Classic formula · Harmonize
Jia Wei Xiao Yao San
加味逍遥散 Augmented Rambling Powder
Xiao Yao San with two cooling herbs added. For Liver qi stagnation that has sat long enough to heat up: irritability tipping into anger, a red face, hot flashes, a dry bitter mouth, acne, restless sleep, and periods that come early or heavy. The go-to for stressed heat, including the menopausal kind.
A dammed river that has started to steam. Xiao Yao San opens the dam. The two extra herbs, peony bark and gardenia, cool the water before it goes downstream.
Also sold as: Dan Zhi Xiao Yao San · Jia Wei Xiao Yao Wan · Free and Easy Wanderer Plus · Bupleurum and Peony Formula
Who Jia Wei Xiao Yao San is for
This formula is chosen for 3 patterns. Match your own picture before you match the name.
Signs it is classically given for
- Irritability, anger, moods that flare
- Red face, hot flashes, a feeling of heat in the chest
- Dry mouth, bitter taste
- Restless sleep, waking hot
- Headache at the temples, red eyes
- Early, heavy, or painful periods
- Premenstrual anger and breast pain
- Acne that flares with stress or the cycle
- Menopausal flushing with tension
- Tongue
- Red, especially the sides, with a thin yellow coat.
- Pulse
- Wiry and rapid.
What is in Jia Wei Xiao Yao San
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chai Hu Chinese Thorowax Root Use caution | 9 g | Chief | Bupleurum opens the Liver. |
| Dang Gui Root of Chinese Angelica Use caution | 9 g | Deputy | Angelica nourishes and moves blood. |
| Bai Shao White Peony Root | 9 g | Deputy | White peony softens the Liver and nourishes blood. |
| Bai Zhu Rhizome of Largehead Atractylodes | 9 g | Assistant | Atractylodes strengthens the Spleen. |
| Fu Ling Poria | 9 g | Assistant | Poria drains damp and calms. |
| Zhi Gan Cao Honey-Fried Licorice Root Use caution | 5 g | Envoy | Honey-fried licorice harmonizes. |
| Bo He Peppermint Use caution | 3 g | Envoy | Mint helps spread the Liver qi. |
| Sheng Jiang Fresh Ginger Use caution | 3 g | Envoy | Ginger warms the Stomach. |
| Mu Dan Pi Tree Peony Bark Use caution | 6 g | Assistant | Tree peony bark cools the blood and clears Liver heat. |
| Zhi Zi Gardenia Fruit | 6 g | Assistant | Gardenia clears heat and irritability and drains it through the urine. |
How Jia Wei Xiao Yao San works
Everything Xiao Yao San does, plus two herbs for the heat that long stagnation creates. Peony bark cools the blood, which is why it settles heavy and early periods. Gardenia clears the restless, irritable heat and sends it out through the urine. Most people who reach for Xiao Yao San actually need this version, because stress rarely stays cool for long.
Actions in classic terms
- Spreads Liver qi and clears Liver heat
- Strengthens the Spleen and nourishes blood
Common changes to Jia Wei Xiao Yao San
A practitioner rarely gives the bare formula. These are the classic additions for a specific picture.
- Hot flashes with night sweats add Zhi Mu, Huang Bai Or combine with Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan.
- Heavy periods add Sheng Di Huang, Di Yu Cooling herbs that stop bleeding.
- Acne add Jin Yin Hua, Lian Qiao Honeysuckle and forsythia for skin heat.
- Insomnia add Suan Zao Ren, Ye Jiao Teng Calming herbs.
Cautions with Jia Wei Xiao Yao San
- Cooler than Xiao Yao San. If there is no heat, use the plain version; the extra herbs can loosen the stools.
- Not for yin-deficiency heat with a peeled tongue and night sweats as the main picture; that needs a yin tonic first.
- Pause during a 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. Mint goes in for the last few minutes.
- Course
- Two to four weeks for stress and heat; two to three cycles for menstrual use.
Follow the label of the brand you buy. Pill sizes differ between makers.
Buying Jia Wei Xiao Yao San
The box reads Jia Wei Xiao Yao Wan or Dan Zhi Xiao Yao Wan with the characters 加味逍遥 or 丹栀逍遥. Ten ingredients: Xiao Yao San plus Moutan and Gardenia.
Brand comparisons for formulas live on Supplements Apothecary, the buying side of this library.
Formulas often confused with Jia Wei Xiao Yao San
- Xiao Yao San 逍遥散 The same without the two cooling herbs. For stagnation without heat.
- Long Dan Xie Gan Tang 龙胆泻肝汤 For Liver fire, not just heat: splitting headache, red eyes, rage, burning urine. Much colder and shorter.
- Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan 知柏地黄丸 For menopausal heat from empty Kidney yin rather than stuck Liver qi. Often used together.
Conditions where Jia Wei Xiao Yao San comes up
Sources
- Bensky, Scheid, Ellis and Barolet, Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas and Strategies, 2nd edition Listed as a modification of Xiao Yao San with composition and indications.
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.