Gui Zhi Jia Ge Gen Tang桂枝加葛根汤
Cinnamon Twig Decoction plus Pueraria
Ingredients6 herbs
Indications
Taiyang wind-strike with exterior deficiency and channel fluids failing to reach the neck. Sweating is present, which separates it from the Ge Gen Tang pattern.
Clinical Manifestations
- Stiff, tight neck and shoulders during a cold
- Wind-cold with sweating and aversion to draughts
- Occipital headache with neck tension
- Cervical tension aggravated by wind and cold
Health Categories
Modern Applications
Common adjustments
- Neck tension is chronic rather than acute — increase Ge Gen 葛根 and add Bai Shao 白芍
- No sweating at all — the pattern is exterior excess — Ge Gen Tang rather than this formula
Contraindications
Not for wind-heat with a sore red throat, and not for the exterior-excess pattern with no sweat. As with Gui Zhi Tang, alcohol and rich greasy food during treatment work against it.
For licensed practitioners’ reference only — not a self-treatment guide.
Pregnancy
Generally acceptable in pregnancy under practitioner supervision — there is no Ma Huang here and the formula works by harmonizing rather than forcing a sweat. Still, treat a fever in pregnancy as a reason to consult rather than self-medicate.
Related Formulas
References
Source Shang Han Lun 《伤寒论》 · Eastern Han
「太阳病，项背强几几，反汗出恶风者，桂枝加葛根汤主之。」
- 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 桂枝汤, 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.