Restore the Right (Kidney) Pill
Chinese Prescription: You Gui Wan
English Translation: Restore the Right (Kidney) Pill
Formula Type: Warm and Tonify Yang
Actions: Warms & tonifies the Kidney yang, replenishes the essence, & tonifies the blood.
Indications: Exhaustion from long-term illness, aversion to cold, coolness of the extremities, impotence, spermatorrhea, & aching & weakness of the lower back & knees. There may also be infertility, loose stools (sometimes with undigested food particles), incontinence, & edema of the lower extremities. This is Kidney yang deficiency with waning of the fire at the gate of vitality.
Contraindications: Because this formula tonifies without draining, it is inappropriate when Kidney deficiency is accompanied by dampness or turbidity.
Pinyin | English | Suggested Dosage |
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view: Fu Zi |
Aconite | 60-180g |
view: Rou Gui |
Cinnamon Bark | 60-120g |
view: Lu Jiao Jiao |
Deer Antler Gelatin | 120g |
view: Shu Di Huang |
Prepared Rehmannia | 240g |
view: Shan Zhu Yu |
Cornus Fruit | 90g |
view: Shan Yao |
Dioscorea Opposita | 120g |
view: Gou Qi Zi |
Lycii-Wolfberry Fruit | 120g |
view: Tu Si Zi |
Dodder-Cuscuta Seed | 120g |
view: Du Zhong |
Eucommia Bark | 120g |
view: Dang Gui |
Angelica Sinensis | 90g |
Fu Zi / Aconite Root (Treated) | |||
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Taste: Acrid • Temperature: Hot • Category: Warm Interior & Expel Cold • Sub Category: | |||
Dosage1.5-15g, boil 30-60 min before adding other ingredients to reduce toxic properties |
Actions1. 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. |
MeridiansHeart, Kidney, Spleen |
CautionsContraindicated 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. |
Rou Gui / Cinnamon, (inner bark) | |||
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Taste: Acrid, Sweet • Temperature: Hot • Category: Warm Interior & Expel Cold • Sub Category: | |||
Dosage1.5-4.5g, crush into small pieces before using, usually taken as powder, pill or tincture to avoid loss of volatile oils |
Actions1. Warms the Kidneys & fortifies the yang: for a wide variety of problems due to insufficiency of Kidney yang & waning of the gate of vitality. Common manifestations include aversion to cold, cold limbs, weak back, impotence, frequent urination. Also for waning of the Spleen & Kidney yang with abdominal pain & cold, reduced appetite, & diarrhea. Also important for wheezing due to the failure of the Kidneys to grasp the qi.2. Leads the fire back to its source: the principal herb for treating the upward-floating of the deficient yang. Manifestations include flushed face, wheezing, severe sweating (when the sweat pours out like oil), weak & cold lower extremities, & a deficient & rootless pulse. This patterns is called illusionary heat & true cold, or heat above/cold below. Also used for other conditions where the upper part of the body is hot (e.g., dry mouth, sore throat, or toothache that become worse at night) & the lower part is cold (e.g., lower back pain, cold lower extremities, diarrhea, weakness in the proximal position of the pulse). 3. Disperses deep cold, warms the channels, unblocks the channels & vessels, & alleviates pain: for deep cold causing qi stagnation or blood stasis. Associated problems include cold in the blood causing amenorrhea or dysmenorrhea, damp-cold painful obstruction, yin type boils (chronic sores that are usually concave & ooze a clear fluid), & abcesses or sores that do not heal. 4. Encourages the generation of qi & blood: with qi & blood tonics as an auxiliary herb for chronic deficiency of qi & blood. |
MeridiansHeart, Kidney, Liver, Spleen |
CautionsContraindicated in cases of yin deficiency with heat signs, interior excess heat, & the reckless movement of hot blood. Use with caution during pregnancy. |
Lu Jiao Jiao / Deer Antler Glue | |||
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Taste: Sweet, Slaty • Temperature: Slightly Warm • Category: Tonic • Sub Category: Tonify Yang & Blood (Stop Bleeding) | |||
Dosage6-12g melted form, usually in yellow wine |
ActionsNot as strong as the velvet (lu rong) in tonifying the Kidney yang, but it is able to nourish & tonify essence & blood, and is effective for stopping bleeding. It is most commonly used for deficient & wasted essence & blood with bleeding or yin-type sores. It is combined with a glue made of gui ban to tonify both the yin & the yang. |
MeridiansKidney, Liver |
Cautions |
Shu Di Huang / Rehmannia Root, cooked in wine | |||
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Taste: Sweet • Temperature: Slightly Warm • Category: Tonic • Sub Category: Tonify Blood | |||
Dosage9-30g |
Actions1. Tonifies the blood: for blood deficiency with such symptoms as pallid complexion, dizziness, palpitations, & insomnia. Very commonly used when blood deficiency leads to such problems as irregular menstruation, uterine bleeding, & post partum bleeding.2. Nourishes the yin: for Kidney yin deficiency with such symptoms as night sweats, nocturnal emissions, steaming bone disorder, & wasting & thirsting disorder. 3. Nourishes the blood & tonifies the essence: for low back pain, weakness of the lower extremitites, lightheadedness & dizziness, tinnitus, diminished aural acuity, & premature graying of hair due to exhaused blood & essence. |
MeridiansHeart, Kidney, Liver |
CautionsUse with caution in cases of Spleen &/or Stomach deficiency, & in cases of stagnant qi or phlegm. Overuse can lead to abdominal distention & loose stools. Toxicity: Side effects from using shu di huang are mild & include diarrhea, abdominal pain, dizziness, lack of energy, & palpitations. These symptoms usually disappear with continued administration of the herb. |
Shan Zhu Yu / Cornus Fruit | |||
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Taste: Sour • Temperature: Slightly Warm • Category: Stabilize & Bind • Sub Category: | |||
Dosage3-12g, 30-60g in cases of shock |
Actions1. Stabilizes the Kidneys & retains the essence: for leakage of fluids due to weak essence with such symptoms as excessive urination, incontinence, spermatorrhea, & excessive sweating.2. Stops excessive sweating & supports that which has collapsed: for excessive sweating, especially in cases of devastated yang & collapsed qi, as in shock. 3. Tonifies & augments the Liver & Kidneys: for Liver & Kidney deficiency with such symptoms as lightheadedness, dizziness, sore & weak lower back & knees, or impotence. This herb both tonifies the essence & assistes the yang. 4. Stabilizes the menses & stops bleeding: for deficiency patterns of excessive uterine bleeding & prolonged menstruation. It has only a weak effect on the bleeding. |
MeridiansKidney, Liver |
CautionsContraindicated in cases with painful & difficult urination or those with damp-heat. May antagonize jie geng, fang feng, & fang ji. |
Shan Yao / Dioscorea Opposita | |||
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Taste: Sweet • Temperature: Neutral • Category: Tonic • Sub Category: Tonify Qi | |||
Dosage9-30g, 250g decoction daily |
Actions1. 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. |
MeridiansKidney, Lung, Spleen |
CautionsContraindicated in cases of excess, especially when there is fullness due to dampness, stagnation, or accumulation. May antagonize gan sui. |
Gou Qi Zi / Lycii-Wolfberry Fruit | |||
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Taste: Sweet • Temperature: Neutral • Category: Tonic • Sub Category: Tonify Blood/Yin | |||
Dosage6-18g |
Actions1. Nourishes & tonifies the Liver & Kidneys: for such patterns of yin & blood deficiency with such symptoms as sore back & legs, low-grade abdominal pain, impotence, nocturnal emission, wasting & thirsting disorder, & consumpion. Since this herb is neither hot nor cold, it is commonly used in treating Liver & Kidney deficiency.2. Benefits the essence & brightens the eyes: for Liver & Kidney deficiency patterns where the essence & blood are unable to nourish the eyes. Manifestations include dizziness, blurred vision, & diminished visual acuity. 3, Enriches the yin & moistens the Lungs: for consumptive cough. |
MeridiansLiver, Lung, Kidney |
CautionsContraindicated in cases with externally contracted excess heat patterns, & cases of Spleen deficiency with dampness & loose stools. |
Tu Si Zi / Cuscuta Seeds, Dodder Seeds- powder | |||
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Taste: Acrid, Sweet • Temperature: Neutral • Category: Tonic • Sub Category: Tonify Yang | |||
Dosage9-15g |
Actions1. 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. |
MeridiansKidney, Liver |
CautionsEven 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. |
Du Zhong / Eucommia Bark | |||
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Taste: Sweet, Slightly Acrid • Temperature: Warm • Category: Tonic • Sub Category: Tonify Yang | |||
Dosage6-15g |
Actions1. Tonifies the Liver & Kidneys, strengthens the sinews & bones: for Liver & Kidney deficiency with such symptoms as weak, sore, or painful lower back & knees, fatigue, & frequent urination.2. Aids in the smooth flow of qi & blood: used to promote circulation, especially in those with weakness of the sinews & bones. 3. Calms the fetus: for cold deficient Kidney patterns with bleeding during pregnancy. Also used to prevent miscarriage when the fetus is restless or agitated, & when the pregnant woman has significant back pain or presents with a deficient condition. 4. Recently used for dizziness & lightheadedness (hypertension) from rising Liver yang. |
MeridiansKidney, Liver |
CautionsContraindicated in heat from yin deficiency. According to some traditional sources this herb antagonizes xuan shen. Toxicity: has a mild sedative effect in very large doses, though no symptoms of overdose with du zhong have been recorded. |
Dang Gui / Angelica (Chinese) Root | |||
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Taste: Sweet, Acrid, Bitter • Temperature: Warm • Category: Tonic • Sub Category: Tonify Blood | |||
Dosage3-15g |
Actions1. Tonifies the blood & regulates the meses: for patterns of blood deficiency with such symptoms as a pallid, ashen complexion, tinnitus, blurred vision, & palpitations. Also very commonly used fro blood deficiency associated with menstrual disorders such as irregular menstruation, amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, etc.2. Invigorates & harmonizes the blood & disperses cold: an important herb for stopping pain due to blood stasis. Commonly used for abdominal pain, traumatic injury, & carbuncles due to blood stasis, especially when there is also cold from deficiency. Also used in the treatment of blood deficiency with chronic wind-damp painful obstruction. 3. Moistens the Intestiones & unblocks the bowels: for dry Intestines due to blood deficiency. 4. Reduces swelling, expels pus, generates flesh, & alleviates pain: used in treating sores & abscesses where its ability to both tonify & invigorate the blood leads to improvement. |
MeridiansHeart, Liver, Spleen |
CautionsUse with caution in cases of diarrhea or abdominal distention due to damp obstruction. Contraindicated for yin deficiency with heat signs. |