Tian Zhu Huang - 天竺黃 - Concretio Bambusae Silicea - Bamboo Sugar

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Concretio Bambusae Silicea
Common English:	Bamboo Sugar Phylostachys Siliceous Secretions of Bamboo Tabasheer

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Sweet	Cold	Gallbladder Heart Liver (Lung)	3-10g Taken Straight: 0.6-1.2g Powder: 0.7-1g Tincture: 1-3ml

Actions

Indications/Syndromes

Clears and transforms Phlegm-Heat

Phlegm-Heat in the Lungs with difficult-to-expectorate sputum

Clears Heat, cools the Heart and settles convulsions and tremors

Spasms and convulsions, aphasia or loss of consciousness due to Phlegm-Heat

Wind-Stroke with Phlegm obstruction and gurgling sounds in the throat

Childhood convulsions and spasms associated with Phlegm-Heat

CONTRAINDICATIONS

INCOMPATIBILITIES

HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum Zhi Ban Xia	Arisaemae cum Bile Dan Nan Xing	Bombyx Batryticatus Jiang Can
Coughing, difficult-to-expectorate sputum and chest pain due to Phlegm-Heat. Convulsions and spasms associated with Phlegm-Heat. Clears Heat, dries Dampness, dislodges Phlegm, calms the Spirit for internal retention of Damp Heat with deep-seated, difficult-to-expectorate sputum, nausea, a stifling sensation in the chest and insomnia or restless sleep.	Febrile convulsions in children with wheezing caused by Phlegm-Heat Blocking the Lungs.	Convulsions, delirium and loss of consciousness accompanied by cough and respiratory difficulty due to Wind, Heat and Phlegm, especially for childhood convulsions.
Bombyx Batryticatus Jiang Can Fr. Gardeniae Zhi Zi Rx. Curcumae Yu Jin	Rz. Acori Tatarinowii Shi Chang Pu Rz. Gastrodiae Tian Ma Scorpio Quan Xie (Arisaemae cum Bile) (Dan Nan Xing)
Convulsions, delirium and loss of consciousness accompanied by cough and respiratory difficulty due to Wind, Heat and Phlegm, especially for childhood convulsions with a stronger effect.	Coma associated with Heat and Wind-Stroke with Phlegm Obstruction.

It is frequently combined with other Wind-Phlegm herbs for adult stroke patients whose speech is impaired.
It also nourishes the Heart, calms the spirit, and controls anxiety and palpitations.
It can treat infantile epilepsy and convulsions from high fever.
Tian Zhu Huang and Succus Bambusae Zhu Li function similarly. Zhu Li acts faster, enters the channels and collaterals directly, is colder and more slippery, and concentrates on dislodging Phlegm and keeping the Orifices open. Tian Zhu Huang acts more slowly, calms the Spirit and controls anxiety and palpitations.
Tian Zhu Huang, Caul. Akebiae Mu Tong, Rx. Ophiopogonis Mai Men Dong and Rz. Coptidis Huang Lian each clear the Heart and relieve irritability. Tian Zhu Huang dissolves Hot Phlegm and works best for irritability accompanied by spasms and convulsions. Mu Tong clears Damp-Heat, relieving irritability with yellow urine and oral ulcers. Mai Men Dong nourishes deficient Heart Yin and addresses Heat that shows up as irritability and insomnia. Huang Lian treats febrile disease in which Excess Fire in the Heart disturbs the Shen, presenting as irritability and insomnia.

Hot-phlegm herb groups: Fritillaria, Trichosanthes, bamboo, seaweed: Hot-phlegm herbs: Chuan Bei Mu nourishes yin (Zhe Bei Mu doesn't), Gua Lou unbinds the chest, bamboos quiet the heart, seaweeds soften phlegm masses (goiter, scrofula). (Yuen)
Phlegm herbs: Ban Xia, Tian Nan Xing, Bai Fu Zi (warming); Zhe Bei Mu, Tian Zhu Huang, Zhu Li (cooling): Choose warm vs cool phlegm herbs by the heat picture. (Shea)
Tian Zhu Huang (wind-hot phlegm) & Tian Nan Xing (wind-cold phlegm): When phlegm displaces with wind to joints, tendons or spine, use Tian Zhu Huang for wind-hot phlegm and Tian Nan Xing for wind-cold phlegm. (Yuen)
Tian Zhu Huang / Tian Hua Fen: Hot-phlegm herbs that unbind the chest, open the lungs and promote forgiveness for the dying. (Yuen)