Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang: a classic prescription for boosting yang and relieving exterior symptoms, warming the meridians, promoting yang and dispelling cold
- Hongji Medical Group
- Mar 6
- 6 min read
Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang is a classic Chinese medicine prescription from the Han Dynasty, which comes from the Treatise on Febrile Diseases. The original text states: "For Shao Yin disease, when the patient develops fever and has a deep pulse at the beginning of the disease, Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang is the main treatment." This prescription is specifically for people with yang deficiency constitution who develop cold symptoms after being exposed to wind and cold. It belongs to the category of "Shao Yin disease" and is often accompanied by "Tai Yang disease" symptoms (exterior symptoms).
This prescription is mainly used to treat specific cold symptoms caused by people with yang deficiency who are exposed to wind and cold. The following will introduce the origin and background of the prescription, the explanation of the prescription, indications, efficacy, modern applications and precautions.
Explanation of the prescription of Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang
Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang is made up of three main herbs: Ma Huang, Fu Zi and Xi Xin. According to the theory of "monarch, minister, assistant and envoy" in traditional Chinese medicine, the division of labor of these three herbs is as follows:
Sovereign drug: Ephedra Ephedra has the effect of inducing sweating, dispelling cold. It can dispel the cold pathogen on the body surface by inducing sweating, and is the main herbal medicine for treating exogenous wind-cold.
Auxiliary drug: Aconite Aconite is pungent and hot in nature, and has the effects of warming the kidney meridian, dispelling cold, and replenishing yang. It can invigorate yang and drive away cold evil, and is particularly suitable for people with yang deficiency constitution.
Auxiliary drugs: Xixin Xixin belongs to the lung and kidney meridians. It has the characteristics of strong aromatic smell and good nature. It can clear the exterior and interior. It can dispel wind and cold, help ephedra to relieve the exterior, and stimulate the true yang qi in the kidney. The scope of action of Xixin is mainly in the Shaoyin meridian, which restricts the scope of action of ephedra.
The three herbs complement each other, dispersing the external wind and cold and maintaining the Yang Qi inside, thus achieving the effect of treating "cold both inside and outside".
Indications of Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang
The pathogenesis of Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang is mainly to treat the specific cold symptoms of people with yang deficiency constitution after being exposed to wind and cold . People with yang deficiency constitution have insufficient yang in the body and are easily invaded by external pathogens, resulting in external wind and cold symptoms.
In this case, the patient will have symptoms such as fever, sensitivity to cold, lukewarm or even cold limbs, headache, stuffy nose, sore throat, cough, body muscle aches, fatigue and lethargy, greasy or thin white tongue coating, and floating or tight pulse.
The main effect of Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang is to "boost Yang and relieve the symptoms of the exterior syndrome". It is mainly used to treat Yang deficiency, external wind-cold symptoms, fever, and fear of cold. This prescription can warm the meridians, promote Yang and dispel cold, and is particularly suitable for symptoms of cold evil blocking the body and insufficient Yang. Common symptoms include:
Pulse : Deep pulse
Tongue : Thin white tongue coating
Pain : body aches, migraine, headache, sore throat, toothache, hip pain, upper body side pain, limb joint pain, back pain, intercostal nerve pain, shoulder pain at the neck junction, fibromyalgia, anterior and lateral thigh pain, sciatica, calf pain
Symptoms : fever, asthma, fear of wind, fear of cold, fever and chills, white sputum, white nasal discharge, sneezing, itchy nose, runny nose, facial nerve paralysis, dizziness, nocturnal incontinence, difficulty sweating, cough, itchy skin
Efficacy of Ephedra and Aconite Decoction
This prescription achieves the effects of promoting yang and relieving exterior symptoms, warming the meridians, unblocking yang and dispersing cold through the mutual cooperation of ephedra, aconite and radix spatholobi. Ephedra has the effects of sweating, relieving exterior symptoms and dispersing cold, and can dispel the cold evil on the surface of the body; aconite is pungent and hot in nature, and has the effects of warming the kidney meridians, dispersing cold, and replenishing yang, and can invigorate yang and dispel cold evil; radix spatholobi has the characteristics of strong aromatic smell and good nature, and can clear the exterior and interior, can dispel wind and dissipate cold, help ephedra to resolve exterior symptoms, and can also stimulate the true yang qi in the kidney.
Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang can dispel the cold pathogen on the body surface through the sweating and relieving the exterior effects of Ma Huang, while Fu Zi's warming kidney and yang-boosting effects can invigorate the yang in the body, and Xi Xin can clear the exterior and interior, helping Ma Huang to relieve the exterior, thus achieving the effect of relieving the exterior and promoting yang. The three herbs complement each other, dispersing the wind and cold pathogen on the body surface and maintaining the yang in the body.
Therefore, the main effect of Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang is to "boost Yang and relieve the exterior symptoms", and it is particularly suitable for people with yang deficiency to use after being affected by wind and cold. It can not only treat the symptoms of wind and cold, but also warm the meridians, promote Yang and dispel cold, restore the balance of Yang in the body , and thus achieve the effect of treating "cold both inside and outside" .
When people with a yang deficiency are exposed to wind and cold, the yang in their bodies will be further damaged, leading to the blockage of cold evil and various pain and discomfort symptoms. The design of this prescription fully embodies the principle of TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment, and achieves the purpose of treating and preventing diseases by regulating the yang in the body and dispelling external evil.
Modern application of Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang
In modern clinical practice, this prescription is widely used to treat colds, flu, asthma, bronchitis, neurogenic headaches, heart disease, hypertension, early stage of acute nephritis, vascular neurogenic edema, nephritic edema, joint rheumatism, neuralgia, back pain, allergic rhinitis, urticaria, sudden muteness, sudden blindness, chronic cough, pharyngitis, bradycardia, measles complicated with pneumonia, kidney stones, edema, etc. Most of these diseases are related to cold evil obstruction and insufficient yang. Mahuang Fuzi Xixin Decoction can effectively relieve these symptoms and restore the balance of yang in the body by promoting yang and relieving the exterior, warming the meridians, promoting yang and dispersing cold, thereby achieving the purpose of treating and preventing diseases.
In modern clinical practice, Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang is widely used to treat a variety of diseases, including:
Respiratory diseases : colds, flu, asthma, bronchitis
Nervous system diseases : neurological headache, heart disease, hypertension, early stage of acute nephritis, vascular neuralgia, nephritic edema, joint rheumatism, neuralgia, back pain
Allergic diseases : allergic rhinitis, urticaria
Others : sudden muteness, sudden blindness, chronic cough, sore throat, bradycardia, measles complicated with pneumonia, kidney stones, edema
Notes
When using Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang, you need to pay attention to the following points:
Special circumstances of Yang deficiency constitution : If the Yang of Shaoyin is deficient and there are symptoms such as diarrhea, cold limbs, weak pulse, etc., then we should follow the principle of "first warm the inside, then attack the surface" proposed by Zhang Zhongjing. Otherwise, if the patient sweats incorrectly, it will lead to the dangerous symptoms of Yang loss, so we must be careful.
Time of taking : It is not recommended to take ephedra at night because it will cause excitement and insomnia.
Frequent urination : Frequent urination is a normal reaction after taking Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang.
Conclusion
Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang is a classic Chinese medicine prescription that is specifically used to treat specific cold symptoms in people with yang deficiency who are exposed to wind and cold. This prescription achieves the effects of promoting yang and relieving exterior symptoms, warming the meridians, promoting yang and dispersing cold through the mutual cooperation of Ma Huang, Fu Zi and Xi Xin. In modern clinical practice, this prescription is widely used to treat a variety of diseases, showing its wide application value. However, when using this prescription, it is necessary to pay attention to the special circumstances of yang deficiency constitution and follow the principle of syndrome differentiation and treatment in traditional Chinese medicine to ensure efficacy and safety.
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