Classic formula · Expel phlegm
Er Chen Tang
二陈汤 Two-Cured Decoction
The base phlegm formula. For a wet cough with lots of white phlegm, a full chest, nausea, a heavy head, dizziness, and a greasy white tongue coat. Four herbs that dry damp and move the phlegm out, named for the two that improve with age: tangerine peel and pinellia.
Phlegm is damp that has sat long enough to thicken. Pinellia breaks it up, tangerine peel moves it, poria drains the damp that made it, and licorice keeps the peace. Nearly every phlegm formula is built on these four.
Also sold as: Er Chen Wan · Citrus and Pinellia Combination
Who Er Chen Tang is for
This formula is chosen for 2 patterns. Match your own picture before you match the name.
Signs it is classically given for
- Cough with copious white phlegm that is easy to bring up
- Fullness in the chest or stomach
- Nausea, vomiting
- Dizziness, a heavy foggy head
- Palpitations from phlegm
- Morning phlegm in a smoker or heavy eater
- A greasy tongue coat that will not clear
- Tongue
- White, greasy coat.
- Pulse
- Slippery.
What is in Er Chen 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ban Xia Raw Pinellia Tuber High caution | 12 g | Chief | Processed pinellia dries damp, transforms phlegm, and stops nausea. |
| Chen Pi Dried Tangerine Peel | 12 g | Deputy | Tangerine peel moves qi and dries damp so the phlegm has to move. |
| Fu Ling Poria | 9 g | Assistant | Poria drains the damp that makes the phlegm. |
| Zhi Gan Cao Honey-Fried Licorice Root Use caution | 5 g | Envoy | Honey-fried licorice harmonizes. |
| Sheng Jiang Fresh Ginger Use caution | 6 g | Envoy | Fresh ginger settles nausea and tempers the pinellia. |
| Wu Mei Smoked Plum | 3 g | Envoy | One smoked plum keeps the drying herbs from scattering the Lung qi. |
How Er Chen Tang works
Qi moves phlegm, so tangerine peel is as important as pinellia. Poria stops new damp forming while the other two clear what is there. The single plum is the old physicians' touch: a little sourness so the Lung is not scattered by all the drying. Plain, balanced, and endlessly modified.
Actions in classic terms
- Dries dampness and transforms phlegm
- Regulates qi and harmonizes the middle
Common changes to Er Chen Tang
A practitioner rarely gives the bare formula. These are the classic additions for a specific picture.
- Yellow phlegm and heat add Huang Qin, Gua Lou Toward Qing Qi Hua Tan Wan.
- Nausea and anxiety with a gallbladder picture add Zhu Ru, Zhi Shi This becomes Wen Dan Tang.
- Weak digestion under the phlegm add Dang Shen, Bai Zhu This becomes Liu Jun Zi Tang.
- Dizziness from phlegm add Tian Ma, Bai Zhu Toward Ban Xia Bai Zhu Tian Ma Tang.
Cautions with Er Chen Tang
- Drying. Not for a dry cough, a cough with blood, or a red peeled tongue.
- Pinellia must be processed.
- Pregnancy: use only under a qualified practitioner.
Forms and typical dose
Sold as teapills, granules, decoction.
- Teapills
- 8 pills, three times a day, the usual label dose
- Course
- One to four weeks.
Follow the label of the brand you buy. Pill sizes differ between makers.
Buying Er Chen Tang
The box reads Er Chen Tang or Wan with the characters 二陈. Four main ingredients: processed Pinellia, Tangerine peel, Poria, and Licorice, often with ginger.
Brand comparisons for formulas live on Supplements Apothecary, the buying side of this library.
Formulas often confused with Er Chen Tang
- Liu Jun Zi Tang 六君子汤 Er Chen Tang plus two Spleen tonics, for phlegm in a weak person.
- Wen Dan Tang 温胆汤 Er Chen Tang plus bamboo shavings and bitter orange, for phlegm with nausea, anxiety, and poor sleep.
- Ban Xia Hou Po Tang 半夏厚朴汤 Phlegm knotted with stuck qi: the lump-in-the-throat feeling.
Conditions where Er Chen Tang comes up
Sources
- Bensky, Scheid, Ellis and Barolet, Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas and Strategies, 2nd edition Composition, actions, indications, and the family of modifications.
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.