Classic formula · Treat dryness
Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang
沙参麦冬汤 Glehnia and Ophiopogon Decoction
A light, moistening formula for dryness in the Lung and Stomach: a dry tickly cough with little phlegm, a dry throat, thirst, and a dry mouth, usually after a fever or in a dry autumn. Gentle enough for a child and short enough to take for a week or two.
This is a glass of water for the Lung and Stomach after a hot day. Nothing heavy, nothing that builds. It just puts the moisture back.
Also sold as: Sha Shen Mai Men Dong Tang · Glehnia and Ophiopogon Combination
Who Sha Shen Mai Dong 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
- Dry cough with little phlegm after a fever or cold
- Dry throat and mouth, thirst
- Hoarse voice
- Dry cough in dry heated rooms or in autumn
- Poor appetite with a dry mouth after an illness
- Low fever that lingers after a warm illness
- Tongue
- Red and dry with little coat.
- Pulse
- Thin and slightly rapid.
What is in Sha Shen Mai Dong 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bei Sha Shen Glehnia Root Use caution | 9 g | Chief | Glehnia moistens the Lung and Stomach and clears mild heat. |
| Mai Dong Mai Dong Ophiopogon Root Tuber | 9 g | Chief | Ophiopogon moistens the Lung, Stomach, and throat. |
| Yu Zhu Fragrant Solomonseal Rhizome | 6 g | Deputy | Solomon's seal moistens without clogging. |
| Sang Ye Mulberry Leaf | 5 g | Deputy | Mulberry leaf clears the last of the heat from the Lung. |
| Tian Hua Fen Root of Pedateleaf Snakegourd Use caution | 5 g | Assistant | Trichosanthes root generates fluids and eases thirst. |
| Bai Bian Dou White Hyacinth Bean Use caution | 5 g | Assistant | Hyacinth bean supports the Spleen so the moist herbs digest. |
| Gan Cao Raw Licorice Root Use caution | 3 g | Envoy | Licorice soothes the throat and harmonizes. |
How Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang works
Four moistening herbs refill the Lung and Stomach fluids. Mulberry leaf clears the lingering heat that caused the dryness. Hyacinth bean and licorice keep the Spleen happy so the moist herbs do not sit heavily. It is a formula for the aftermath of heat, not for a deep deficiency.
Actions in classic terms
- Clears and nourishes the Lung and Stomach
- Generates fluids and moistens dryness
Common changes to Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang
A practitioner rarely gives the bare formula. These are the classic additions for a specific picture.
- A cough that lingers add Chuan Bei Mu, Xing Ren Fritillary and apricot kernel to settle the cough.
- Strong thirst add Shi Hu Dendrobium for Stomach fluids.
Cautions with Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang
- Not for a wet cough with thick phlegm, or a cough with chills from wind-cold.
- Not for a damp Spleen with loose stools and a greasy coat.
- If the cough does not change in two weeks, the pattern is deeper than dryness and the formula should change.
Forms and typical dose
Sold as granules, decoction.
- Decoction
- One bag a day in two doses, with the amounts above
- Granules
- As the label directs, usually twice a day
- Course
- One to two weeks.
Follow the label of the brand you buy. Pill sizes differ between makers.
Buying Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang
The box reads Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang with the characters 沙参麦冬汤. Seven ingredients beginning with Glehnia and Ophiopogon. Usually sold as granules.
Brand comparisons for formulas live on Supplements Apothecary, the buying side of this library.
Formulas often confused with Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang
- Bai He Gu Jin Tang 百合固金汤 Deeper and richer, for a long dry cough with blood-streaked phlegm and Kidney signs.
- Yi Wei Tang 益胃汤 The Stomach-only sibling: dry mouth and no appetite after a fever, without the cough.
- Mai Wei Di Huang Wan 麦味地黄丸 A Kidney tonic with Lung herbs, for the chronic dry cough of an older dry person.
Conditions where Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang comes up
Sources
- Bensky, Scheid, Ellis and Barolet, Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas and Strategies, 2nd edition Composition, actions, indications, and cautions.
- Wu Ju-tong, Wen Bing Tiao Bian, 1798 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.