Li Dongyuan's Dingxiang Lanfan Wan for Epigastric Pain

In his Neiwaishang Bianhuo Lun (Discrimination on Internal and External Injury), Li Dongyuan has a formula called Dingxiang Lanfan Wan, used for 'heart-stomach pain' from food injury—today's epigastric pain.

Composition: Dingxiang (clove), Sanleng (Sparganium), Ezhu (Curcuma), Muxiang (Aucklandia) one qian each; Zhi Gancao (honey-fried licorice), Gansong (Nardostachys), Sharen (Amomum), Dingxiangpi (clove bark), Yizhiren (Alpinia) three qian each; Xiangfu (Cyperus) five qian. Grind fine, bind with soaked steamed cake into mung-bean pellets; take 30 with plain water or chew. Li says timing is unconstrained—before or after meals, as needed, several times a day.

Modern practice: mix by the ratio and decoct, or take as powder. If pill-making is possible, pills are best. One qian now equals 3 g.

It treats epigastric pain, and suits cancer patients well. Sanleng, Ezhu, Dingxiang, and Xiangfu are common anticancer herbs; Sanleng and Ezhu appear most often in anticancer formulas, and modern pharmacology confirms their anticancer effect.

The formula focuses on activating blood and moving qi: Sanleng and Ezhu activate blood, reduce swelling, and stop pain; Dingxiang, Muxiang, Xiangfu, and Sharen move qi and stop pain while waking the spleen and opening the stomach; Gansong moves qi, stops pain, and dispels dampness and swelling; clove bark resolves toxin, reduces swelling, and expels phlegm to stop cough; Yizhiren warms the spleen and stops pain; Zhi Gancao harmonizes the herbs and eases pain.

So it is an effective formula for stomach pain from chronic gastric disease, and also from GI tumors and polyps. But its blood-activating, qi-moving force is strong; prolonged heavy use may cause bleeding tendency. Chronic patients taking it long-term should also take Yunnan Baiyao or Bletilla powder to prevent bleeding.