Mai Wei Di Huang Wan (麦味地黄丸) — Ophiopogon, Schisandra & Rehmannia Pill
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Overview
Mai Wei Di Huang Wan — also called Ba Xian Chang Shou Wan (“Eight Immortals Long Life Pill”) — is a modification of Liu Wei Di Huang Wan with Mai Men Dong and Wu Wei Zi added. It targets combined Lung and Kidney Yin deficiency — the chronic depletion picture seen in long-standing dry cough[10], chronic respiratory disease, post-COVID Yin damage, and Yin-deficient hot flushes[3] that combine respiratory and constitutional symptoms.
I prescribe Mai Wei Di Huang Wan as part of bespoke herbal formulas from pharmaceutical-grade granules sourced from Sun Ten in Taiwan.
TCM pattern
Mai Wei Di Huang Wan is prescribed for combined Lung and Kidney Yin deficiency:
- Chronic dry cough, possibly with thick scanty phlegm or a little blood
- Dry mouth and throat
- Wheeze worse on exertion
- Five-palm Heat, low-grade afternoon flushes
- Night sweats
- Lower-back ache, weak knees
- Tinnitus, dizziness[22]
- Tongue — red, scant or peeled coat
- Pulse — thin, rapid
Key herbs
- Shu Di Huang (Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata, 8-30g) — chief; tonifies Kidney Yin and Blood
- Shan Yao (Rz. Dioscoreae, 4-15g) — tonifies Spleen, Lung and Kidney
- Shan Zhu Yu (Fr. Corni, 4-20g) — tonifies and astringes Liver and Kidney
- Fu Ling (Poria, 3-15g), Ze Xie (Rz. Alismatis, 3-15g), Mu Dan Pi (Cx. Moutan, 3-15g) — mildly drain (prevent the nourishing herbs from causing stagnation)
- Mai Men Dong (Tub Ophiopogonis, 6-15g) — nourishes Lung Yin; moistens dryness
- Wu Wei Zi (Fr. Schisandrae, 1.5-9g) — astringes Lung Qi; secures Kidney; stops chronic cough and night sweats
Formula actions
- Tonifies Kidney Yin
- Nourishes Lung Yin
- Stops chronic dry cough
- Astringes Lung and Kidney
Conditions treated
- Chronic dry cough from Lung-Kidney Yin deficiency
- Bronchiectasis with Yin-deficient dry pattern
- COPD with chronic Yin damage
- Post-COVID dry cough and fatigue[9] with Yin damage
- Pulmonary fibrosis with dry cough and dyspnoea (adjunctive)
- Yin-deficient asthma[13] with night sweats and dry throat
- Climacteric hot flushes with dry cough and respiratory symptoms
- Diabetes (Xiao Ke) upper-burner type with thirst and cough
Cautions
Not appropriate for acute Wind-Cold or Wind-Heat respiratory infections, Phlegm-Damp patterns, or Spleen-Qi deficiency with loose stools — the nourishing herbs cause stagnation.
Chronic cough with weight loss, haemoptysis or progressive dyspnoea requires medical investigation to exclude tuberculosis, malignancy or other serious pathology.
Always consult a qualified Chinese herbalist registered with the RCHM.
Prefer to be treated from home? Chinese herbal medicine online consultations are available throughout the UK and worldwide.
References
[3] Li M, Hung A, Lenon GB, Yang AWH. Chinese herbal formulae for the treatment of menopausal hot flushes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2019 Sep 19;14(9):e0222383. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0222383. PMID: 31536531.
[9] Wang YY, Li XX, Liu JP, Luo H, Ma LX, Alraek T. Traditional Chinese medicine for chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Complement Ther Med. 2014 Aug;22(4):826-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2014.06.004. PMID: 25146086.
[10] Lee B, Kwon CY, Suh HW, Kim YJ, Kim KI, Lee BJ, Lee JH. Herbal medicine for the treatment of chronic cough: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Pharmacol. 2023 Oct 17;14:1230604. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2023.1230604. PMID: 37920213.
[13] Shergis JL, Wu L, Zhang AL, Guo X, Lu C, Xue CC. Herbal medicine for adults with asthma: A systematic review. J Asthma. 2016 Aug;53(6):650-9. https://doi.org/10.3109/02770903.2015.1101132. PMID: 27172294.
[22] Guo Z, Su Z, Wang Z, Luo X, Lai R. The effect of Chinese herbal medicine Banxia Baizhu Tianma Decoction for the treatment of vertebrobasilar insufficiency vertigo: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Complement Ther Med. 2017 Apr;31:27-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2017.01.004. PMID: 28434468.
