A Case of Deficiency Cough Treated with Guizhi-Mahuang Half-and-Half Decoction Plus Nine-Refinement Huangjing Paste

Ms. Yan, a 32-year-old Beijing resident and a relative of a liver cancer patient I treated, had a cough that would not heal. Because her relative had done well under my care, on April 12, 2014, she came to see me together with that liver cancer relative. Her left pulse was fine and weak; the right pulse was normal. The tongue tip was red, the tongue body was small, the tongue root was yellow, and there were no lunulae on the nails. She developed aching lower back and back whenever tired, did not sweat readily, and had easily allergic skin. During the day she coughed more than at night.

Her pulse suggested a deficiency pattern, so attacking and purging were inappropriate; yet without sweating, lung qi was not vented, and only the sweating method could resolve it. I decided to use Guizhi Mahuang Geban Tang (half Cinnamon Twig, half Ephedra Decoction) to induce a mild sweat, together with Huangjing Paste to supplement the deficiency.

Guizhi 6 g, Chishao 3 g, Xingren (apricot kernel) 6 g, Sheng Mahuang 3 g, Zhi Gancao 3 g, Danggui 6 g, Huangjing 6 g, Shengjiang 3 slices, Dazao 3 pieces, Zisugeng (perilla stem) 6 g.

Six doses.

Because I was not fully certain, I prescribed a backup formula and told the patient to switch to it if the first formula did not work.

After a week, the nighttime cough had basically stopped; only a slight daytime cough remained. I told her to continue the same effective formula for another week, and she was cured. Observed for over three months with no recurrence.