BA ZHENG SAN BP040 Dianthus Combination TCM ACTIONS ACTIONS OF THE MAIN HERBS Clears Damp-Heat from the Bladder and promotes urination, alleviates dysuria. • Dianthus herb is used orally in formulas to treat dysuria, kidney stones and amenorrhoea. It has been shown to promote diuresis and reduce inflammation and smooth muscular spasm. TCM SYNDROMES Bladder Damp-Heat INDICATIONS Cystitis, urethritis, pyelonephritis, acute prostatitis. SIGNS & SYMPTOMS (key clinical features in bold) Dysuria Urinary frequency Urinary urgency Yellow or dark coloured urine Oliguria or retention of urine Dry mouth and throat Bitter taste in the mouth • Plantago seed is used orally in formulas to treat dysuria and oedema, vaginal discharge, diarrhoea, and various eye disorders. It has been shown to have diuretic and antimicrobial actions. DOSAGE & COURSE OF TREATMENT 8 - 12 pills, 3 times daily, half to one hour away from food. In severe cases and in the early stages of treatment (first 1 – 2 weeks) the dosage may be increased by 50 - 100%. Course of treatment: 2 – 6 weeks CAUTIONS & CONTRAINDICATIONS Avoid hot spices, deep-fried food. Caution with patients on: diuretics, non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), cardiotonic glycosides, antiarrhythmic drugs, laxatives. Red tongue with a yellow coat that may also be greasy Slippery and rapid pulse INGREDIENTS Each pill contains extract equiv. to dry: Plantago major, seed (che qian zi) 58.5mg Polygonum avicularis, herb (bian xu)58.5mg Dianthus superbus, herb (qu mai)58.5mg Gardenia jasminoides, fruit (shan zhi zi)58.5mg Tetrapanax papyrifer, pith (tong cao)53.3mg Juncus effusus, medulla (deng xin cao)29.3mg Talc (hua shi)27.3mg 1 BP040 BA ZHENG SAN CLINICAL GUIDE – Black Pearl® Pill Range www.sunherbal.com 4th Edition COMBINATIONS • Acute urinary tract infection (to improve efficacy): + Long Dan Xie Gan Wan (Gentiana Formula BP016) • Acute prostatitis: + Si Miao Yong An Wan (Lonicera & Scrophularia Formula BP059) + Yin Chen Hao Wan – Jia Wei (Artemisia & Rhubarb Combination BP065) + Qian Lie Xian Wan (Rubus, Rosa & Rehmannia Formula BP078) • Urinary tract infection with water swelling (oedema): + Wu Ling San (Hoelen Five Formula BP063) • Recurring condition, to prevent recurrence + Yu Ping Feng San (Jade Screen Formula BP037) COMMENTS BA ZHENG SAN BP040 This formula is from the ‘Formulary of the Tai Ping Welfare Dispensary Bureau’ (tai ping hui min he ji ju fang), 1151 CE, a compilation of popular and effective formulas that were used in the public dispensaries of the Song dynastic period. It was developed to treat ‘lin’ syndrome - dysuria or stranguria - syndrome caused by a combination of Damp and Heat in the Urinary Bladder. It is commonly used as a base formula for treating cystitis and urethritis. The formula is specific for disorders of the urinary tract due to Damp-Heat, and thus has a focused, although limited, range of clinical applications, as described above. The synergistic actions of the ingredients are as follows: • Plantago seed (che qian zi), Polygonum herb (bian xu), Dianthus herb (qu mai), Talc (hua shi): clear Damp-Heat, promote diuresis. • Gardenia fruit (shan zhi zi): clears Damp-Heat from the Triple Jiao and promotes diuresis • Tetrapanax pith (tong cao), Juncus medulla (deng xin cao): clear Damp-Heat and promote diuresis, overcome the stagnation caused by the retained pathogens and unblock the fluid pathways, alleviate dysuria. 2 BP040 BA ZHENG SAN CLINICAL GUIDE – Black Pearl® Pill Range www.sunherbal.com 4th Edition