GOU TENG SAN

Liver-Calming & Wind-Extinguishing • Phlegm-Transforming & Mind-Calming Formula

Symptoms

Headaches & Dizziness: Throbbing or distending headaches (especially in the forehead, temples, or crown), accompanied by dizziness, vertigo, and a sensation of heat or heaviness in the head.

Internal Heat & Agitation: Facial flushing, red or bloodshot eyes, irritability, mental restlessness, and sleep disturbances or vivid dreaming due to internal Heat harassing the Heart.

Phlegm-Damp Signs: Heavy feeling in the head, chest tightness, nausea, full sensation in the epigastrium, and a sticky mouthfeel.

General Qi Deficiency: Physical fatigue, poor digestion, weak voice, and general weakness underlying the internal Wind-Heat presentation.

Tongue: Red or pale-red body with a yellow, thick, and greasy coating.

Pulse: Wiry (Xian), slippery (Hua), and rapid (Shu).

Ingredients

Shi Gao (Gypsum fibrosum)
Raw Herbs 15g | Granules 17.2g

Gou Teng (Uncaria rhynchophylla)
Raw Herbs 12g | Granules 13.8g

Fu Ling (Poria cocos)
Raw Herbs 9g | Granules 10.3g

Mai Men Dong (Ophiopogon japonicus)
Raw Herbs 9g | Granules 10.3g

Ban Xia (Pinellia ternata)
Raw Herbs 9g | Granules 10.3g

Chen Pi (Citrus reticulata - Tangerine Peel)
Raw Herbs 6g | Granules 6.9g

Ju Hua (Chrysanthemum morifolium)
Raw Herbs 6g | Granules 6.9g

Fang Feng (Saposhnikovia divaricata)
Raw Herbs 6g | Granules 6.9g

Ren Shen (Panax ginseng)
Raw Herbs 6g | Granules 6.9g

Sheng Jiang (Zingiber officinale)
Raw Herbs 6g | Granules 6.9g

Gan Cao (Glycyrrhiza uralensis)
Raw Herbs 3g | Granules 3.6g

Posology

Granules: 3 to 9g per day, divided into two or three doses.

Raw Herbs: Decoct in 800ml of water. CRITICAL: Gou Teng should be added only in the last 10–15 minutes of boiling. Over-boiling destroys the active alkaloids (rhynchophylline) responsible for its sedative and blood-pressure-lowering effects.

Description

Gou Teng San (Uncaria Powder) is a comprehensive classical formula designed to address Liver Wind and Heat ascending to the head, complicated by Phlegm-Damp obstruction and Middle Jiao Qi deficiency.

Gou Teng and Ju Hua act synergistically to calm the Liver, extinguish internal Wind, clear Liver Heat, and directly target throbbing headaches, dizziness, and visual disturbances.

Shi Gao purges excess interior Heat from the Stomach and Upper Jiao, clearing the heat causing agitation, facial flushing, and headaches.

Ban Xia, Chen Pi, and Fu Ling form a classic Phlegm-transforming trio; they clear turbidity, expand the chest, stop nausea, and prevent internal Dampness from generating more Phlegm.

Mai Men Dong nourishes Yin and protects body fluids from being scorched by Shi Gao and the drying nature of the phlegm herbs.

Ren Shen and Gan Cao tonify Spleen Qi to ensure the root deficiency is treated while active Wind and Phlegm are being cleared.

Fang Feng dispels Wind and directs the formula upward to the head, while Sheng Jiang harmonizes the Stomach and prevents nausea.

Contraindications

STRICTLY CONTRAINDICATED for headaches or dizziness caused purely by extreme Yang Collapse or severe Blood Deficiency without Wind, Heat, or Phlegm accumulation.

Use with caution in patients with severe Spleen Yang Deficiency with chronic watery diarrhea.