She Gan Ma Huang Tang射干麻黄汤
Belamcanda and Ephedra Decoction
Ingredients9 herbs
Indications
Phlegm-fluid knotted in the throat and airway with qi rebelling upward. Exterior signs are slight or absent; the phlegm and the sound of the breathing dominate.
Clinical Manifestations
- Wheezing with an audible rattle or croak in the throat
- Chronic asthma with copious thin phlegm
- Cough that comes in bouts with rebellious qi
- Throat tightness with phlegm that will not clear
Health Categories
Modern Applications
Common adjustments
- Phlegm heat with yellow sputum — add Huang Qin 黄芩 and Sang Bai Pi 桑白皮
- Attacks recur and Kidney qi fails to grasp — add Wu Wei Zi 五味子 in a larger dose and treat the root between attacks
- Throat markedly sore — increase She Gan 射干 and add Jie Geng 桔梗
Contraindications
Not for a dry cough of Lung yin deficiency, and not for wheezing of pure deficiency in a frail elderly patient without phlegm. She Gan is cold and can upset a weak stomach; Ma Huang carries the usual cardiovascular cautions.
For licensed practitioners’ reference only — not a self-treatment guide.
Pregnancy
Contraindicated in pregnancy. Ma Huang and Ban Xia are both present, and She Gan is traditionally listed as unsuitable in pregnancy as well.
Related Formulas
References
Source Jin Gui Yao Lue 《金匮要略》 · Eastern Han
「咳而上气，喉中水鸡声，射干麻黄汤主之。」
- 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 小青龙汤, 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.