Che Qian Zi - 车前子 - Semen Plantaginis
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Semen Plantaginis |
| Common English: | Asian Plantain Seeds Plantago Seeds |
Category
Herbs that Drain Dampness (Diuretics)Properties
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
| Sweet (Bland) | Cold | Bladder Kidney Liver Lung | 4-15g Tincture: 2-4ml 9-15g (Secondary source) Wrap in cheesecloth when decocting. |
Actions And Indications
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Promotes urination and clears Damp-Heat | Damp-Heat, generally Damp-Heat in the Lower Jiao with edema, painful urinary dysfunction |
Promotes urination to solidify the stool | Diarrhea due to Damp-Heat Summerheat with Dampness |
Clears Liver Heat and clears the eyes | Eye problems due to Liver and Kidney Yin Deficiency with dry eyes and diminished visual acuity Heat in the Liver Channel with red, painful, swollen eyes and sensitivity to light |
Clears the Lungs, expels Phlegm and stops coughing | Lung Heat induced cough with yellow copious Phlegm |
Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions
| CONTRAINDICATIONS |
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| INCOMPATIBILITIES |
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| HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
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Major Combinations
| Rz. Alismatis | Rz. Alismatis | Rx. Achyranthis Bidentatae |
Lin Syndrome, edema and distention. | Edema. | Kidney Deficiency edema. |
| Rx. Ephedrae | Spora Lygodii | Rz. Imperatae |
Edema in the limbs due to con-strained Lungs and Kidneys. Acute edema in the face with External Wind Invasion signs. Calms wheezing and coughs due to Phlegm Obstructing Lung Qi or externally contracted Wind blocking Lung Qi to generate Phlegm. | Dribbling, painful urination due to Lower Jiao Heat or Stone Lin. | Unblocks Lin, cools the Blood and stops bleeding for Damp-Heat clumping to cause scanty urination with pain and hematuria. Edema in the lower limbs due to accumulation of water and Dampness. |
| Hb. Ecliptae | Caul. Akebiae | Rz. Dioscoreae |
Blood Heat or Yin Deficiency with urinary difficulty, pain and hematuria. | Lin Syndrome. | Chronic vaginal discharge due to Spleen Deficiency with Damp-Heat. |
Rz. Atractylodis | Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae | Hb. Moslae |
Damp-Heat vaginal discharge with Spleen Deficiency. | Summerheat with Dampness or Spleen Deficiency causing diarrhea with scanty urine. | Diarrhea from Summerheat with Dampness. |
Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata | Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata | Rx. Scutellariae |
Liver and Kidney Deficiency causing cataracts with diminished vision. | Liver and Kidney Deficiency causing cataracts with diminished vision and dizziness. | Heat in the Liver channel with red, painful, swollen eyes. |
Rx. Scutellariae | Rx. Stemonae | Rx. Stemonae |
Lung Heat coughs with copious yellow sputum. | Pediatric chronic cough. | Pediatric chronic cough with Excess sputum. |
Caul. Akebiae | Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae | Rx. Codonopsis |
Re Lin. (Damp-Heat dysuria) | Diarrhea with dysuria. | Summer diarrhea in children. |
Rz. Coptidis | Concha Haliotidis | Rx. Ophiopogonis |
Eye redness, swelling and pain from Liver Fire. | Headache due to Liver Yang Rising. | Lung Yin Deficiency cough. |
Notes
- Pelvic inflammations, particularly urinary tract infections, are a frequent indication for this herb.
- The whole plant, Hb. Plantaginis Che Qian Cao, promotes urination less effectively but clears Heat better, and it also detoxifies. Sweet and cold, it treats abscesses and swellings both internally and topically. The dosage is 9-30g, or 2-5ml as a tincture.
- Containing mucilage, the seed soothes the vagina, colon and urinary tract.
- It is an important herb for promoting urination, clearing Damp-Heat and clearing Heat from the Liver and Lung.
- Because the seeds are so small, decoct them in a separate cloth bag to keep the decoction from becoming too gelatinous.
- Che Qian Zi and Rz. Alismatis Ze Xie both facilitate water, reduce edema, clear Heat, enter the Kidney channel and drain Dampness. They are frequently paired for abdominal distention due to edema, Lin Syndrome and Summerheat-Damp diarrhea. Che Qian Zi benefits the Kidneys by eliminating pathogenic Dampness, clears the Liver and eyes, and transforms Phlegm in the Lungs, so it treats red eyes from pathogenic Heat and Lung Heat that has transformed into Phlegm. Ze Xie clears and drains ministerial Fire, treating Blazing Fire due to Yin Deficiency.
- Unprepared Plantago Seeds Sheng Che Qian Zi are slippery and heavy, leading Heat and Dampness downward and out through the urine.
- Dry-fried Plantago Seeds Chao Che Qian Zi are not as cold and can expel water and Dampness without harming Spleen Qi. They are given for diarrhea and/or vaginal discharge due to Spleen Deficiency.
- Salt-processed Plantago Seeds Yan Zhi Che Qian Zi direct downward and promote urination, treating overflow of water and Dampness due to Kidney and Spleen Yang Deficiency.
From Class
- Damp strategies: Cang Zhu; Che Qian Zi/Ze Xie; San Huang (Huang Lian, Huang Qin, Huang Bai); Gan Jiang: Scalloped greasy tongue: Cang Zhu; swollen moist: drain with plantago or alisma; red sticky: three yellows; cold: dried ginger. (Yuen)
- Fu Ling / Zhu Ling / Che Qian Zi: Damp-draining herbs for high potassium where kidneys aren't grasping qi to promote urination. (Lewis)