Eight Chinese Patent Medicines for Warming the Stomach and Stopping Pain
Stomach pain is divided into cold pain and heat pain. Cold pain is mostly due to deficiency-cold of the spleen and stomach; heat pain is due to stomach heat. Cold pain from spleen-stomach deficiency-cold should be treated by warming yang, dispersing cold, and stopping pain, using herbs such as Fuzi (Aconiti Radix Lateralis), Rougui (Cinnamomi Cortex), Ganjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma), Baizhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma), Muxiang (Aucklandiae Radix), Sharen (Amomi Fructus), and Guizhi (Cinnamomi Ramulus).
Xiangsha Lizhong Wan
Xiangsha Lizhong Wan is composed of Pao Ganjiang (blast-fried Ginger), Dangshen (Codonopsis Radix), Baizhu (earth-fried), Muxiang, Sharen, and Zhi Gancao (honey-fried Glycyrrhizae Radix). It is a brown-black big honey pill, aromatic, bitter-sweet and slightly acrid.
This formula strengthens the spleen and harmonizes the stomach, warms the middle and moves qi. It is indicated for stomachache due to spleen-stomach deficiency-cold, presenting as cold epigastric pain that prefers warmth and pressure, poor appetite, regurgitation, and diarrhea. Take orally twice daily, 9 g each time.
Contraindications: avoid in stomach-yin deficiency with exuberant internal heat. Do not take with Lilu (Veratri Radix) or its preparations, because Lilu and Dangshen are an eighteen-incompatibility pair.
Guifu Lizhong Wan
Guifu Lizhong Wan is composed of Rougui, Fuzi tablets, Dangshen, Baizhu, Pao Jiang (blast-fried Ginger), and Zhi Gancao. It is a brown-brown big honey pill, slightly aromatic, sweet and acrid.
Guifu Lizhong Wan supplements the kidney and aids yang, warms the middle and strengthens the spleen. It is indicated for declining kidney yang with spleen-stomach deficiency-cold, cold epigastric and abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea, and cold extremities. Take with ginger decoction or warm water, twice daily, 9 g each time.
Lizhong Wan (Dangshen Lizhong Wan)
Lizhong Wan is composed of Dangshen, earth-fried Baizhu, Zhi Gancao, and Pao Jiang. It is a yellow-brown to brown-brown big honey pill, sweet and acrid. Lizhong Wan warms the middle and disperses cold, strengthens the stomach and stops pain. It is indicated for spleen-stomach deficiency-cold, vomiting and diarrhea, chest fullness and abdominal pain, and indigestion. Take twice daily, 9 g each, reduced for children.
Contraindications: not suitable for stomachache, vomiting, or diarrhea due to damp-heat obstructing the middle.
Xuhan Weitong Jiaonang (Keli) (Deficiency-Cold Stomach-Pain Capsules/Granules)
Xuhan Weitong Jiaonang (Keli) is composed of Zhi Huangqi (honey-fried Astragali Radix), Zhi Gancao, Guizhi, Dangshen, Baishao (Paeoniae Alba Radix), Gaoliangjiang (Alpiniae Officinari Rhizoma), Dazao (Jujubae Fructus), and Ganjiang. Its contents are yellow-brown powder or granules, aromatic, sweet and acrid.
Xuhan Weitong warms the stomach and stops pain, strengthens the spleen and boosts qi. It is indicated for weak spleen, dull epigastric pain preferring warmth and pressure, worsening on an empty stomach or with cold. Today it is often used for duodenal bulb ulcer and chronic atrophic gastritis showing the above pattern.
Follow the package insert for usage and dosage; contraindicated in stomachache due to yin deficiency with effulgent fire.
Huangqi Jianzhong Gao (Astragalus Middle-Fortifying Paste)
Huangqi Jianzhong Gao is composed of Huangqi, Baishao, Guizhi, Shengjiang, Gancao, and Dazao. It is a deep-brown viscous liquid, sweet and slightly acrid. It supplements qi and warms the middle, moderates urgency and stops pain. It is indicated for spleen-stomach deficiency-cold, abdominal pain with tension, palpitations and spontaneous sweating; today also used for gastric and duodenal ulcers and gastrointestinal dysfunction.
Contraindications: avoid in stomachache due to damp-heat or yin deficiency with internal heat.
Wenweishu Jiaonang (Keli) (Stomach-Warming Capsules/Granules)
Wenweishu Jiaonang (Keli) is composed of Dangshen, black Fuzi tablets, Zhi Huangqi, Rougui, Shanyao (Dioscoreae Rhizoma), Roucongrong (Cistanches Herba), Baizhu, Shanzha (Crataegi Fructus), Wumei (Mume Fructus), Chenpi, Buguzhi, and Sharen.
It warms the middle and nourishes the stomach, moves qi and stops pain. It is used for stomachache due to deficiency-cold of the middle burner, presenting as cold epigastric pain, abdominal distension and belching, poor appetite and scant eating, and cold aversion with weakness; also for chronic atrophic gastritis and superficial gastritis showing the above symptoms.
Yuzhi Ping'an Wan (Imperially Prescribed Peaceful Pill)
Yuzhi Ping'an Wan is composed of fried Cangzhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma), processed Houpo (Magnoliae Cortex), Chenpi, fried Zhishi (Aurantii Fructus Immaturus), Chenxiang, Muxiang, Tanxiang (Lignum Santali), Dingxiang (Caryophylli Flos), Hongdoukou (Alpiniae Katsumadai Fructus), Baidoukou (Amomi Fructus), Caodoukou (Alpiniae Katsumadai/Semen), Roudoukou (Myristicae Semen), charred Shanzha, Shenqu (Massa Fermentata), fried Maiya (Hordei Fructus), and Gancao. It is a black-coated concentrated water pill; the contents are light brown with a special aroma, acrid and slightly bitter.
Yuzhi Ping'an Wan warms the middle and harmonizes the stomach, moves qi and stops pain, and descends counterflow to stop vomiting. It is indicated for motion sickness and seasickness due to damp-turbidity obstructing the middle and stomach-qi disharmony, with nausea and vomiting, chest and diaphragmatic fullness, belching of spoiled food and acid regurgitation, anorexia, epigastric and abdominal distending pain, and loose stools. Usage and dosage follow the package insert.
Nuanqi Gao (Warming-Umbilicus Plaster)
Nuanqi Gao is an external analgesic plaster. It is composed of Wuyao (Linderae Radix), Xiaoxianghui (Foeniculi Fructus), Bajiaohuixiang (Anisi Stellati Fructus), Baizhi (Angelicae Dahuricae Radix), Mudingxiang (Caryophylli Flos, maternal), Muxiang, Xiangfu, Shexiang (Moschus), Chenxiang, Ruxiang (Olibanum), Moyao (Myrrha), Danggui, and Rougui. It is a black plaster spread on cloth or paper.
Nuanqi Gao warms the interior and disperses cold, moves qi and stops pain. It is indicated for cold congealing and qi stagnation, with cold pain in the lower abdomen, epigastric and abdominal fullness, and loose stools. Warm to soften and apply to the navel.