Ban Bian Lian - 半遍莲 - Herba Lobeliae Chinensis

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Herba Lobeliae Chinensis
Common English:	Chinese Lobelia

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Sweet Bland (Acrid) (Bitter)	Slightly Cold (Neutral) (Slightly Warm)	Heart Lung Small Intestine (Liver ) (Kidney)	3-15g Dried: 15-36g Fresh: 90g Snakebite, Dried: 30-60g Snakebite, Fresh: 90-120g Tincture: 2-4ml

Actions

Indications/Syndromes

Promotes urination and reduces edema

Edema, especially floating edema

Ascites

End-stage schistosomiasis

Clears Heat, cools the Blood and reduces toxicity (internally and topically)

Snakebites and wasp and bee stings (internally and topically) This is the herb of choice

Blood Heat

Toxic Fire such as tonsillitis

CONTRAINDICATIONS

INCOMPATIBILITIES

HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

Concurrent use with diuretics such as chlorothiazide, hydrochlorothiazide, furmoside (Lasix), bumetinide (Bumex) and torsemide (Demadex) may lead to increased elimination of water and/or electrolytes.

Rz. Alismatis Ze Xie Scl, Polypori Zhu Ling	Sm. Trigonellae Hu Lu Ba	Hb. Verbena Ma Bian Cao
Floating edema	Edema or ascites	Strongly facilitates the removal of pathogenic water to treat edema associated with end-stage schistosomiasis
Rx. Scutellariae Huang Qin Rz. Coptidis Huang Lian Flos Chrysanthemi Indicae Ye Ju Hua Flos Lonicerae Jin Yin Hua	Rz. Alismatis Ze Xie Scl, Polypori Zhu Ling Poria Fu Ling
Poisonous snakebites or insect bites	Edema

One source classifies this as a Heat Clearing Herb.
According to some sources, this herb calms dyspnea.
For insect or snake bites, this herb may be used on its own, both Internally and topically.
Research has shown that it inhibits cancer cell growth.
It is reported to treat tumor, hepatitis, appendicitis, ascites from cirrhosis and pulmonary abscess.
It has proven effective in the treatment of esophageal, gastric and uterine cancers.
Ban Bian Lian and Hb. Hedyotis Diffusae Bai Hua She She Cao both promote the removal of pathogenic water, reduce edema, clear Heat and resolve toxicity. Ban Bian Lian has the stronger diuretic effect, whereas Bai Hua She She Cao cools and removes Damp-Heat more strongly and is the preferred choice for painful urinary dysfunction.