Classic formula · Calm the spirit
Jiao Tai Wan
交泰丸 Grand Communication Pill
Two herbs, ten parts coptis to one part cinnamon, to make the Heart and Kidney meet again. For insomnia with a hot restless mind above and a cold or empty Kidney below: palpitations, irritability, a dry mouth, and a back or feet that run cold. The smallest formula in the sleep family.
The Heart is fire and should sink; the Kidney is water and should rise. Coptis cools the fire so it can descend. The pinch of cinnamon warms the water so it can climb. When they meet, you sleep.
Also sold as: Coptis and Cinnamon Pill
Who Jiao Tai Wan is for
This formula is chosen for 2 patterns. Match your own picture before you match the name.
Signs it is classically given for
- Insomnia with a hot, restless mind
- Palpitations and irritability at night
- Dry mouth with cold feet
- Mouth ulcers in a person with a cold lower body
- Waking in the early hours, hot above and cold below
- Tongue
- Red tip on a pale body, or red with little coat.
- Pulse
- Rapid at the wrist, weak at the rear.
What is in Jiao Tai Wan
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 Lian Rhizome of Chinese Goldthread Use caution | 6 g | Chief | Coptis cools the Heart fire so it can sink. |
| Rou Gui Cassia Bark Use caution | 1 g | Deputy | Cinnamon bark, a tiny dose, warms the Kidney so the water can rise and leads the fire home. |
How Jiao Tai Wan works
The ratio is the medicine. Enough coptis to cool a burning Heart, and just enough cinnamon to remind the fire where it lives. It is often added to a larger formula rather than taken alone, and it works fast when the picture is right: hot head, cold feet, no sleep.
Actions in classic terms
- Clears Heart fire and warms Kidney yang
- Restores the communication between Heart and Kidney
Common changes to Jiao Tai Wan
A practitioner rarely gives the bare formula. These are the classic additions for a specific picture.
- Deeper yin deficiency add Sheng Di Huang, Mai Dong Or combine with Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan.
- Palpitations that frighten add Long Gu, Mu Li Dragon bone and oyster shell anchor.
Cautions with Jiao Tai Wan
- Coptis is bitter and cold; short courses only.
- Not for insomnia from a pale, tired, blood-deficient picture; that is Gui Pi Tang.
- Pregnancy: use only under a qualified practitioner.
Forms and typical dose
Sold as teapills, granules, decoction.
- Teapills
- As the label directs, with the last dose an hour before bed
- Course
- One to three weeks.
Follow the label of the brand you buy. Pill sizes differ between makers.
Buying Jiao Tai Wan
The box reads Jiao Tai Wan with the characters 交泰丸. Two ingredients: Coptis and Cinnamon bark, with far more coptis.
Brand comparisons for formulas live on Supplements Apothecary, the buying side of this library.
Formulas often confused with Jiao Tai Wan
- Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan 天王补心丹 The full thirteen-herb formula for the same disconnection, with the yin tonics built in.
- Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan 知柏地黄丸 Rebuilds the Kidney yin underneath; often taken alongside.
Conditions where Jiao Tai Wan comes up
Sources
- Bensky, Scheid, Ellis and Barolet, Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas and Strategies, 2nd edition Composition, actions, 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.