Classic formula · Invigorate blood
Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang
血府逐瘀汤 Drive Out Stasis in the Mansion of Blood Decoction
The most used blood-stasis formula. For stuck blood in the chest: fixed stabbing chest pain, a headache that stays in one spot, chronic insomnia and restlessness, palpitations, a dark complexion and lips, and a purple tongue. Si Wu Tang's blood herbs with peach kernel, safflower, and the qi movers that open the chest.
Wang Qing-ren called the chest the mansion of blood. When the blood in that mansion stops moving, the pain is fixed and the mind cannot settle. The formula is a crew that clears the rooms and opens the doors.
Also sold as: Xue Fu Zhu Yu Wan · Stasis in the Mansion of Blood Teapills · Persica and Achyranthes Combination
Who Xue Fu Zhu Yu 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
- Fixed, stabbing chest pain
- Headache that stays in one spot, often old and stubborn
- Chronic insomnia and restlessness that calming formulas did not touch
- Palpitations, irritability, a hot feeling in the chest in the evening
- Dark complexion, dark lips, dark rings under the eyes
- Hiccups or dry heaves that will not stop
- Pain after an old chest injury
- Tongue
- Dark red or purple, with dark spots.
- Pulse
- Choppy, or wiry and tight.
What is in Xue Fu Zhu Yu 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tao Ren Peach Kernel Use caution | 12 g | Chief | Peach kernel breaks up stasis. |
| Hong Hua Safflower Use caution | 9 g | Chief | Safflower moves blood and opens the channels. |
| Dang Gui Root of Chinese Angelica Use caution | 9 g | Deputy | Angelica nourishes and moves blood. |
| Sheng Di Huang Fresh Rehmannia Root | 9 g | Deputy | Raw rehmannia cools and nourishes so the movers do not dry the blood. |
| Chuan Xiong Chuanxiong Rhizome, Szechuan Lovage Root Use caution | 5 g | Deputy | Ligusticum moves blood and qi, especially to the head. |
| Chi Shao Red Peony Root Use caution | 6 g | Deputy | Red peony cools and moves the blood. |
| Niu Xi Niu Xi Root Use caution | 9 g | Assistant | Achyranthes moves blood and guides it downward. |
| Jie Geng Platycodon Root | 5 g | Assistant | Platycodon lifts the formula into the chest. |
| Chai Hu Chinese Thorowax Root Use caution | 3 g | Assistant | Bupleurum spreads the Liver qi that was holding the blood still. |
| Zhi Ke | 6 g | Assistant | Bitter orange opens the chest and moves qi. |
| Gan Cao Raw Licorice Root Use caution | 3 g | Envoy | Licorice harmonizes. |
How Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang works
Qi moves blood, so the formula moves both. Peach kernel and safflower dredge the stuck blood; the four blood herbs supply and cool it. Platycodon lifts the action up into the chest and achyranthes draws the old blood down and out. Bupleurum and bitter orange open the qi that was holding everything still. It is the reference formula for stasis anywhere above the waist.
Actions in classic terms
- Invigorates the blood and dispels stasis
- Spreads Liver qi and unblocks the channels
Common changes to Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang
A practitioner rarely gives the bare formula. These are the classic additions for a specific picture.
- Chest pain from the heart add Dan Shen, San Qi Salvia and notoginseng for the heart vessels.
- Stubborn headache add Bai Zhi, Quan Xie Herbs that reach the head and stop pain.
- Insomnia add Suan Zao Ren, Ye Jiao Teng Calming herbs.
Cautions with Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang
- Not for use in pregnancy.
- Not during active bleeding or with a bleeding disorder.
- Use with care alongside blood thinners.
- Not for chest pain that is new, crushing, or comes with breathlessness; that needs urgent care.
- Not for a pale, weak person with no stasis signs.
Forms and typical dose
Sold as teapills, concentrated tablets, granules, decoction.
- Teapills
- 8 pills, three times a day, the usual label dose
- Decoction
- One bag a day in two doses, with the amounts above
- Course
- Two to six weeks, then reassess the tongue.
Follow the label of the brand you buy. Pill sizes differ between makers.
Buying Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang
The box reads Xue Fu Zhu Yu Wan or Tang with the characters 血府逐瘀. Eleven ingredients led by Peach kernel and Safflower.
Brand comparisons for formulas live on Supplements Apothecary, the buying side of this library.
Formulas often confused with Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang
- Tao Hong Si Wu Tang 桃红四物汤 Stasis with blood deficiency, aimed at the cycle rather than the chest.
- Chai Hu Shu Gan San 柴胡疏肝散 Qi stagnation only: pain that moves around, no purple tongue.
Conditions where Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang comes up
Sources
- Bensky, Scheid, Ellis and Barolet, Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas and Strategies, 2nd edition Composition, actions, indications, and cautions.
- Wang Qing-ren, Yi Lin Gai Cuo, 1830 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.