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Cura x Cura

Fu Zi Tang附子汤

Prepared Aconite Decoction

Expelling Dampness 祛湿剂Warm and Transform Cold-Damp 温化寒湿

Ingredients5 herbs

附Fu Zi (Zhi)附子炮，去皮，破八片15gDoubled relative to Zhen Wu Tang — restores yang and drives cold-damp out of the bones
茯Fu Ling茯苓9gLeaches damp out through the urine人Ren Shen人参6gThe addition over Zhen Wu Tang — augments the qi that has to carry the yang back白Bai Zhu白术12gAlso doubled — dries damp and, with Fu Zi, dispels cold-damp from the flesh and joints
芍Bai Shao芍药9gRelaxes the sinews, eases pain and restrains the harsh dryness of the warming herbs

Indications

Warms the channels and restores yangDispels cold and transforms dampAugments qiRelieves cold aching of the joints and back

Shao Yin yang deficiency with cold-damp attacking the interior: with yang failing, cold-damp lodges in the channels, sinews and bones, so the pain is deep and the whole body is cold.

Clinical Manifestations

  • Generalized body and joint pain with cold limbs
  • A cold feeling in the back that blankets do not relieve
  • Chronic joint pain worse in cold weather
  • Yang deficiency with aching bones and lassitude
  • Cold-damp painful obstruction in a depleted patient
TonguePale with a white slippery coating
PulseSinking, faint and thin

Health Categories

Bone & Joint HealthHeart & CirculationEnergy & Fatigue

Modern Applications

Rheumatoid arthritisOsteoarthritisHypothyroidismChronic fatigueRaynaud phenomenon

Common adjustments

Contraindications

Strictly for cold from yang deficiency. It is wrong wherever there are heat signs — thirst, a bitter dry mouth, a red tongue, a rapid pulse — and the classic itself uses "the mouth is bland" as the deciding sign. Aconite safety: Fu Zi is toxic if raw, underprocessed or underdecocted; it must be properly prepared, decocted first for 30–60 minutes, and prescribed and sourced by a qualified practitioner. Numbness of the mouth or tongue, palpitations or an irregular heartbeat after taking it means stop immediately and seek emergency care.

For licensed practitioners’ reference only — not a self-treatment guide.

Pregnancy

Contraindicated in pregnancy — Fu Zi is a processed toxic herb and is avoided in pregnancy.

Related Formulas

References

Source Shang Han Lun 《伤寒论》 · Eastern Han

「少阴病，身体痛，手足寒，骨节痛，脉沉者，附子汤主之。」
— 《伤寒论》(classical source, public domain)
  1. 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 and 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.