Classic formula · Tonify blood
Gui Pi Tang
归脾汤 Restore the Spleen Decoction
The formula for Heart and Spleen deficiency: tired, worried, sleeping badly, forgetful, with a poor appetite and anything that bleeds oozing pale and slow. It feeds the kitchen and the lamp at the same time, building the blood the Heart needs to settle at night.
The Spleen is the kitchen that makes blood. The Heart is the lamp that burns it. When the kitchen falls behind, the lamp flickers at night. Gui Pi Tang restocks the kitchen so the lamp burns steady.
Also sold as: Gui Pi Wan · Ginseng and Longan Combination · Restore the Spleen Pill
Who Gui Pi 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
- Tired, especially after meals, with poor appetite
- Hard to fall asleep, light dream-filled sleep
- Worry, overthinking, poor memory
- Palpitations with anxiety
- Pale face, pale lips, pale gums
- Gums that ooze a little, easy bruising, nosebleeds
- Heavy, long, or pale periods, or spotting between them
- Chronic low-grade bleeding anywhere
- Dizziness on standing
- Tongue
- Pale, with a thin white coat.
- Pulse
- Thin and weak.
What is in Gui Pi 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ren Shen Ginseng Use caution | 6 g | Chief | Ginseng restores the qi that makes blood. Dang Shen at 9 g is the common substitute in patent forms. |
| Huang Qi Root of Membranous Milkvetch Use caution | 12 g | Chief | Astragalus lifts the qi so the Spleen can hold blood inside its vessels. |
| Bai Zhu Rhizome of Largehead Atractylodes | 9 g | Deputy | Atractylodes strengthens the Spleen so food becomes blood. |
| Fu Ling Poria | 9 g | Deputy | Poria, classically Fu Shen, the root-wrapped form, calms the Heart and drains damp. |
| Dang Gui Root of Chinese Angelica Use caution | 9 g | Deputy | Angelica builds blood and keeps it moving. |
| Long Yan Rou Longan Aril Use caution | 12 g | Deputy | Longan fruit feeds Heart blood and quiets the mind. |
| Suan Zao Ren Sour Jujube Seed | 12 g | Assistant | Sour jujube seed settles the Heart for sleep. |
| Yuan Zhi Root of Thinleaf Milkwort Use caution | 6 g | Assistant | Polygala clears the mind and steadies the spirit. |
| Mu Xiang Costus Root | 6 g | Assistant | Costus keeps the rich tonics from bloating the stomach. |
| Zhi Gan Cao Honey-Fried Licorice Root Use caution | 3 g | Envoy | Honey-fried licorice harmonizes and supports the middle. |
| Sheng Jiang Fresh Ginger Use caution | 3 g | Envoy | Fresh ginger warms the Stomach so the tonic digests. |
| Da Zao Chinese Date | 5 g | Envoy | Jujube dates nourish blood and sweeten the decoction. |
How Gui Pi Tang works
Ginseng, astragalus, and atractylodes rebuild the Spleen's qi. Angelica and longan build blood from it. Jujube seed, polygala, and poria carry that blood to the Heart and settle it. Costus and ginger keep the whole rich mix moving so it does not sit in the stomach. The result is more blood, a calmer Heart, and a Spleen strong enough to stop the slow bleeding.
Actions in classic terms
- Augments qi and tonifies blood
- Strengthens the Spleen and nourishes the Heart
- Helps the Spleen hold blood in the vessels
Common changes to Gui Pi Tang
A practitioner rarely gives the bare formula. These are the classic additions for a specific picture.
- Heavy bleeding add E Jiao, Ai Ye Donkey-hide gelatin and mugwort leaf to stop bleeding and build blood.
- Insomnia that will not shift add Ye Jiao Teng, He Huan Pi Fleeceflower stem and albizia bark for sleep and mood.
- Cold hands and loose stools add Gan Jiang Dried ginger warms the middle.
Cautions with Gui Pi Tang
- Warm and rich. Not for a hot or damp picture: a yellow tongue coat, a bitter taste, heavy limbs, or a chest full of phlegm.
- Not for acute bleeding that is red and heavy. That is heat, not weakness, and needs a different formula.
- If bloating increases, reduce the dose and eat warm cooked food. Mu Xiang is in the formula for this reason, but a very weak Spleen may still need to start low.
- 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. Sleep and appetite usually shift inside a month.
Follow the label of the brand you buy. Pill sizes differ between makers.
Buying Gui Pi Tang
The box reads Gui Pi Tang or Gui Pi Wan with the characters 归脾丸. Twelve herbs. Codonopsis often replaces ginseng in patent pills; that is normal. Look for longan, jujube seed, and polygala on the list.
Brand comparisons for formulas live on Supplements Apothecary, the buying side of this library.
Formulas often confused with Gui Pi Tang
- Ba Zhen Tang 八珍汤 Builds qi and blood without the Heart-calming herbs. For weakness and pallor when sleep and worry are not the main complaint.
- Suan Zao Ren Tang 酸枣仁汤 For sleep alone, from Liver blood deficiency, in someone whose digestion is fine.
- Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang 补中益气汤 Lifts sinking Spleen qi: prolapse, sagging, exhaustion, chronic diarrhea. No blood-building or Heart-calming side.
- Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan 天王补心丹 For sleep with heat: a red tongue, night sweats, a dry mouth. Gui Pi Tang is for the pale, tired sleeper.
Conditions where Gui Pi Tang comes up
Sources
- Bensky, Scheid, Ellis and Barolet, Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas and Strategies, 2nd edition Composition, actions, indications, and modifications.
- Yan Yong-he, Ji Sheng Fang, 1253 Source text; Dang Gui and Yuan Zhi were added by Xue Ji in the Ming dynasty.
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.