What are the Chinese patent medicines that soothe the liver, benefit the gallbladder, strengthen the spleen, and harmonize the stomach?

Dec 09, 2025 Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Sun Lianqing
Introduction
There are various types of Chinese patent medicines that have the effects of soothing the liver and promoting bile secretion, as well as strengthening the spleen and harmonizing the stomach. These generally include Xiaoyao Pills, Chaihu Shugan Pills, Xiangsha Liu Jun Pills, and Zhishi Daizhi Pills. Among them, the core functions of Xiaoyao Pills are to soothe the liver, strengthen the spleen, nourish the blood, and regulate menstruation. With a mild nature, it can effectively relieve symptoms such as chest and rib distension, dizziness, vertigo, and poor appetite caused by liver qi stagnation and spleen deficiency. It is particularly suitable for individuals experiencing emotional distress accompanied by spleen and stomach weakness.

There are various types of traditional Chinese patent medicines that have the effects of soothing the liver and promoting bile secretion, strengthening the spleen, and regulating the stomach. These generally include Xiaoyao Pills, Chaihu Shugan Pills, Xiangsha Liu Jun Pills, Muxiang Shunqi Pills, and Zhishi Daozhi Pills. A detailed analysis is as follows:

1. **Xiaoyao Pills**: The primary effects are soothing the liver, strengthening the spleen, nourishing blood, and regulating menstruation. With a mild nature, it effectively relieves symptoms caused by liver qi stagnation and spleen deficiency, such as distending pain in the chest and hypochondrium, dizziness, vertigo, and poor appetite. It is suitable for individuals experiencing emotional distress accompanied by spleen and stomach weakness.

2. **Chaihu Shugan Pills**: Mainly used to soothe the liver, regulate qi, relieve abdominal distension and pain, while also strengthening the spleen and harmonizing the stomach. It significantly alleviates discomforts such as epigastric distension and pain, belching, acid regurgitation, nausea, and vomiting due to liver qi stagnation and disharmony of the spleen and stomach. Suitable for individuals with evident qi stagnation.

3. **Xiangsha Liu Jun Pills**: Primarily strengthens qi, fortifies the spleen, and harmonizes the stomach, while also regulating qi and relieving fullness. It improves symptoms caused by spleen deficiency with qi stagnation, such as indigestion, belching, reduced food intake, and epigastric fullness. Ideal for those with spleen-stomach deficiency accompanied by impaired digestive function.

4. **Muxiang Shunqi Pills**: Functions to regulate qi, resolve dampness, strengthen the spleen, and harmonize the stomach. It helps eliminate damp turbidity and regulate qi flow, relieving symptoms such as chest and diaphragm stuffiness, epigastric and abdominal pain, nausea, and poor appetite caused by dampness obstruction and spleen-stomach disharmony. Suitable for individuals with internal dampness accompanied by qi stagnation.

5. **Zhishi Daozhi Pills**: Possesses the effects of eliminating food accumulation, guiding stagnation, clearing heat, and resolving dampness. It improves symptoms such as epigastric and abdominal pain, constipation, and dysentery with tenesmus caused by food retention and internal accumulation of damp-heat. Recommended for individuals with food stagnation transforming into heat and impaired spleen-stomach qi movement.

These Chinese patent medicines should be selected based on individual pattern differentiation; blind use should be avoided. If symptoms do not improve or worsen after taking the medicine, the treatment plan should be adjusted promptly.