Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang香砂六君子汤
Six Gentlemen Decoction with Aucklandia and Amomum
Ingredients7 herbs
Indications
Spleen-qi deficiency complicated by damp-phlegm and qi stagnation in the middle burner. Transport has failed so damp collects, and the collected damp then blocks the qi — which is why the patient feels empty and full at once.
Clinical Manifestations
- Poor appetite with epigastric fullness
- Nausea, belching or vomiting of thin fluid
- Bloating that worsens after eating
- Loose stools with fatigue and weak limbs
- Chronic gastritis or functional dyspepsia of the deficiency type
Health Categories
Modern Applications
Common adjustments
- Cold in the middle with clear watery vomiting — add Gan Jiang 干姜 or Wu Zhu Yu 吴茱萸
- Food stagnation with sour belching — add Shan Zha 山楂, Shen Qu 神曲 and Mai Ya 麦芽
- Damp turning to heat — bitter taste, yellow greasy coating — add a small dose of Huang Lian 黄连
- Sinking qi with chronic diarrhoea or prolapse — add Huang Qi 黄芪 and Sheng Ma 升麻, moving toward the Bu Zhong Yi Qi strategy
- Pain more prominent than distension — add Bai Shao 白芍 with the Zhi Gan Cao to soften the cramp
Contraindications
Not for epigastric fullness from heat excess, and not for Stomach-yin deficiency with a dry red peeled tongue and hunger without appetite — the warm aromatics consume the remaining fluids. Persistent pain, weight loss, vomiting blood or black stools call for conventional investigation rather than a tonic.
For licensed practitioners’ reference only — not a self-treatment guide.
Pregnancy
Widely used in pregnancy for morning sickness of the Spleen-deficient type and generally considered compatible, but Ban Xia is a herb some practitioners avoid while pregnant — take it only on a practitioner's prescription.
Related Formulas
References
Source Gu Jin Ming Yi Fang Lun 《古今名医方论》 · Qing dynasty
- 《古今名医方论》(classical source, public domain) — origin of the formula.
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.