Huang Qi Tang (Astragalus Decoction) for Excessive Sweating Due to Deficiency

In Sheng Ji Zong Lu (General Record of Imperial Benevolence) there is a Huang Qi Tang (Astragalus Decoction), composed as follows: Huang Qi (Astragali Radix) 1 liang (30 g), Ma Huang Gen (Ephedrae Radix) 2 liang (60 g), Mu Li Fen (Oyster shell powder) 3 liang (90 g), Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix) 2.5 qian (7.5 g), Di Gu Pi (Lycii Cortex) 5 qian (15 g).

Grind the above into a coarse powder. Take 3 qian (9 g) each time, with one bowl of water (about 200 ml), add 1 jujube (cracked), and decoct to seven-tenths of a bowl (140 ml); remove the dregs. Take warm, twice daily. This formula supplements qi and secures the exterior, and stops sweating. It treats incessant night sweating due to exterior deficiency, and spontaneous sweating due to yang deficiency.

This formula uses large amounts of Ma Huang Gen and Mu Li, because both are famous TCM herbs for astringing and stopping sweat. Ma Huang Gen is the dried root and rhizome of Ephedra sinica or E. intermedia; its main actions are stopping sweat and lowering blood pressure. Mu Li (Oyster shell) pacifies the liver and subdues yang, calms the spirit, softens hardness and dissipates nodules, astringes and secures, stops sweat, and neutralizes acid. Ma Huang Gen and Mu Li are often paired, mutually enhancing, for a stronger sweat-stopping effect. Huang Qi and Ren Shen support the righteous and supplement deficiency, securing the exterior and stopping sweat. Di Gu Pi clears deficiency heat, drains lung fire, cools blood and stops bleeding, and stops thirst and generates fluids; it is indicated for fever due to yin deficiency, steaming bone disorder with sweating, childhood nutritional impairment fever, hematemesis/epistaxis/hematuria due to blood heat, cough due to lung heat, and internal-heat wasting-thirst.

Thus, from different angles all five herbs in this formula achieve the goal of stopping sweat, and used together their sweat-stopping effect is even better. Many patients experience incessant sweating after a serious illness or sudden infection; they may try this formula.