Huang Qi Jian Zhong Tang黄芪建中汤
Astragalus Decoction to Construct the Middle
Ingredients7 herbs
Indications
Deficiency of qi, blood, yin and yang together on a base of middle-burner cold— the classical pattern. The middle is rebuilt first, because qi and blood are generated there.
Clinical Manifestations
- Chronic dull abdominal pain relieved by warmth and pressure
- Consumptive weakness with wasting and shortness of breath
- Spontaneous daytime sweating or night sweats in a deficient patient
- Poor appetite and frequent colds in a weak constitution
- Slow-healing sores in a qi-deficient patient
Health Categories
Modern Applications
Common adjustments
- Spontaneous sweating pronounced — increase Huang Qi 黄芪 and add Fu Xiao Mai 浮小麦
- Blood deficiency marked — add Dang Gui 当归, giving the sense of Dang Gui Jian Zhong Tang
- Cold and pain more severe — add Gan Jiang 干姜 or Hua Jiao 花椒
- Abdominal fullness from qi stagnation — reduce the malt sugar and add Chen Pi 陈皮
Contraindications
Not for yin-deficient heat, damp-heat, or abdominal pain from food stagnation or excess. The large dose of malt sugar makes it unsuitable where there is vomiting, a thick greasy coating, or poorly controlled blood sugar.
For licensed practitioners’ reference only — not a self-treatment guide.
Pregnancy
Generally compatible in pregnancy under practitioner supervision — the composition is warming and tonifying rather than harsh. Gui Zhi mildly moves the blood, so a practitioner should confirm the deficiency-cold pattern before use.
Related Formulas
References
Source Jin Gui Yao Lue 《金匮要略》 · Eastern Han
「虚劳里急，诸不足，黄芪建中汤主之。」
- 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）— 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.