Tao He Cheng Qi Tang桃核承气汤

Peach Pit Decoction to Order the Qi

Regulating Blood 理血剂Invigorate Blood and Dispel Stasis 活血祛瘀

Ingredients5 herbs

HerbDosageRoleWhat it does in this formula

桃Tao Ren桃仁去皮尖Persicae Semen12g君 ChiefBreaks the congealed blood held below the navel 大Da Huang大黄Rhei Radix et Rhizoma12g君 ChiefDrives stasis and bound heat out through the stool 桂Gui Zhi桂枝去皮Cinnamomi Ramulus6g臣 DeputyWarms and opens the vessels so the cold purgatives do not congeal the stasis 甘Zhi Gan Cao甘草炙Glycyrrhizae Radix Praeparata6g佐使 Assistant–EnvoyProtects the stomach and blunts the harshness of the purge 芒Mang Xiao芒硝Natrii Sulfas6g臣 DeputySoftens the hardened mass and reinforces the purge

Indications

Breaks blood stasisDrains bound heat downwardUnblocks the lower burner

Blood amassment in the lower burner: exterior heat has followed the channel inward, met the blood and congealed with it below the navel. Normal urination is the deciding sign — it separates this blood-level bind from a Bladder or water-passage problem.

Clinical Manifestations

Tight, cramping fullness low in the abdomen that resists pressure
Fever rising at night with restlessness or agitation
Blocked or painful periods with dark clotted flow
Constipation with a hard, tense lower abdomen
Fixed bruising pain after a fall or blow

TongueDark red or purplish, sometimes with stasis spots; dry yellow coating

PulseDeep, forceful and choppy

Health Categories

Women's HealthDigestive Health

Modern Applications

Dysmenorrhea Amenorrhea Constipation Pelvic inflammatory disease Traumatic injury Retained lochia

Common adjustments

Qi stagnation with distending pain — add Xiang Fu 香附 and Wu Yao 乌药 to move qi alongside the blood
Stasis-type dysmenorrhoea or amenorrhoea — add Dang Gui 当归, Chi Shao 赤芍 and Hong Hua 红花
Traumatic injury with fixed bruising pain — add Dang Gui Wei 当归尾 and Mu Dan Pi 牡丹皮
Purging effect too strong — reduce Da Huang 大黄 and Mang Xiao 芒硝, and stop once the stool moves

Contraindications

Contraindicated in pregnancy. Do not use while an exterior pattern is still unresolved — the classical instruction is to release the exterior first and only then attack. Not for a weak, cold or blood-deficient patient, and not for bleeding without stasis. Stop as soon as the pattern breaks; this is not a formula for sustained use.

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

Pregnancy

Contraindicated in pregnancy — the formula breaks blood and purges the bowel at the same time.

Related Formulas

References

Source Shang Han Lun 《伤寒论》 · Eastern Han

「太阳病不解，热结膀胱，其人如狂……但少腹急结者，乃可攻之，宜桃核承气汤。」
— 《伤寒论》(classical source, public domain)

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.