Dan Shen - 丹参 - Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae - Red Sage Root
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae |
| Common English: | Red Sage Root Salvia Root |
Category
Herbs That Invigorate the BloodProperties
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
| Bitter | Slightly Cold (Cool) (Neutral) | Heart Pericardium Liver | 3-15g 15-30g = large dose 30- 60g for phlebitis or when used alone 6-15g, 60g (vasculitis) (Secondary source) |
Actions And Indications
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Invigorates the Blood and dispels Blood Stasis | Blood Stasis in the Lower Jiao (very important in gynecology) Blood Stasis obstructing the chest Rib and hypochondriac pain due to Liver Qi and Blood Stasis |
| Clears Heat and soothes irritability | Ying Stage Heat with restlessness, irritability, palpitations and insomnia Heart and Kidney Yin Deficiency |
| Cools the Blood and reduces abscesses | Adjunctive to treat sores or early-stage breast abscesses |
| Nourishes the Blood and calms the Spirit | Palpitations and insomnia due to Ying and Xue Stage Heat or Heart Blood Deficiency |
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
| Rx. Angelicae Sinensis | Olibanum | Lignum Santali Albi |
| Irregular menstruation and retained lochia from Blood Stasis due to trauma. | Blood Stasis causing swelling and pain. | Flank pain, epigastric pain, abdominal pain, and dysmenorrhea due to Qi and Blood Stagnation. |
| Cx. Moutan Radicis | Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae | Fr. Trichosanthis |
Ying Stage Heat with high fever, irritability, hemoptysis, epistaxis, and subcutaneous bleeding. | Heart Blood Deficiency causing palpitations and insomnia. | Breast abscess, sores and swellings. |
| Lignum Santali Albi | Flos Carthami | Fr. Evodiae |
Chest, epigastric and abdominal pain due to Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis. | Abdominal pain with irregular menstruation due to Blood Stasis or postpartum. | Abdominal pain due to Blood Stasis with Cold. |
Per. Trichosanthis | Rz. Sparganii | Carapax Trionycis |
Chest pain. | Palpable masses. | Hepatomegaly or splenomegaly. |
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis | Caul. Lonicerae | Rx. Rehmanniae |
External or traumatic injury with pain and bruising. | Heat Bi with redness, swelling and pain. | Ying or Xue Level Heat. |
Flos Lonicerae | Cx. Moutan | Rx. Scrophulariae |
Initial stage breast abscess. | Erysipelas. | Palpitations and insomnia due to Heat. |
Rx. Rehmanniae | ||
Palpitations and insomnia from Heart Blood Deficiency. |
Notes
- Anorexia, gastralgia and pruritus can result from tinctures of this herb.
- Formulas for skin ailments, heart disease and uterine tumors frequently contain it.
- For Blood Stasis with Heat, it is the main herb.
- For skin problems, cataracts and angina pectoris, its extracts are used alone or together with one or two other herbs.
- It inhibits cancer cell growth.
- According to one report, Dan Shen speeds up the metastasis and hematogenous spread of cancer cells, while at the same time it enhances the effect of chemotherapy.
- It is reputed to nourish the mind, strengthen the willpower, unblock the Guan pulse and cure goiter and pyogenic infections.
- Dan Shen and Rz Chuanxiong Chuan Xiong both move Blood. Dan Shen invigorates and cools the Blood, clears Stagnation to relieve pain and calms irritability from Heat, whereas Chuan Xiong moves Qi within the Blood and expels External Wind.
- Dui Yao pair with Mu Dan Pi: for Blood Heat with hematemesis, epistaxis, metrorrhagia, purpura, rubella and pruritus; irregular menstruation or postpartum abdominal pain from Blood Heat causing Blood Stasis; continuous low-grade fever from Yin Deficiency; and hot, red, swollen, painful joints from Heat Bi.
From Class
- Ectopic/missed miscarriage: SP-6, SP-10, LI-4, GB-21: When the embryo has died, normally contraindicated points can activate the uterus; post-surgery Yunnan Baiyao, Dan Shen, Yi Mu Cao, Tao Ren reduce scarring. (Lewis)
- Blood movers: Dan Shen, Chuan Xiong, Hong Hua, Tao Ren, Mo Yao, Ru Xiang, Yu Jin: Pericardium-affinity blood invigorators; resins (myrrh, frankincense) help heal wounds inside the vessels. (Gioioso)
- Dan Shen and Ku Shen (five 'shen' roots): Ku Shen + Dan Shen invigorate blood to transform life's bitterness, for stuck liver blood (trauma, drinking to forget, dementia). (Yuen)
- Ripening the baby: Bai Shao, turtle shells, Dan Shen; 'ripen the baby' formula: Tonify qi and blood to fatten the baby (Bai Shao) and make it 'slippery' (turtle shells, Dan Shen) — relatively contraindicated earlier for that reason. (Lewis)