Ma Huang Gen - 麻黃根 - Radix Ephedrae

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Radix Ephedrae
Common English:	Ephedra Root

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Sweet (Acrid)	Neutral	Lungs (Heart)	3-10g Tincture: 1-3ml

Actions

Indications/Syndromes

Stops sweat due to Deficiency

Sweating due to Qi Deficiency

Nightsweats due to Yin Deficiency

Postpartum sweating

CONTRAINDICATIONS

INCOMPATIBILITIES

HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

Rx. Astragali Huang Qi Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Dang Gui	Fr. Schisandrae Wu Wei Zi Sm. Platycladi Bai Zi Ren Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang Or Sm. Platycladi Bai Zi Ren Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang	Fr. Schisandrae Wu Wei Zi Concha Ostreae Mu Li Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang Fr. Corni Shan Zhu Yu Fossilia Ossis Mastodi Long Gu
Unrelenting spontaneous sweating	Nightsweats	Nightsweats or postpartum sweating
Concha Ostreae Mu Li Rx. Astragali Huang Qi	Concha Ostreae Mu Li	Fossilia Ossis Mastodi Long Gu
Spontaneous sweating which is worse at night	Ground up and applied to the abdomen for unrelenting postpartum sweating	With Duan Long Gu, for pathological sweating due to Deficiency causing disharmony between the Ying and Wei.
Rx. Astragali Huang Qi Sm. Tritici Levis Fu Xiao Mai
Spontaneous sweating

Hb. Ephedrae Ma Huang promotes sweating, whereas Rx. Ephedrae Ma Huang Gen stops it.
Ma Huang Gen and Concha Ostreae Mu Li both restrain and inhibit sweating linked to Deficiency of the Qi and Yin. Ma Huang Gen stops sweating by holding back outward discharge, and this is its only action. Mu Li is heavy; it inhibits the Yin and anchors the Yang, making it particularly suited to Yin Deficiency night sweats. It calms the Spirit as well.
Ma Huang Gen and Fr. Tritici Levis Fu Xiao Mai both stop sweating and are frequently combined for spontaneous sweating and night sweats. Fu Xiao Mai stops sweating by augmenting Qi and clearing Heat, whereas Ma Huang Gen works by astringing. It cannot tonify Qi, cool the Heart or clear Heat.