Huang Qi - 黄芪 - Radix Astragali - Astragalus Root - Milk Vetch
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Radix Astragali |
| Common English: | Astragalus Root / Milkvetch root Milk-Vetch Root |
Category
Herbs that Tonify QiProperties
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
| Sweet | Slightly Warm (Lukewarm) | Lung Spleen | 9-30g Exceptional cases: 30-60g Tincture: 2-4ml 9-15g (up to 30g) (Secondary source) |
Actions And Indications
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Tonifies Qi and Blood | Postpartum fever due to Qi and Blood Deficiency Recovery from severe Blood loss |
Strengthens the Spleen and raises the Yang Qi of the Spleen and Stomach | Spleen Qi Deficiency with anorexia, fatigue and diarrhea Central Qi Sinking (prolapse) Lung and Spleen Qi Deficiency Qi Failing to contain Blood Qi and Blood Deficiency Fever from Qi Deficiency |
Tonifies Wei Qi, stabilizes the Exterior and tonifies the Lungs (aids the circulation of moisture downward from the face) | Wei Qi Deficiency with spontaneous sweating Lung Qi Deficiency with frequent colds or shortness of breath Excessive sweating associated with Qi, Yang or Yin Deficiency Dampness in the head |
Promotes urination and reduces edema | Spleen Deficiency edema or superficial edema with reduced urination (It can be used as a stand-alone herb for this) |
| Promotes the discharge of pus, generates flesh and expels toxins | Chronic ulcerations and sores that either have trouble forming pus or have formed pus but are not draining well |
| Generates Body Fluids | Wasting and thirsting disorder Bi Syndrome with numbness of the limbs and paralysis |
| Relieves numbness and pain | Numbness and pain due to Deficiency of Qi and Blood |
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. Ginseng Or Rx. Codonopsis | Rx. Aconiti Lateralis Preparata | Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae |
Qi Deficiency with general debility, anorexia, fatigue, tired extremities and spontaneous sweating. | Yang Deficiency with spontaneous sweat. | Spleen Qi Deficiency with weakness, lassitude and loose stools. |
| Arillus Longan | Rx. Angelicae Sinensis | Rx. Notoginseng |
Insomnia and other signs of Qi and Blood Deficiency. | Blood Deficiency due to hemorrhage with fatigue, low grade fever, irritability and thirst in patients with a weak pulse due to Qi and Blood Deficiency. Qi and Blood Deficiency with chronic non-healing sores, numbness, painful obstruction and paresthesia. | Bleeding due to Qi Deficiency. |
| Rz. Cimicifugae | Rx. Codonopsis | Rx. Saposhnikoviae |
Spleen Qi Sinking with rectal and/or uterine prolapse or excessive uterine bleeding. | Spleen and Lung Qi Deficiency. | Wei Qi Deficiency with spontaneous sweating. |
Concha Ostreae | Rx. Ophiopogonis | Rx. Rehmanniae |
Sweating that occurs during the day but worsens at night. | Night sweats. | Yin Deficiency with night sweats. |
Rx. Stephaniae Tetrandrae | Rx. Stephaniae Tetrandrae | Rx. Stephaniae Tetrandrae |
Wind edema with sweating, heavy sensations of the body and aversion to Wind. | Edema and proteinuria from chronic nephritis. | Superficial floating edema with swelling of the extremities. |
Squama Manitis | Rx. Angelicae Sinensis | Rx. Stephaniae Tetrandrae |
Yin type suppurative sores that do not perforate or only produce a thin clear discharge. | Flat sores that do not pustulate or ulcers that do not heal. | Wind edema with numbness, pain, swelling of the face and extremities, sweating, sensitivity to Wind and reduced urination. |
Rx. Dioscoreae | Ram. Cinnamomi | Rx. et Rz. Notopterygii |
Wasting and Thirsting Disorder. | Qi and Blood Deficiency and Ying and Wei Deficiency with numbness and painful obstruction of the musculature. | Wind-Damp painful obstruction of the shoulder. |
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis | Rx. Codonopsis | Cx. Lycii |
Sequelae of Windstroke with Qi Deficiency and Blood Stasis. | Side effects of chemotherapy or radiation in cancer patients. | Counteracts the side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. |
Ganoderma | Rz. Cimicifugae | Sm. Tritici Levis |
Increases phagocytosis. | Raises the Yang Qi of the Spleen, allowing turbid Yin to descend and be eliminated, treating chronic diarrhea, a dragging sensation in the abdomen, fatigue, shortness of breath, uterine bleeding and prolapses. | Treats spontaneous sweating due to Qi Deficiency and night sweats due to Yin Deficiency. |
Poria | Yang Tonics | Rx. Ginseng |
Loose stools or diarrhea due to Spleen Deficiency. | Spleen Yang Deficiency. | Qi and Blood Deficiency with shortness of breath, and a pale face. |
Hb. Schizonepetae | Ganoderma | Rx. Angelicae Sinensis |
Hematemesis, hematochezia, and profuse menstrual bleeding from leakage of Blood due to Spleen Not Governing Blood. | Qi Deficiency due to chemotherapy and radiation. | Qi and Blood collapse (use 60-120g Huan Qi). |
Concha Ostreae | Rx. Aconiti Lateralis Preparata | Rx. Rehmanniae |
Spontaneous perspiration due to Exterior Deficiency. | Profuse perspiration and extreme fatigue due to Yang Deficiency. | Night sweats due to Qi and Yin Deficiency. |
Squama Manitis | Rx. Ginseng | Rx. Angelicae Sinensis |
Chronic non-ulcerating sores with pus. | Chronic sores with underlying Deficiency. | Flat chronic sores and non-healing ulcers. |
Rx. Ginseng | Ram. Cinnamomi | Rx. et Rz. Notopterygii |
Qi Deficiency lesions in children. | Skin and muscle numbness and pain due to Qi and Blood Deficiency. | Numbness and pain in the extremities due to Wind-Dampness Invasion with Disharmony between the Ying and Wei. |
Extremitas Radicis Angelicae Sinensis | Rx. Dioscoreae | |
Post-stroke complications. | Wasting and Thirsting with Interior Heat. |
Notes
- Because it stabilizes the exterior, it can bring about a therapeutic sweat when diaphoretics have failed.
- Qi Stagnation may result from its use.
- It is reported to cure infantile diseases.
- Research shows that it inhibits cancer cell growth.
- Roasted with honey, it is reported to cure Deficiency Syndrome; with milk, stomach disorders; with millet broth, gastric Deficiency; with salt water, it removes toxicity; and with wine, it warms the Stomach and heals dysentery.
- Used raw, it clears Heart Heat and Deficiency Heat and treats sores and ulcers.
- Combined with CX. Mori Sang Bai Pi, it disperses Qi Stagnation.
- To treat furuncle, subcutaneous ulcer, carbuncle of the back, appendicitis, mastitis, swelling of unknown origin, sudden severe pain, and high fever with aversion to Cold from Exogenous invasion, grind 150g Huang Qi with 150g Flos Lonicerae Jin Yin Hua, 36g Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Dang Gui and 30g Rx. Glycyrrhizae Gan Cao. Decoct 6g of the powder in 1 1/2 cups of wine and reduce it to 1 cup. When the disease is in the upper body, take it after meals; when it is in the lower body, take it before meals, then again shortly after the first dose.
- For Blood Deficiency it is superior to Rx. Codonopsis Dang Shen.
- It enhances the action of other herbs, particularly those that build overall energy, digestion, Blood production and Blood circulation.
- Huang Qi and Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen both tonify the primal Qi. Huang Qi additionally supports the Yang and suits disorders involving sinking of the clear Qi. It also stops sweating, promotes the discharge of pus, generates flesh and promotes urination, none of which Ren Shen is able to do. Ren Shen, for its part, generates fluids, and its tonic action is stronger and more lasting than that of Huang Qi.
- Dry-fried Astragalus Chao Huang Qi warms and tonifies the Spleen more strongly.
- Wine-fried Astragalus Jiu Chao Huang Qi reaches the exterior more readily and can tonify without being cloying. It is also better at treating Qi Deficiency with Cold, for example wheezing from Qi Deficiency with Cold in the Lungs, or diarrhea from Qi Deficiency with Cold in the Stomach.
- Honey-prepared Astragalus Mi Zhi Huang Qi lets Huang Qi move inward to lift the clear Qi of the Middle Jiao. It is also mildly moistening and suits cases involving Blood Deficiency or Spleen Dryness.
From Class
- Huang Qi raw vs toasted: Raw dried Huang Qi ascends qi and stops sweating; it only tonifies qi when toasted/roasted. (Yuen)
- Immune herbs: Huang Qi, Ren Shen, Bai Zhu: Fu zheng therapy (used mostly in cancer) builds the immune system with herbs like astragalus, ginseng and white atractylodes. (Yuen)
- Bu Yang Huan Wu Tang (hemiplegia): A large dose of Huang Qi raises qi to move blood to the brain, with Dang Gui Wei, Chi Shao, Di Long, Chuan Xiong, Tao Ren, Hong Hua; graduate Huang Qi 30→60 g. (Gioioso)