Da Qing Long Tang大青龙汤
Major Bluegreen Dragon Decoction
Ingredients7 herbs
Indications
Wind-cold sealing the exterior with heat constrained in the interior: the surface is shut, the trapped yang cannot vent, and the patient is both freezing and agitated at once.
Clinical Manifestations
- High fever with severe chills and no sweat
- Restlessness and agitation with a wind-cold onset
- Body ache with an unbearable sense of heat inside
- Influenza-type illness in a robust patient
Health Categories
Modern Applications
Common adjustments
- Interior heat mild — reduce Shi Gao 石膏 markedly, or use Ma Huang Tang instead
- Cough and wheezing prominent — increase Xing Ren 杏仁
Contraindications
Do not use if the pulse is weak, if the patient sweats spontaneously, or if they are averse to wind rather than to cold — the classical text warns that giving it in that situation causes cold limbs and muscle twitching. One dose, then stop as soon as sweating starts; do not repeat after a sweat.
For licensed practitioners’ reference only — not a self-treatment guide.
Pregnancy
Contraindicated in pregnancy. It carries the largest Ma Huang dose in this chapter and is designed to force a heavy sweat — the least appropriate formula here for a pregnant patient.
Related Formulas
References
Source Shang Han Lun 《伤寒论》 · Eastern Han
「太阳中风，脉浮紧，发热恶寒，身疼痛，不汗出而烦躁者，大青龙汤主之。」
- Classical source (public domain), cited in the source-quote section.
2. Scheid, Bensky, Ellis & Barolet. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. — composition & dosage cross-checked.
3. 《方剂学》（全国中医药行业高等教育规划教材）— 附方 note under 麻黄汤, pattern analysis cross-checked.
Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.