Mai Men Dong - 麦门冬 - Radix Ophiopogonis
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Radix Ophiopogonis Tuber Ophiopogonis |
| Common English: | Creeping Lily-Turf Root Dwarf Lily-Turf Root Ophiopogon Tuber |
Category
Herbs that Tonify YinProperties
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
| Sweet Slightly Bitter | Slightly Cold (Cool) | Heart | 6-15g Tincture: 2-4ml |
Actions And Indications
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Moistens the Lungs, nourishes Yin and stops coughing | Lung Yin Deficiency with a hacking, dry cough or a cough with thick, difficult to expectorate sputum, or hemoptysis Pathogenic Warm-Dryness Dryness that has transformed into Fire |
Nourishes Stomach Yin and generates Fluids | Stomach Yin Deficiency with dry mouth and tongue |
Moistens the Intestines | Constipation, dry mouth and irritability as a result of febrile disease or Yin Deficiency |
Clears the Heart and eliminates irritability | Ying Stage Heat with fever and irritability which is worse at night Yin Deficiency with fever and irritability which is worse at night |
Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions
| CONTRAINDICATIONS |
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| INCOMPATIBILITIES |
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| HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
Major Combinations
| Gypsum Fibrosum | Rz. Anemarrhenae | Rz. Anemarrhenae |
Warm-Dryness Injuring the Lungs with a fever, coughing, wheezing and fullness and pain in the chest and lower rib areas. | Pathogenic Dryness that has transformed into Fire with coughing of thick, viscous, yellow sputum with chest pain and possible hemoptysis. | Significant hemoptysis. |
| Rx. Asparagi | Rx. Scrophulariae | Rx. Scrophulariae |
Lung and Kidney Yin Deficiency with consumptive coughing and occasional hemoptysis. | As a tea for an itchy, dry throat, thirst and a nonproductive cough due to Lung Yin Deficiency. | Those with Yin Deficiency constitution who develop a swollen, painful diphtheria disorder after contracting an epidemic toxin. |
| Rx. Adenophorae/Glehniae | Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum | Fr. Mume |
Insufficient Stomach Yin from Yang Ming Stage or Qi Level disease with profuse sweating, especially if purging was used. | Chronic, dry, non-productive cough due to Lung Yin Deficiency. | Upper or Middle Jiao wasting and thirsting disorder with intense Dryness of the throat and an unquenchable thirst. |
Rx. Rehmanniae | Rx. Ginseng | Rx. Astragali |
Thirst, constipation, irritability and a low-grade fever due to Stomach Yin Deficiency in the aftermath of warm febrile disease where the fluids have been injured. | Profuse sweating, wheezing, increased Heart rate and exhaustion due to severe Deficiency of the Heart and Lungs. Symptoms associated with excessive loss of fluids in Summerheat disorders. Qi and Yin Deficiency with fatigue, shortness of breath thirst and dry mouth. | Irritability due to severe loss of fluids due to sweating. |
Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae | Rx. Adenophorae/Glehniae | Rx. Asparagi |
Irritability and insomnia due to Yin Deficiency. | Dry cough with little Phlegm and a parched throat due to Lung Dryness or Heat injuring the Lung Yin. Dry throat, constipation, thirst and a red tongue with little coat due to pathogenic Warmth or Heat injuring the Stomach Yin or long-term Yin Deficiency. | Fire and Dryness in the Lungs with coughing with Blood and/or thick yellow difficult-to-expectorate sputum, and chest pain. |
Rx. Rehmanniae | Rx. Rehmanniae | Rz. Bletillae |
Sore throat with epistaxis, hematemesis or Blood-streaked sputum due to Yin Deficiency with Excess Heat. | Loss of voice, dry throat and thirst. | Lung and Kidney Yin Deficiency with excessive hemoptysis. |
Sm. Cannabis | Rx. Rehmanniae | Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum |
Post-febrile disease with constipation. | Hematemesis or epistaxis due to Yin Deficiency with Excess Heat. | Stomach Yin Deficiency with hiccups and vomiting. |
Rx. Panacis Quinquefolii | Rz. Coptidis | Rz. Coptidis |
Xiao Ke syndrome with extreme thirst. | Xiao Ke syndrome with Heat and thirst. | Heart Yin and Blood Deficiency with Heat, with insomnia, palpitations, irritability and nigh fever or restless sleep. |
Rx. Rehmanniae | Hb. Phylostachys Nigra | Rx. Rehmanniae |
Heat in the Ying Stage with nocturnal fever, irritability and insomnia. | Qi and Blood Deficiency caused by chronic febrile disorder with irritability, and insomnia. | Yin and Blood Deficiency with restlessness, irritability, insomnia palpitations, fatigue and a red tongue with little coat. |
Sm. Platycladi | Rx. Scrophulariae | |
Disharmony between the Heart and Kidneys with insomnia, forgetfulness, night sweats and palpitations. | Constipation. |
Notes
- It is frequently combined with Rx. Asparagi Tian Men Dong (syrup).
- Any syndrome that damages the fluids (Jin Ye) can be treated with it.
- According to some sources, it resolves Phlegm.
- Rx. Trichosanthis Tian Huan Fen, Tub. Ophiopogonis Japonici Mai Men Dong, and Tub. Asparagi Tian Men Dong each Clear Heat and moisten the Lungs. Tian Huan Fen is the best choice for Lung Heat arising from Stomach Heat, Mai Men Dong for Lung Heat arising from Heart Fire, and Tian Men Dong for Lung Dryness arising from Kidney Yin Deficiency.
- Mai Men Dong and Rx. Glehniae/Adenophorae Sha Shen both nourish Yin, moisten Dryness, augment the Stomach, generate fluids, nourish Lung Yin and clear Lung Heat. Compared with Sha Shen, Mai Men Dong is heavier, moister and more compact, and it generates Stomach fluids more effectively. Sha Shen is lighter and more powerful for clearing Lung Heat and nourishing Lung Yin, but it is unable to clear the Heart or calm irritability.
- Mai Men Dong and Rx. Asparagi Tian Men Dong both nourish Lung Yin, moisten Dryness and stop coughs, and they are combined for dry coughs with Blood-tinged sputum, thirst from injured Yin and constipation due to Intestinal Dryness. Mai Men Dong is only slightly cold and nourishes Yin less, yet it is less greasy and cloying than Tian Men Dong and can relieve irritability, which Tian Men Dong cannot. Tian Men Dong is very cold and clears Heat and moistens Dryness more strongly. It also enriches Kidney Yin, something Mai Men Dong cannot do.
- Ophiopogonis Succus Sheng Mai Men Dong Zhi is very cold and strongly clears Heat, cools the Blood and stops bleeding.
- Prepared Ophiopogon Zhi Mai Dong is less cooling and less cloying, so it nourishes Yin without obstructing digestion. It suits people with Lung or Stomach Yin Deficiency whose digestion is easily upset.
- Center-retained Ophiopogon Lian Xin Mai Dong nourishes Yin, generates fluids, unblocks the blood vessels and opens the Heart Orifices.
- Cinnabar Ophiopogon Zha Mai Dong calms the Spirit more strongly and is used for Heart Yin Deficiency with irritability, mania and delirium.
- Also known as Mai Dong.
- Dui Yao pair with Xuan Shen: for wasting and thirsting disorder (Xiao Ke, diabetes) with a dry mouth and throat, a red tongue and a scanty tongue coat. Used together in Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan.
From Class
- Mai Men Dong / Zhi Mu / Lu Gen: For hydration with downward movement: Mai Men Dong generates stomach fluid and descends (12 g); Zhi Mu and Lu Gen promote urination; Ge Gen rejected as it rises. (Yuen)
- Fu zheng therapy (support upright qi): Fu zheng: tonify wei qi in strong patients or postnatal qi in weak ones, then clear fire toxins, then nourish fluids/stomach yin to flush toxins. (Yuen)