Classic formula · Calm the spirit
Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan
天王补心丹 Emperor of Heaven's Special Pill to Tonify the Heart
The classic formula for insomnia with heat in a dry person. Hard to fall asleep, restless and dream-filled when you do, palpitations, forgetfulness, a dry mouth, mouth ulcers, night sweats, and dry stools. Heart and Kidney yin are low, so the Heart fire has nothing to cool it.
The Heart is fire and the Kidney is water, and at night the water is supposed to rise and the fire to sink so the two meet. When the water is low, the fire burns alone all night. This formula refills the water and settles the fire.
Also sold as: Tian Wang Bu Xin Wan · Emperor's Teapills · Heavenly Emperor Heart Tonic
Who Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan is for
This formula is chosen for 3 patterns. Match your own picture before you match the name.
Signs it is classically given for
- Insomnia, especially trouble falling asleep
- Restless, dream-filled sleep
- Palpitations and anxiety
- Forgetfulness, poor concentration
- Dry mouth, mouth ulcers
- Night sweats, hot palms
- Dry stools
- Nocturnal emissions
- A low fever that comes and goes in a thin, dry, tired person
- Tongue
- Red with little coat, the tip often redder.
- Pulse
- Thin and rapid.
What is in Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheng Di Huang Fresh Rehmannia Root | 12 g | Chief | Raw rehmannia nourishes Kidney yin and cools the Heart blood. |
| Xuan Shen Figwort Root Use caution | 6 g | Deputy | Scrophularia nourishes yin and clears empty heat. |
| Tian Men Dong Asparagus Root Use caution | 9 g | Deputy | Asparagus root moistens and cools. |
| Mai Dong Mai Dong Ophiopogon Root Tuber | 9 g | Deputy | Ophiopogon nourishes Heart yin. |
| Dang Gui Root of Chinese Angelica Use caution | 9 g | Deputy | Angelica builds the blood the Heart rests in. |
| Dan Shen Dan Shen Root Use caution | 6 g | Assistant | Salvia moves Heart blood and calms. |
| Dang Shen Dang Shen Root | 6 g | Assistant | Codonopsis, or ginseng in the classic, supports the Heart qi. |
| Fu Ling Poria | 6 g | Assistant | Poria calms the mind. |
| Wu Wei Zi Chinese Magnoliavine Fruit Use caution | 6 g | Assistant | Schisandra holds the Heart qi and the sweat in. |
| Yuan Zhi Root of Thinleaf Milkwort Use caution | 6 g | Assistant | Polygala clears the mind and steadies the spirit. |
| Suan Zao Ren Sour Jujube Seed | 9 g | Assistant | Sour jujube seed settles the Heart for sleep. |
| Bai Zi Ren Arborvitae Seed | 9 g | Assistant | Arborvitae seed moistens and calms. |
| Jie Geng Platycodon Root | 6 g | Envoy | Platycodon carries the formula up to the Heart. |
How Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan works
Rehmannia, scrophularia, and the two 'dong' roots refill the yin so the Heart has water to cool it. Angelica and salvia build and move the blood the mind rests in. Five calming seeds and roots settle the spirit. Platycodon lifts the whole thing into the chest. The classic version was coated in cinnabar, which modern products rightly leave out.
Actions in classic terms
- Enriches yin and nourishes blood
- Tonifies the Heart and calms the spirit
Common changes to Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan
A practitioner rarely gives the bare formula. These are the classic additions for a specific picture.
- Strong heat with a red tongue tip add Huang Lian A pinch of coptis to cool the Heart fire.
- Heavy night sweats add Fu Xiao Mai, Mu Li Light wheat and oyster shell.
- Palpitations that frighten add Long Gu, Ci Shi Dragon bone and magnetite anchor the spirit.
Cautions with Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan
- Moist and cool. Not for a weak Spleen with loose stools, bloating, or a greasy coat.
- Not for insomnia from a pale, cold, tired picture. That is Gui Pi Tang territory.
- Thirteen herbs make it rich; start at a lower dose if digestion is delicate.
- 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, or as the label directs. Some brands suggest a larger dose at bedtime.
- Decoction
- One bag a day in two doses, with the amounts above
- Course
- One to two months.
Follow the label of the brand you buy. Pill sizes differ between makers.
Buying Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan
The box reads Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan or Wan with the characters 天王补心. Thirteen herbs beginning with raw Rehmannia. Make sure the label says it is free of cinnabar.
Brand comparisons for formulas live on Supplements Apothecary, the buying side of this library.
Formulas often confused with Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan
- Gui Pi Tang 归脾汤 For the pale, tired, worried sleeper with weak digestion. No heat, no dryness.
- Suan Zao Ren Tang 酸枣仁汤 A smaller formula for sleep from Liver blood deficiency with mild heat and a dry mouth.
- Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan 知柏地黄丸 The Kidney formula for empty heat, when the back and teeth matter more than sleep.
Conditions where Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan comes up
Sources
- Bensky, Scheid, Ellis and Barolet, Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas and Strategies, 2nd edition Composition, actions, indications, and cautions.
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.