Is it appropriate to take Chaihu Shugan Pills for liver qi stagnation, spleen deficiency, and phlegm-dampness?
Disease description:
I recently always felt chest tightness and shortness of breath, with coughing and phlegm. The doctor said it was liver qi stagnation and spleen deficiency with phlegm-dampness, and prescribed Chaihu Shugan Pills. Is it appropriate to take Chaihu Shugan Pills for liver qi stagnation, spleen deficiency, and phlegm-dampness?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. He Haochen
Patients with liver qi stagnation, spleen deficiency, and phlegm-dampness generally should not take Chaihu Shugan Pills. Chaihu Shugan Pill is a traditional Chinese medicine composed primarily of Bupleurum (Chai Hu), Poria (Fu Ling), Tangerine Peel (Chen Pi), Licorice (Gan Cao), Platycodon (Jie Geng), Scutellaria (Huang Qin), and Mint (Bo He). It functions to soothe the liver, regulate qi, relieve abdominal distension, and alleviate pain. However, ingredients such as Scutellaria and Mint may exacerbate symptoms of spleen deficiency and phlegm-dampness; therefore, this medication is unsuitable for such patients.
