Weide'an Tablets: Harmonizing the Stomach, Relieving Pain, Fortifying the Spleen and Promoting Digestion
Weide'an Tablets is a Chinese patent medicine composed of: Bai Zhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma), Cang Zhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma), Fu Ling (Poria), Lvyi Zhi Shi (immature bitter orange with green husk), Mu Xiang (Aucklandiae Radix), Hou Po (Magnoliae Cortex), Zi He Che (Placenta Hominis), Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae Radix), Shen Qu (Massa Medicata Fermentata), Mai Ya (Hordei Fructus Germinatus), Jiang Ban Xia (ginger-prepared Pinelliae Rhizoma), Zhi Chen Pi (processed Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium), Zhi Xiang Fu (processed Cyperi Rhizoma), Chuan Xiong (Chuanxiong Rhizoma), Cao Dou Kou (Alpiniae Katsumadai Semen), Bing Lang (Arecae Semen), Lai Fu Zi (Raphani Semen), Gua Lou (Trichosanthis Fructus), Ze Xie (Alismatis Rhizoma), Huang Qin (Scutellariae Radix), Huang Bai (Phellodendri Cortex), Ma Lan Cao (Kalimeridis Herba), Gan Jiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma), Shan Jiang Zi (Alpiniae Rhizoma), Hai Piao Xiao (Sepiae Endoconcha), etc. This product is a light-brown tablet with a slight aromatic odor and a bitter, slightly pungent and cool taste.
Weide'an Tablets combine several TCM formulas for digestive system disease—such as Mu Xiang Shun Qi Wan, Xie Xin Tang and Er Chen Wan—into a single pill for stomach disorders. It is mainly used for epigastric fullness and pain due to spleen-stomach disharmony, poor appetite and reduced food intake, abdominal pain, belching, nausea and vomiting, acid regurgitation and heartburn, and irregular bowel movements. Patients with chronic gastritis or gastric/duodenal ulcers who present these symptoms may take it. However, it is contraindicated for stomachache and fullness due to spleen-stomach yin deficiency or exuberant stomach fire. This formula contains many acrid, drying herbs; in patients with insufficient stomach yin, it will not help but will worsen the condition.
The reason I introduce this medicine is that it suits many cancer patients. During chemotherapy and targeted therapy, the digestive tract is damaged and these symptoms readily appear. When digestive adverse effects cannot be resolved by Er Chen Wan, Mu Xiang Shun Qi Wan or Xie Xin Tang alone, Weide'an Tablets may be tried. Finished medicines are convenient; some patients cannot take decoctions because of their taste, and patent medicines are a workable alternative.
Digestive tract damage during cancer treatment is very common. Moreover, as the saying goes, "nine out of ten stomachs are diseased." Many people already have underlying gastric problems, so during cancer treatment they are even more prone to these symptoms—hence frequent use of this drug.
It is worth noting that many patients' understanding of TCM is limited to decoctions, as if a doctor who doesn't prescribe a decoction is not practicing Chinese medicine. This is a misconception. Throughout history there have been many patent medicines; in the past the imperial court even set up official pharmacies to provide the public with reliable Chinese patent medicines.
Chinese patent medicines are convenient to take, and for gastric diseases that affect digestive function, they may work better than decoctions.