Gui Zhi Jia Hou Po Xing Zi Tang桂枝加厚朴杏子汤
Cinnamon Twig Decoction plus Magnolia Bark and Apricot Kernel
Ingredients7 herbs
Indications
Taiyang wind-strike with exterior deficiency in a patient whose Lung qi already rebels; also the mild wheeze that follows premature purging of an exterior pattern.
Clinical Manifestations
- Known asthma flaring with a cold
- Wheezing with sweating and aversion to wind
- Chest fullness and shortness of breath during a wind-cold
- Mild wheeze after an exterior pattern was purged too early
Health Categories
Modern Applications
Common adjustments
- Phlegm copious — add Zhi Ban Xia 制半夏 and Chen Pi 陈皮
- Wheeze with no sweat and a tight pulse — the pattern is exterior excess — use a Ma Huang-based formula instead
Contraindications
Not for wheezing from Lung heat with thick yellow phlegm and thirst, nor for the exterior-excess pattern with no sweating. Standing asthma medication should not be stopped in favour of it.
For licensed practitioners’ reference only — not a self-treatment guide.
Pregnancy
Use with caution in pregnancy. There is no Ma Huang, but Hou Po is a strong qi-moving, descending herb that is usually kept to a low dose or avoided in pregnancy; a practitioner should adjust it rather than a patient taking the formula as written.
Related Formulas
References
Source Shang Han Lun 《伤寒论》 · Eastern Han
「喘家作桂枝汤，加厚朴杏子佳。」
- 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.