Wu Pi Yin/Wu Pi San五皮散
Five-Peel Powder
Ingredients5 herbs
Indications
Skin edemafrom Spleen deficiency with dampness overflowing and qi stagnation: transportation has failed, so water spreads into the flesh and skin instead of draining. The formula is intentionally gentle, which is what makes it usable in weaker patients and late in pregnancy.
Clinical Manifestations
- Generalized puffiness with heavy limbs
- Abdominal distension with scanty urination
- Edema of pregnancy
- Facial and ankle swelling that pits on pressure
- Shortness of breath from water pressing upward
Health Categories
Modern Applications
Common adjustments
- Swelling above the waist with wind-edema — add exterior-releasing herbs such as Fang Feng 防风 and Jing Jie 荆芥 so water disperses through a light sweat
- Swelling below the waist predominant — add Ze Xie 泽泻 and Zhu Ling 猪苓, or combine with Wu Ling San
- Marked Spleen-qi deficiency — add Bai Zhu 白术 and Huang Qi 黄芪, or combine with Si Jun Zi Tang
- Using the retail Wu Pi Yin version — Wu Jia Pi 五加皮 and Di Gu Pi 地骨皮 replace Sang Bai Pi and Chen Pi — better where wind-damp and deficiency heat are present, less direct for plain Spleen-damp edema
Contraindications
This addresses the surface picture only. Edema arising from kidney or heart disease needs the underlying condition assessed and treated medically first, and sudden or rapidly worsening swelling should be seen by a physician. It is also not appropriate where the swelling comes with high fever, marked thirst or clear damp-heat.
For licensed practitioners’ reference only — not a self-treatment guide.
Pregnancy
This is one of the few edema formulas with a traditional use during pregnancy —, the swelling of late pregnancy — precisely because it drains gently and contains no purgatives or blood-moving herbs. It still requires a practitioner's assessment, since swelling in pregnancy can also be a sign of a condition that needs medical care.
References
Source Hua Shi Zhong Zang Jing 《华氏中藏经》
- 《华氏中藏经》(classical source, public domain) — origin of the Wu Pi San composition; the 五皮饮 variant is from 《麻科活人全书》(Qing, public domain).
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.