Skip to content
Cura x Cura

Gua Lou Pi瓜蒌皮

Trichosanthis Pericarpium · Trichosanthes Peel · Snakegourd Peel

Herbs that Transform Phlegm and Stop Coughing 化痰止咳平喘药

Overview

The peel of the trichosanthes fruit dispensed on its own: lighter and more dispersing than the whole fruit, it clears Lung heat, transforms phlegm and opens a stifled chest without the seed's oily pull on the stool — the form of choice when the chest is tight but the bowels are already loose. Dry-fried Gua Lou Pi is a little less cold and sits better on a weak Stomach; honey-prepared Gua Lou Pi leans toward moistening the Lung for a dry, unproductive cough.

Nature & Flavor

Sweet · Cold

Channels

Lung · Stomach

Typical Dosage

6–12 g in decoction
瓜蒌皮Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

3 core actions

  • Clears heat, transforms phlegmPhlegm-heat cough with a hot, congested chest.
  • Regulates qi, unbinds the chestChest and rib oppression, a tight band-like fullness across the chest with phlegm.
  • Processing shifts the emphasisDry-fried is gentler and less cooling, suited to a weak Stomach; honey-prepared moistens the Lung and suits a dry cough. The unprocessed peel stays the strongest at clearing heat.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Gua Lou Pi

No published formula lists this herb yet — the library is growing.

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Phlegm-heat cough with chest congestion
    - Chest and hypochondriac oppression
    - Chest painful obstruction where a stool-loosening herb is unwanted

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

BronchitisChest tightnessCough

Contraindications

Cautions

Cold in nature: not for cold-phlegm patterns or Spleen-deficient loose stools. It carries the whole fruit's classical incompatibility — not combined with Wu Tou / Fu Zi.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: Milder than the whole fruit but still cold — in pregnancy only under practitioner supervision

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. 《中华人民共和国药典》.
    2. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
    3. 《中华本草》.

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.