Yan Hu Suo - 延胡索 - Rhizoma Corydalis
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Rhizoma Corydalis |
| Common English: | Corydalis Rhizome |
Category
Herbs that Regulate Blood: Herbs that Invigorate BloodProperties
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
| Acrid Bitter | Warm | Heart Liver Stomach (Lung) (Spleen) (Pericardium) | 3-12g Maximum dosage: 20g Tincture: 2-4ml 3-9g (Secondary source) |
Actions And Indications
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Circulates Qi, Disperses extravasation, Invigorates the Blood, Stops pain | Any type of pain affecting the chest, abdomen or limbs including that caused by Blood Stagnation, Qi Stagnation and traumatic injury Especially useful for epigastric pain and dysmenorrhea |
Induces and prolongs sleep | Insomnia |
Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions
| CONTRAINDICATIONS |
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| INCOMPATIBILITIES |
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| HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
Major Combinations
| Faeces Trogopterori | Rz. Cyperi | Rx. Curcumae |
Chest and abdominal pain due to Blood Stagnation. | Dysmenorrhea from Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis. | Chest and hypochondriac pain from Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis. |
Rx. Chuanxiong | Fr. Foeniculi | Ram. Cinnamomi |
Body aches and headaches due to Blood Stagnation. | Abdominal pain and hernias due to Qi and Blood Stasis due to Cold. | Dysmenorrhea due to Cold in the Blood. Generalized pain that is more intense in the extremities from Wind-Cold entering the collaterals. |
| Fr. Toosendan | Flos Lonicerae | Olibanum |
Flank and upper right quadrant pain. Epigastric and abdominal pain. | Abdominal pain from Intestinal Abscess. | Pain due to trauma. |
Rx. Salviae Miltiorrhizae | Rx. Salviae Miltiorrhizae | Rz. Cyperi |
Coronary artery disease, angina and chest pain. | Irregular heartbeat. | Treats a wide range of applications from Liver Qi Stagnation to deep Blood Stasis and a wide variety of pain anywhere in the body including chest pain, distending pain in the breast, Cold pain in the epigastrium, pain due to bulging disorders in the lower body and dysmenorrhea from Qi and Blood Stagnation. |
Rz. Alpiniae Officinarum | Rx. Aucklandiae | Rx. Angelicae Sinensis |
Abdominal pain due to cold and Blood Stagnation. | Abdominal fullness and pain due to Qi Stagnation. | Amenorrhea or menstrual pain due to Qi and Blood Stagnation. |
Rz. Zingiberis | Ram. Cinnamomi | Hb. Taxilli |
Amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea due to Cold and Blood Stagnation. | Pain of the upper extremities. | Pain in the lower extremities. |
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis | ||
Palpable masses in the abdomen. |
Notes
- Given the right combinations, it is widely used for pain of every type.
- It is safe for long-term use.
- It frequently appears in formulas for abdominal pain.
- It is a relative of the opium poppy.
- It promotes the movement of Qi within the Blood.
- For severe epigastric and chest pain, it can be used by itself.
- It is used for coronary artery deficiency with hypertension, angina and myocardial infarction.
- Rx. Curcumae Yu Jin is acrid, bitter and cold and enters the Heart, Lung and Liver channels to disperse, drain and cool Heat. Entering the Blood, it moves Qi within the Blood, thereby cooling Heart Blood, breaking up Stagnation, stopping pain, soothing the Liver, facilitating Gallbladder function and reducing jaundice. It is used for Liver Stagnation transforming into Fire, and for Blood Heat causing Stasis and jaundice. Yan Hu Suo moves Qi and stops pain more strongly but is weaker at cooling Heart Blood and relieving constraint.
- Rz. Curcumae Longae Jiang Huang is bitter, acrid and warm, enters the Spleen, Stomach and Liver channels, and breaks up Blood Stasis more strongly than Yan Hu Suo. It also expels Wind and treats Wind-Damp Bi, which Yan Hu Suo does not do.
- Yan Hu Suo, Faeces Trogopterori Wu Ling Zhi, Olibanum Ru Xiang and Myrrh Mo Yao each invigorate the Blood and stop pain. Yan Hu Suo relieves pain most strongly, Wu Ling Zhi is slightly weaker, and Ru Xiang and Mo Yao follow.
- Dry-fried Corydalis Chao Yan Hu Suo regulates the flow of Qi and Blood and is used for milder menstrual irregularity or a dull ache in the epigastrium from clumped Qi in the Spleen and Stomach.
- Vinegar-fried Corydalis Cu Chao Yan Hu Suo enters the Liver channel and is better at regulating menstruation and stopping pain, so it is used for gynecological disorders, especially dysmenorrhea.
- Wine-fried Corydalis Jiu Chao Yan Hu Suo ascends to the head, descends, and reaches both the surface and the interior.
- Salt-fried Corydalis Yan Chao Yan Hu Suo acts mainly downward and is used for pain associated with bulging disorders.