GAN CAO XIE XIN TANG

Harmonize Stomach & Intestines • Clear Heat & Disperse Cold-Clumping

Symptoms / Indications:

Epigastric Focal Distension (Pi): A subjective feeling of hardness or "stuffiness" just below the heart that is soft to the touch (not a physical mass).

Mixed GI Distress: Simultaneous borborygmus (loud gut gurgling) and diarrhea, often paired with nausea or vomiting.

Oral & Mucosal Ulceration: This specific version is the "gold standard" for chronic mouth ulcers (canker sores) or Behçet's disease manifestations.

Systemic Irritability: Restlessness and anxiety caused by "Heat" being trapped above a "Cold" lower burner.

Key Indicator: "Mixed Cold and Heat in the Middle"—where the Spleen is too cold to transform, and the Stomach is too hot, causing a "traffic jam" in the center.

Tongue: Pale body (deficiency) with a yellow, greasy coating (heat/damp);

Pulse: Wiry (Xuan) and moderate.

Ingredients

Zhi Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae Radix Preparata)

Raw Herbs: 15g | Granulates: 22.1g

Huang Qin (Scutellariae Radix)

Raw Herbs: 9g | Granulates: 13.2g

Huang Lian (Coptidis Rhizoma)

Raw Herbs: 6g | Granulates: 8.8g

Gan Jiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma)

Raw Herbs: 9g | Granulates: 13.2g

Ban Xia (Pinelliae Rhizoma)

Raw Herbs: 12g | Granulates: 17.7g

Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix)

Raw Herbs: 9g | Granulates: 13.2g

Da Zao (Jujubae Fructus)

Raw Herbs: 8g | Granulates: 11.8g

Description

Gan Cao Xie Xin Tang is a masterpiece of balance. It uses the "Acrid-Opening and Bitter-Descending" strategy to restart the digestive motor.

The Bitter Descenders (Huang Lian & Huang Qin): These "drain" the constrained heat from the epigastrium and Heart, stopping the inflammation and irritability.

The Acrid Openers (Gan Jiang & Ban Xia): These "warm" the cold dampness and break up the "clumping" of fluids. Ban Xia specifically directs the rebellious Qi (nausea) downward.

The Central Support (Ren Shen & Da Zao): These tonify the Spleen Qi to ensure the body has the strength to move the "clumped" stagnation.

The Chief Harmonizer (Zhi Gan Cao): In this specific formula, Gan Cao is doubled in dose compared to Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang. This makes the formula much more "reparative" for damaged mucous membranes (ulcers) and better at soothing an over-purged, sensitive stomach.

Posology

Granules: 3 to 9g daily, divided into 2 doses, taken with warm water.

Raw Plants: Decoct in 1000ml of water. Drink 1 to 3 cups per day. For mouth ulcers, sips should be held in the mouth briefly before swallowing to utilize the localized anti-inflammatory effects.

Cautions

Not indicated for focal distension caused by pure physical excess (like a large food mass) or pure deficiency (where there is no "clumped" feeling). Use with caution if either heat or cold is significantly more dominant than the other. Discontinue once the "hardness" in the epigastrium and the mouth ulcers have resolved.