Plant Herbal Treasures®

Cuscuta Seed Pill

Chinese Prescription: Tu Si Zi Wan

English Translation: Cuscuta Seed Pill

Formula Type: Warm and Tonify Yang

Actions: Warms the Kidneys & prevents abnormal leakage.

Indications: Exhaustion, aversion to cold, frail physique, dizziness, lower back pain, weakness of the lower extremities, frequent, scanty urination with continuous dripping, & a submerged, thin pulse that is especially frail at the proximal position. This is Kidney qi deficiency with an inability to catch the essence.

Contraindications: Unknown.

Tu Si Zi / Cuscuta Seeds, Dodder Seeds- powder
Taste: Acrid, Sweet • Temperature: Neutral • Category: Tonic • Sub Category: Tonify Yang
Dosage 9-15g	Actions 1. Tonifies the Kidneys, augments the yin, secures the essence, & reserves the urine: for deficient Kidney yang patterns with such symptoms as impotence, nocturnal emission, premature ejaculation, tinnitus, frequent urination, sore painful back, or vaginal discharge. 2. Tonifies the Kidneys & Liver & improves vision: for patterns of deficient Liver & Kidney yin & yang (e.g. deficient essence) with such symptoms as dizziness, tinnitis, blurred vision, or spots in front of the eyes. 3. Benefits the Spleen & Kidneys & stops diarrhea: for diarrhea or loose stools with a lack of appetite from deficiency of both the Spleen & Kidneys. 4. Calms the fetus: an important herb for habitual or threatened miscarriage.	Meridians Kidney, Liver	Cautions Even though this is a neutral herb, it leans toward tonifying the yang. For this reason it should not be used for fire from yin deficiency or in patients with constipation & scanty, dark urine.

Lu Rong / Deer Antler
Taste: Sweet, Salty • Temperature: Warm • Category: Tonic • Sub Category: Tonify Yang
Dosage 1-3g as pwdr divided into 2-3 doses daily, 3-4.5 g (double-boiled by itself), or soaked in wine	Actions 1. Tonifies the Kidneys & fortifies the yang: for deficient Kidney yang patterns with such symptoms as fatigue, impotence, cold extremities, lightheadedness, tinnitus, soreness & lack of strength in the lower back & knees, & frequent, copious, clear urination. 2. Tonifies the Governing vessel, augments essence & blood, & strengthens sinews & bones: used especially in cases of deficient essence & blood in children with such physical &/or mental developmental disorders as failure to thrive, mental retardation, learning disabilities, insufficient growth, or skeletal deformities (including rickets). 3. Regulates the Penetrating & Conception vessels & stabilizes the Girdle vessel: for cold deficient vaginal discharge or uterine bleeding. Also for infertility with a cold Womb. 4. Tonifies & nourishes the qi & blood: used especially for chronic ulcerations or yin-type boils (those that are concave, ooze a clear fluid, & do not heal).	Meridians Kidney, Liver	Cautions When taking lu rong it is important to start with a low dose & slowly increase. If too much is taken at the beginning, the yang can rise, leading to movement of inner wind with dizziness & red eyes; or it can injure the yin, leading to fire from deficiency & even hemorrhage. Contraindicated in patients with heat from yin deficiency, heat in the blood level, phlegm-heat in the Lungs, blazing Stomach fire, or warm-febrile diseases.

Rou Cong Rong / Broomrape, fleshy stem
Taste: Sweet, Salty • Temperature: Warm • Category: Tonic • Sub Category: Tonify Yang
Dosage 9-21g	Actions 1. Tonifies the Kidneys & strengthens the yang: for deficient Kidney yang patterns with such symptoms as impotence, spermatorrhea, urinary incontinence, posturinary dripping, & cold pains in the lower back & knees. 2. Warms the womb: for infertility, excessive uterine bleeding, & vaginal discharge from cold deficient womb. 3. Moistens the Intestines & facilitates passage of stool: for constipation involving dry Intestines from inadequate fluids, especially in the elderly but also in debilitated people or those with deficient blood or qi.	Meridians Large Intestines, Kidney	Cautions Contraindicated in patients with diarrhea from weak Stomach or Slpeen. Contraindicated in deficient yin patterns with heat signs.

Shan Yao / Dioscorea Opposita
Taste: Sweet • Temperature: Neutral • Category: Tonic • Sub Category: Tonify Qi
Dosage 9-30g, 250g decoction daily	Actions 1. Tonifies & augments the Spleen & Stomach: for Spleen & Stomach deficiency with such symptoms as diarrhea, fatigue, spontaneous sweating, & lack of appetite. 2. Tonifies the Lung qi & augments the Lung yin: for chronic cough or wheezing due to Lung deficiency. 3. Tonifies the Kidneys & also stabilizes & binds: because this herb moistens & is neither hot nor cold, it benefits both the yin & the yang of the Lungs & Kidneys. It is therefore often used in treating wasting & thirsting disorder. It also binds the essence & treats spermatorrhea, frequent urination, & vaginal discharge.	Meridians Kidney, Lung, Spleen	Cautions Contraindicated in cases of excess, especially when there is fullness due to dampness, stagnation, or accumulation. May antagonize gan sui.

Fu Zi / Aconite Root (Treated)
Taste: Acrid • Temperature: Hot • Category: Warm Interior & Expel Cold • Sub Category:
Dosage 1.5-15g, boil 30-60 min before adding other ingredients to reduce toxic properties	Actions 1. Restores devastated yang: for devastated yang disorders where the yang qi is extremely weak & the cold yin is abundant. Symptoms include diarrhea containing undigested food particles, chills, cold extremities, & a faint or imperceptible pulse. This condition often occurs after severe vomiting, diarrhea, or sweating. This herb is critical in these situations since it both assists the Heart yang to unblock the vessesls & improve circulation, & tonifies the Kidney yang to augment the fire & avoid loss of the basal yang. 2. Warms the fire & assists the yang: for any problem associated with weakness or deficiency of the Heart, Spleen, or Kidney yang. It is a widely used herb, especially when the pattern involves interior cold due to yang deficiency. 3. Disperses cold, warms the channels, & alleviates pain: for wind-damp-cold painful obstruction, especially when cold is predominant. Also for cold blocking the Organs, channels, sinews, bones, or blood vessels.	Meridians Heart, Kidney, Spleen	Cautions Contraindicated in cases of yin deficiency with illusionary cold & true heat, & during pregnancy. Traditionally this herb was not to be used together with bei mu, gua lou, bai ji, ban xia, or bai wei. According to some traditional sources, this herb antagonizes wu gong & counteracts xi jiao & lu dou. Note that the latter two substances are used to reduce the toxicity of this herb. Toxicity: Fu zi is a very toxic herb. Toxicity waivers widely depending on the source of the herb, when it was harvested, how it was prepared, & how long it was decocted. Preparation usually removes much of the toxicity. A toxic dose is usually far above normal level, on the order of 15-60g. Clinically, atropine has been very effective in treating overdosage of this herb. When gan cao & gan jiang are combined with this herb in decoctions, its toxicity is substantially diminished. Xi jiao, jin yin hua & lu dou also reduce its toxicity. Signs of toxic overdose include drooling, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, lightheadedness, blurred vision, & numbness in the mouth & extremities. In advanced cases there may be premature atrial contractions, dyspnea, tremors, incontinence, stupor, & reduced temperature & blood pressure.

Wu Yao / Lindera Root
Taste: Acrid • Temperature: Warm • Category: Regulate Qi • Sub Category:
Dosage 3-9g	Actions 1. Promotes movement of qi & alleviates pain: for a stifling sensation in the chest, flank pain, & epigsatric & abdominal pain & distention due to cold constraint & qi stagnation. This herb warms & disperses, & is effective in spreading & unblocking the qi mechanisms. It thereby smoothens the flow of qi, facilitates the middle, disperses cold, & stops pain in many areas. It is also used when cold accumulation & qi stagnation manifest in lower abdominal pain, hernial disorder, or menstural pain. 2. Warms the Kidneys: for frequent urination or urinary incontinence due to insufficiency of Kidney yang & cold from deficiency of the Bladder.	Meridians Bladder, Kidney, Lung, Spleen	Cautions Contraindicatd in cases of qi deficiency or interior heat.

Wu Wei Zi / Schisandra Fruit - "5 flavored seed"
Taste: Sour • Temperature: Warm • Category: Stabilize & Bind • Sub Category:
Dosage 1.5-9g, 1.5-3g (chronic cough), 6-9g (tonic)	Actions 1. Contains the leakage of Lung qi & stops coughing: for chronic cough & wheezing due to Lung deficiency or patterns of Lung & Kidney deficiency. This herb inhibits the leakage of Lung qi above, enriching the Kidney yin below, & also stops coughing. As such it is an important & effective herb for chronic cough. 2. Tonifies the Kidneys, binds up essence, & stops diarrhea: for nocturnal emission, spermatorrhea, vaginal discharge, & urinary frequency due to Kidney deficiency. Also used for daybreak diarrhea due to Spleen & Kidey deficiency. 3. Inhibits sweating & generates fluids: for excessive sweating, especially when accompanied by thirst or dry throat. Depending on the other ingredients in the formula, it can be used for spontaneous sweating, night sweats, or even wasting & thirsting disorders. 4. Quiets the spirit & calms the heart: for irritability, palpitations, dream-disturbed sleep, nsomnia due to injury to the blood & yin of the Heart & Kidneys. 5. Recently used for allergic skin disorders & to improve liver function in patients with hepatitis.	Meridians Heart, Kidney, Lung	Cautions Contraindicated when an exterior condition is not cleared, when there is heat from excess in the interior, or in the early stages of coughs or rashes. This herb may occasionally cause heartburn. Toxicity: Symptoms of overdose include restlessness, insomnia, or dyspnea.

Sang Piao Xiao / Mantis Egg-Case
Taste: Sweet, Salty • Temperature: Neutral • Category: Stabilize & Bind • Sub Category:
Dosage 3-9g most common powder or pill	Actions Tonifies the Kidneys, assists the yang, retains the essence, & restrains urine: for patterms of Kidney yang deficiency with such signs as dribbling urine, urinary frequency, & nocturnal emissions (especially when accompanied by dreams). A very important substance for treating enuresis in children.	Meridians Kidney, Liver	Cautions Contraindicated in patterns of yin deficiency with heat signs or damp-heat in the Bladder. May counteract xuan fu hua.

Yi Zhi Ren / Cardamon (Black) Fruit
Taste: Acrid • Temperature: Warm • Category: Tonic • Sub Category: Tonify Yang
Dosage 3-9g, crush before using	Actions 1. Warms the Kidneys, retains the essence, & holds in urine: for such symptoms as spermatorrhea, frequent & copious urnination, urinary incontinence, or dribbling of urine from deficient Kidney yang. 2. Warms the Spleen & stops diarrhea: used in cold deficient Spleen or Stomach patterns with such symptoms as diarrhea, cold abdomnal pain, excessive salivation & a thick, unplesant taste in the mouth. Also used for abdominal pain, vomiting, & diarrhea from cold entering the Spleen & Kidneys.	Meridians Kidney, Spleen	Cautions Contraindicated in patients with spermatorrhea, frequent urination, or vaginal discharge due to heat.

Ji Nei Jin / Chicken gizzard internal lining
Taste: Sweet • Temperature: Neutral • Category: Relieve Food Stagnation • Sub Category:
Dosage 3-9g decoction, 1.5-3g directly as pwdr most effective	Actions 1. Strongly reduces food stagnation & improves the Spleen's transportive functions: for various types of food stagnation. Used alone for mild cases. Also important in the treatment of childhood nutritional impairment. 2. Secures the essence & stops enuresis for bed-wetting, frequent urination, & urination at night. 3. Transforms hardness & dissolves stones: for stones in either the urinary or biliary tract.	Meridians Bladder, Small Intestine, Spleen, Stomach	Cautions None.

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