What medication is effective for stomach “heat”?

Gastric “fire” (a traditional Chinese medicine concept referring to excessive heat in the stomach) can be treated with oral medications such as Sanhuang Tablets, Huanglian Shangqing Tablets, and Niuhuang Jiedu Pills, under a physician’s guidance. These medications help reduce gastric heat.

1. Sanhuang Tablets: Composed primarily of Scutellaria baicalensis (Huangqin), Coptis chinensis (Huanglian), and Rheum palmatum (Dahuang), these tablets possess heat-clearing, detoxifying, and laxative properties. They are commonly used to alleviate symptoms associated with gastric fire and are effective in clearing excess heat.

2. Huanglian Shangqing Tablets: This formula contains Rhubarb (Dahuang), Coptis chinensis (Huanglian), Gardenia jasminoides (Zhizi), Scutellaria baicalensis (Huangqin), Chrysanthemum morifolium (Ju Hua), Forsythia suspensa (Lian Qiao), Mentha haplocalyx (Bo He), and Platycodon grandiflorus (Jie Geng). As a heat-clearing herbal preparation, it functions to clear heat, promote bowel movement, dispel wind, and relieve pain. It is particularly effective for constipation and dark-yellow or reddish urine caused by gastric fire.

3. Niuhuang Jiedu Pills: Containing gypsum, rhubarb, scutellaria, borneol, licorice, and artificial bezoar, these pills exert potent heat-clearing and detoxifying effects. They are indicated for symptoms such as sore throat and constipation resulting from excessive gastric heat.