Classic formula · Tonify qi
Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang
补中益气汤 Tonify the Middle and Augment the Qi Decoction
The lifting formula. For Spleen qi so weak that things sag: exhaustion, a weak voice, shortness of breath, sweating on effort, a dragging feeling in the belly, prolapse, hemorrhoids, chronic diarrhea, and a low fever that comes with tiredness. It tonifies the qi and then two light herbs carry it upward.
A tent with slack poles. The canvas droops, the door sags, everything hangs. Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang tightens the ropes and pushes the poles back up.
Also sold as: Bu Zhong Yi Qi Wan · Central Qi Pills · Ginseng and Astragalus Combination
Who Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang is for
This formula is chosen for 3 patterns. Match your own picture before you match the name.
Signs it is classically given for
- Exhaustion, worse with effort
- Shortness of breath, a weak voice, no wish to talk
- Spontaneous sweating on effort
- A bearing-down or dragging feeling in the lower belly
- Prolapse of the rectum, uterus, or bladder
- Hemorrhoids that sag
- Chronic diarrhea
- A low fever that comes and goes with tiredness
- Headache or dizziness that is worse on standing
- Frequent colds in a tired person
- Tongue
- Pale with a thin white coat.
- Pulse
- Weak and thin, or large and empty.
What is in Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang
Amounts are the classic decoction range in grams. Patent pills use the same herbs in the same proportion, so read the box for these names.
| Herb | Amount | Role | Job in the formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huang Qi Root of Membranous Milkvetch Use caution | 15 g | Chief | Astragalus tonifies the qi, lifts what sags, and guards the surface against colds. |
| Dang Shen Dang Shen Root | 9 g | Deputy | Codonopsis, or ginseng in the classic, restores the middle qi. |
| Bai Zhu Rhizome of Largehead Atractylodes | 9 g | Deputy | Atractylodes strengthens the Spleen. |
| Zhi Gan Cao Honey-Fried Licorice Root Use caution | 6 g | Deputy | Honey-fried licorice tonifies the middle and harmonizes. |
| Dang Gui Root of Chinese Angelica Use caution | 6 g | Assistant | Angelica nourishes blood so the qi has something to carry. |
| Chen Pi Dried Tangerine Peel | 6 g | Assistant | Tangerine peel keeps the tonics from bloating. |
| Sheng Ma Largetrifoliolious Bugbane Rhizome | 3 g | Envoy | Cimicifuga, a small dose, lifts the qi upward. |
| Chai Hu Chinese Thorowax Root Use caution | 3 g | Envoy | Bupleurum, a small dose, lifts the qi and spreads it. |
How Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang works
Astragalus, codonopsis, atractylodes, and licorice rebuild the Spleen's qi. Then two light herbs in small amounts, cimicifuga and bupleurum, carry that qi upward, which is what lifts a prolapse, stops the dragging feeling, and clears the low fever that comes from qi that has fallen. Li Dong-yuan's idea was that tiredness and sagging are the same problem seen from two angles.
Actions in classic terms
- Tonifies the middle and augments the qi
- Raises the yang and lifts what has sunk
Common changes to Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang
A practitioner rarely gives the bare formula. These are the classic additions for a specific picture.
Cautions with Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang
- Warm and lifting. Not for a hot picture: fever with thirst, a red tongue, a yellow coat.
- Not for yin deficiency fever with night sweats and a peeled tongue; the lifting herbs push heat up.
- Not for high blood pressure with a red face and headache. Lifting is the wrong direction.
- Pause during an acute cold or flu.
- Pregnancy: use only under a qualified practitioner.
Forms and typical dose
Sold as teapills, concentrated tablets, granules, decoction.
- Teapills
- 8 pills, three times a day with warm water, the usual label dose
- Decoction
- One bag a day in two doses, with the amounts above
- Course
- One to three months.
Follow the label of the brand you buy. Pill sizes differ between makers.
Buying Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang
The box reads Bu Zhong Yi Qi Wan or Tang with the characters 补中益气. Eight herbs led by Astragalus, with small amounts of Cimicifuga and Bupleurum.
Brand comparisons for formulas live on Supplements Apothecary, the buying side of this library.
Formulas often confused with Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang
- Si Jun Zi Tang 四君子汤 The plain four-herb Spleen tonic without the lifting or the astragalus.
- Yu Ping Feng San 玉屏风散 Three herbs to guard the surface against colds and stop sweating, without the deep tonifying.
- Gui Pi Tang 归脾汤 Tonifies qi and blood with Heart-calming herbs, for the tired sleeper. No lifting.
Conditions where Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang comes up
Sources
- Bensky, Scheid, Ellis and Barolet, Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas and Strategies, 2nd edition Composition, actions, indications, cautions, and modifications.
- Li Dong-yuan, Pi Wei Lun, 1249 Source text.
Important Note
Formula pages describe classic use so you can read a label, ask a better question, and find the right monographs. They are education, not a prescription. A formula that fits the wrong pattern can make things worse, so match the picture first.