Mai Men Dong Tang

This formula comes from Zhang Zhong-jing’s late Han dynasty Jin Gui Yao Lue (Essentials from the Golden Cabinet).  Our version is a 9:1 extract in a 2 oz. glycerine base.

Mai Men Dong (Tuber Ophiopogonis)    71 mg

Geng Mi (Fructus Oryzae)            43 mg

Da Zao (Fructus Jujubae)              29 mg

Dang Shen (Radix Codonopsis) 21.5 mg

Ban Xia (Rhizoma Pinelliae)          21.5 mg

Sheng Gan Cao (uncooked Radix Glycyrrhizae)   14 mg

Supplements and enriches qi and yin, supplements the lungs and fortifies the spleen, transforms phlegm, downbears counterflow, clears heat and disinhibits the throat

For chronic, slow-healing dry cough at the tail-end of a respiratory infection due to qi and yin vacuity with lingering heat and phlegm in infants and children. Western medical indications include chronic bronchitis, asthma, pertussis, and pneumonia when presenting the appropriate Chinese medical patterns.

At the end of a respiratory disease or in certain chronic pulmonary diseases, many children’s qi and yin has been damaged by heat evils which may, in fact, still be lingering within the lungs. If there is also still phlegm deep-lying within the lungs, this may result in a chronic dry cough (typically worse in the evenings) which may linger for some time. In this case, it is necessary to supplement the qi and enrich yin at the same time as gently transforming phlegm, clearing heat, and harmonizing the qi. Within this formula, Geng Mi, Da Zao, and Dang Shen fortify the spleen and supplement the qi. Dang Shen and Geng Mi both also have some ability to engender fluids, while Da Zao has some ability to nourish the blood, remembering that blood and fluids share a common source and that qi and blood share a common source. Mai Men Dong enriches yin and moistens dryness, transforms phlegm and clears heat. The fact that Mai Men Dong simultaneously enriches yin and transform phlegm makes it a very special part of the Chinese material medica. Ban Xia transforms phlegm and downbears or harmonizes the qi to help stop coughing. Uncooked Gan Cao helps clear heat, engenders fluids, and disinhibits the throat. In addition, this formula also gently clears stomach heat which is often a co-factor in lung heat due to many children’s tendency to stomach heat. The reason we have chosen this formula for our pediatric line is that it is very gentle and contains relatively few ingredients. This is important when treating children when over-treatment may result in causing various side effects. In fact, it is one of the principles of Chinese medical pediatrics to stop treatment in infants and children when only half cured so as to avoid adverse medicinal reactions.

Signs and symptoms of yin vacuity include:

    Dry cough with no or little phlegm

    cough tending to get worse in the late afternoon and evening

    low-grade fever or obvious warmth in the late afternoon and evening

    possible evening sweating

    dry, chapped lips

    thirst, a dry mouth

    a dry uncomfortable feeling in the throat which may provoke coughing

    hoarseness

    scanty tongue fur

    a fine, rapid pulse

Signs and symptoms of qi vacuity include:

    Fatigue

    lack of appetite

    worse cough on exertion

    possible loose stools

Signs and symptoms of heat:

    Warm hands and feet

    warm forehead

    a red facial complexion (especially when coughing)

    possible yellow phlegm

    red lips

    a possibly red tongue

    possible scanty, dry, yellow fur

    a rapid pulse

Signs and symptoms of phlegm:

    Wheezing

    scanty, yellow, thick, difficult-to-expectorate phlegm

Contraindications:  Cough due to wind-cold or wind-heat, phlegm dampness, high fever and irritability due to exterior heat, or lung wilting due to vacuity cold.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.