synergistic actions of the ingredients are as follows:

• Astragalus root (huang qi): tonifies the Spleen and Lung Qi to strengthen the defensive Qi and stop excessive sweating

• Atractylodes rhizome (bai zhu): tonifies the Spleen Qi to promote the production of Qi and Blood

• Saposhnikovia root (fang feng): promotes the ascending movement of the Qi in the middle Jiao to promote Qi and Blood production, directs the actions of the formula to the Exterior and the Lung

Ingredients
ASTRAGALUS MEMBRANACEUS, ROOT (huang qi) – 黃芪 – 187.5 mg
ATRACTYLODES MACROCEPHALA, RHIZ. (bai zhu) – 白朮 – 112.5 mg
SAPOSHNIKOVIA DIVARICATA, ROOT (fang feng) – 防風 – 75 mg