Astringent Formulas

金锁固精丸 · Jīn Suǒ Gù Jīng Wán

Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan

Classic formula for insecurity of Kidney Essence leading to spermatorrhea, nocturnal emissions or leukorrhea, with fatigue and lower back weakness. Strongly astringes and stabilizes Jing.

View formula profile →
Last reviewed September 2026
Formula CategoryAstringent Formulas
Primary PatternKidney Yang Deficiency
Primary FunctionSecure Essence, astringe leakage, tonify Kidney
Primary Therapeutic PrincipleSecure the Essence, astringe leakage and tonify the Kidney
Main HerbsFlatstem Milkvetch Seed · Euryale Seed · Lotus Stamen · Dragon Bone / Fossilized Bone · Oyster Shell · Lotus Seed
Classical SourceYi Fang Ji Jie (Qing dynasty)

Why This Formula?

Traditionally selected when Kidney deficiency fails to secure Essence, with seminal emission, lower back ache and fatigue, using strong astringents throughout — more Essence-directed than Sang Piao Xiao San or Suo Quan Wan, which chiefly address urinary leakage.

Traditionally selected when Kidney deficiency fails to secure Essence, with seminal emission, lower back ache and fatigue, using strong astringents throughout — more Essence-directed than Sang Piao Xiao San or Suo Quan Wan, which chiefly address urinary leakage.

What Is Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan?

1. Origin Legend

Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan (金锁固精丸), or Golden Lock Essence-Stabilizing Pill, is a classical formula recorded in Wang Ang’s Yi Fang Ji Jie (Analytic Collection of Medical Formulas). It belongs to the category of formulas that stabilize the Kidney and astringe Essence.

This formula addresses Kidney deficiency in which the Gate of Essence fails to close, allowing Jing to leak. Typical signs include spermatorrhea, nocturnal emission, premature ejaculation, lower back and knee weakness, tinnitus, fatigue, a pale tongue, and a thin weak pulse.

Combining Sha Yuan Zi as the chief herb to tonify the Kidney and stabilize Essence, Qian Shi and Lian Zi to strengthen the Spleen and Kidney while astringing discharge, Lian Xu to further secure Essence, and calcined Long Gu and Mu Li to heavily astringe and calm the spirit, Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan effectively tonifies the Kidney, locks the Essence, and stops leakage without being purely astringent at the expense of the root.

Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan

2. Andrology (Male) 

This formula is widely used for conditions like spermatorrhea and premature ejaculation rooted in kidney deficiency. It effectively reduces the frequency of involuntary emissions and strengthens kidney function. For premature ejaculation accompanied by lumbar and knee soreness, fatigue, or other signs of kidney deficiency, it serves as an adjunctive therapy to regulate male reproductive function and improve sexual health.

Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan

3. Other Related Conditions

Beyond male disorders, Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan can address other manifestations of kidney deficiency and failure to secure. After proper pattern differentiation, it may be used for women experiencing thin, abundant leukorrhea with lumbar and knee soreness. For elderly patients, it can offer therapeutic benefits for nocturia or urinary incontinence when linked to deficient kidney qi and a consolidation failure pattern.

Herb Composition (Sovereign / Minister / Assistant / Envoy)

1. Sovereign (Jun)

Astragalus Seed (Shā Yuán Zǐ) — Sweet, warm; liver & kidney channels

  • Warms & tonifies liver & kidneys
  • Consolidates essence; controls urination
  • Regulates endocrine system; enhances renal function

2. Minister (Chen)

Euryale Seed (Qián Shí) — Sweet, astringent; neutral; spleen & kidney channels

  • Tonifies kidney & secures essence
  • Strengthens spleen to stop diarrhea
  • Expels dampness; reinforces monarch's actions

3. Assistants (Zuo) 

Lotus Stamen (Lián Xū) — Sweet, astringent; neutral; heart & kidney channels — Secures kidneys, binds essence, communicates heart–kidney.

Fossilized Bone (Lóng Gǔ) — Sweet, astringent; neutral; heart, liver, & kidney channels — Calms spirit, anchors yang, astringes leakage.

Oyster Shell (Mǔ Lì) — Salty, slightly cold; liver, gallbladder, & kidney channels — Subdues liver yang, softens hardness, astringes.

These three assistant herbs augment the monarch and minister actions to consolidate essence and stop leakage, while providing calming, liver‑subduing, and other supportive effects, making the formula more comprehensive.

Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan

4. Envoy (Shi)

Lotus Seed (Lián Zǐ) — Sweet, astringent; neutral; spleen, kidney, & heart channels

  • Tonifies kidney & secures essence
  • Strengthens spleen to stop diarrhea
  • Nourishes heart; calms spirit; harmonizes formula

Clinical Presentation in TCM

1. Pathogenesis Targeted

The primary issue is kidney deficiency leading to a failure of consolidation. This can be caused by congenital insufficiency, prolonged illness, overwork, or excessive sexual activity. When kidney Qi is weak, it cannot securely hold essence, resulting in involuntary spermatorrhea or seminal leakage.

2. Key Functions

This formula primarily tonifies the kidney and astringes essence. It warms and nourishes the liver and kidneys, strengthening their ability to consolidate and prevent leakage. It also supports overall yin-yang balance and enhances the body's resistance.

Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan

3. Clinical Indications

Prescribed for conditions like spermatorrhea (involuntary semen emission) and frequent seminal leakage, often accompanied by fatigue, limb weakness, lower back soreness, and tinnitus. It restores kidney function to alleviate these debilitating symptoms.

The Mechanism in Classical Theory

1. Overall Strategy

Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan primarily targets kidney tonification and essence securing. Sha Yuan Zi leads in warming and consolidating essence, powerfully reinforced by Qian Shi. Lian Xu and Lian Zi bind essence and harmonize the formula. Long Gu and Mu Li astringe and calm the spirit, subduing floating yang. This holistic approach prevents leakage while addressing emotional and energetic imbalances for comprehensive healing.

Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan

2. Synergistic Herb Pairings

Sha Yuan Zi and Qian Shi synergistically reinforce kidney tonification and essence consolidation, complementing each other with warming and neutral properties. Lian Xu and Lian Zi coordinate the heart and kidney, nourishing the heart while astringing kidney essence. Long Gu and Mu Li, with their heavy, astringent, and calming actions, anchor and consolidate, strengthening essence retention and calming the spirit. These pairings create an integrated, balanced therapeutic effect.

Clinical Comparison Table

Compare Jin Suo Gu Jing WanSang Piao Xiao SanSuo Quan WanSi Shen Wan
Primary Function Secure Essence, astringe leakage, tonify KidneyTonify Kidney, astringe Essence, stop leakageWarm Kidney, astringe urine, stop leakageWarm Spleen-Kidney Yang, astringe intestines, stop diarrhea
Formula Category Astringent FormulasAstringent FormulasAstringent FormulasAstringent Formulas
Typical TCM Pattern Kidney Yang DeficiencyKidney Yang DeficiencyKidney Yang DeficiencyYang Deficiency
Main Conditions Frequent Nocturia, Low Libido, Premature EjaculationFrequent Nocturia, InsomniaFrequent Urination, Frequent NocturiaDiarrhea, Abdominal Pain, Poor Appetite, Cold Limbs
Main Herbs Flatstem Milkvetch Seed · Euryale Seed · Lotus Stamen · Dragon Bone / Fossilized Bone · Oyster Shell · Lotus SeedMantis Egg-case · Dragon Bone / Fossilized Bone · Tortoise Plastron · Ginseng Root · Poria with Pine Root · Polygala Root · Chinese Angelica Root · Grassleaf Sweetflag RhizomeAlpinia Oxyphylla Fruit · Lindera Root · Chinese YamPsoralea Fruit · Nutmeg · Evodia Fruit · Schisandra Fruit
Classical Source Yi Fang Ji Jie (Qing dynasty)Ben Cao Yan Yi (Song dynasty) / traditionalWei Sheng Bao Jian or traditional sourcesZheng Zhi Zhun Sheng or traditional (Ming dynasty sources)

How to tell them apart

Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan strongly secures Essence. Sang Piao Xiao San and Suo Quan Wan focus more on urinary leakage. Si Shen Wan addresses early-morning diarrhea from Spleen-Kidney Yang deficiency. Gu Jing Wan addresses menstrual bleeding from Heat.

For educational reference only, based on traditional pattern differentiation — not a substitute for professional advice.

Clinical Modifications for Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan

1. Spleen Deficiency

Add Bai Zhu (tonifies spleen, augments qi, dries dampness) and Fu Ling (drains dampness, strengthens spleen, calms spirit). These enhance spleen support for poor appetite, abdominal distention, or loose stools, without impairing kidney-securing action.

2. Damp‑Heat

Add Huang Bai (clears heat, dries dampness) and Che Qian Zi (clears heat, promotes urination). Used for signs like moist scrotum, bitter taste, or short red urine, addressing both kidney deficiency and concurrent damp-heat.

3. Excess Dampness

For heavy dampness and frequent diarrhea, add Cang Zhu and Hou Po. These herbs dry dampness and strengthen the spleen, enhancing the formula's damp-resolving and antidiarrheal effects.

4. Marked Qi Deficiency

When qi deficiency is prominent (severe shortness of breath, marked fatigue), either increase the dosage of Sha Yuan Zi or add Huang Qi to significantly boost qi-tonification and overall energy.

Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan

5. Food Stagnation

If epigastric or abdominal fullness indicates food stagnation, incorporate Shen Qu, Mai Ya, and Shan Zha. These herbs promote digestion and reduce the burden on the spleen and stomach.

What the Science Suggests

1. Pharmacological Studies

The traditional Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan targets essence consolidation and chronic prostatitis. Modern studies confirm its multi-faceted actions:

  • Sha Yuan Zi: Modulates the endocrine system and immunity, protecting reproductive health.
  • Qian Shi: Provides antioxidant and anti-inflammatory support for renal function.
  • Lian Xu, Long Gu, Mu Li: Offer sedative, calming, and neural modulating effects, easing psychological symptoms linked to kidney deficiency.
Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan

2. Clinical Efficacy

Recent research expands the formula's therapeutic potential:

  • Enhanced Efficacy: Combining Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan with psychotherapy or behavioral therapy shows improved outcomes for premature ejaculation and other male sexual dysfunctions.
  • Holistic Wellness: The formula helps regulate subhealth conditions associated with kidney deficiency, leading to improved general well-being and quality of life.

Safety Considerations

1. Dietary Restrictions

Avoid spicy, greasy, or irritating foods and alcohol while taking Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan. Such foods may aggravate internal damp‑heat and impair therapeutic effect. Favor light, nourishing foods; foods like walnuts, black sesame, and Euryale seed (qian shi) may support treatment.

2. Special Populations

Use with caution in pregnancy. Avoid use during acute febrile illnesses. Children, the elderly, and frail patients should take the formula under physician supervision with appropriate dose adjustments to ensure safety and efficacy.

Questions About Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan

Q1: What are the actions of Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan?
Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan has the actions of stabilizing the Kidney and astringing Jing (Essence). It is a representative securing formula for leakage of Essence when the Kidney is too weak to hold it, not for emissions driven by Fire or Damp-Heat.
Q2: Which modern diseases is Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan suited to?
Modern TCM clinical practice commonly applies it to individuals whose pattern differentiation falls within Kidney Qi not firm, including chronic seminal emission or spermatorrhea of deficiency type, premature ejaculation, frequent urination or dribbling from insecurity of the Kidney, and certain chronic residual leakage after prostatitis once Damp-Heat has been cleared.
Q3: Is Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan suitable for improving seminal leakage, premature ejaculation, and sore low back?
For presentations of frequent seminal emission or premature ejaculation without much Heat, sore weak lower back and knees, fatigue, possible tinnitus, a pale tongue with thin white coating, and a deep weak pulse — in those whose pattern differentiation confirms Kidney failing to secure Jing — TCM commonly applies Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan as an adjunct. It cannot replace urological evaluation of infection, structural disease, or other medical causes.
Q4: Who should not take Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan?
Those with Damp-Heat in the Lower Jiao, Heart or Liver Fire, Yin-deficiency empty Fire, or an active exterior pathogen are generally not suitable. Astringing while Heat or Damp-Heat is still present is described as “locking the door with the thief inside.” Use should be assessed by a qualified TCM physician.
Q5: Why is this formula named “Golden Lock”?
“Jin Suo” means a metal or golden lock. The formula is meant to lock the Jing gate so that Essence no longer leaks. Sha Yuan Zi, Qian Shi, and lotus parts tonify and astringe; calcined Long Gu and Mu Li are heavy, settling, and strongly securing. Together they both supplement the Kidney and seal leakage.
Q6: How does Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan differ from Suo Quan Wan or Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan?
Suo Quan Wan mainly astringes frequent urination from Kidney-Bladder insecurity and is less focused on seminal Essence. Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan nourishes Yin and drains empty Fire when emissions are driven by deficiency Heat (night sweats, red tongue, thin rapid pulse). Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan is chosen when the problem is insecurity and leakage from weak Kidney Qi, not Fire forcing Essence out.
Q7: What are the main ingredients of Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan?
The classical formula typically consists of Sha Yuan Zi to tonify the Kidney and astringe Jing; Qian Shi and Lian Xu (and in many versions Lian Zi) to strengthen the Kidney and Spleen and secure Essence; and calcined Long Gu and Mu Li to settle the Spirit and strongly astringe leakage.
Q8: Is Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan suitable for long-term use?
It may be used for a course of treatment in chronic deficiency leakage under professional supervision. Purely astringent formulas should not be continued indefinitely without addressing the underlying Kidney deficiency, and they must be stopped if Heat or Damp-Heat signs appear. Combining or rotating with a Kidney-tonifying formula is often more complete.
Q9: Can this formula help both seminal leakage and urinary frequency of the same deficiency type?
Yes, when both come from Kidney Qi failing to secure. The same insecurity that lets Jing leak can also let urine dribble or become frequent. Astringing and stabilizing the Kidney can improve this cluster, provided Damp-Heat lin syndrome and empty Fire have been excluded.
Q10: What lifestyle advice supports the use of Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan?
Moderating sexual activity during treatment, avoiding alcohol and spicy heating foods, keeping the low back warm, and getting adequate rest help the Kidney hold Essence. Painful urination, yellow turbid discharge, or fever means the pattern is not deficiency insecurity and needs different treatment.

General Questions

How do I choose the right formula?
TCM formulas are traditionally selected according to individual pattern differentiation rather than by symptom alone. If you're not sure which formula fits your presentation, take our AI Assessment below for a personalized starting point, then confirm with a qualified TCM practitioner.
What are concentrated herbal granules?
Concentrated herbal granules are made by decocting raw herbs, then extracting and concentrating the resulting liquid into a fine granule or powder form. This preserves the same active compounds as a traditional decoction while making the herbs far easier to store, measure, and prepare.
How should I take these products?
Dissolve the recommended amount of granules in hot water, stir until fully dissolved, and drink while warm — following the dosage and frequency advised by your TCM practitioner or as stated on the product packaging.
Are concentrated herbal granules equivalent to traditional decoctions?
Concentrated granules are produced from the same herbs and processed to retain their active compounds, so they are traditionally regarded as a convenient alternative to decoctions rather than a different remedy. Some practitioners note subtle differences in strength or absorption between the two forms, so your TCM practitioner may adjust dosage accordingly.
Are your products authentic?
Yes. HJMEDICAL sources its concentrated granules exclusively from established, reputable manufacturers such as Nong's and Hoi Tin, both long-standing names in the TCM granules industry, with GMP compliance stated directly on their packaging.
Are HJMEDICAL products manufactured under GMP standards?
HJMEDICAL sources its concentrated granules from established, reputable manufacturers such as Nong's and Hoi Tin, both long-standing names in the TCM granules industry. GMP compliance for these products is stated directly on their packaging.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes — we ship worldwide! Every order goes out via Hong Kong Post, and your exact shipping cost and estimated delivery time for your address are calculated and shown right at checkout, so there are never any surprises. We also offer free shipping once your order reaches our free-shipping threshold, so it's easy to stock up on your favorite formulas and save.
Can I take more than one formula at the same time?
Some formulas are traditionally combined, while others overlap or counteract each other. We recommend checking with a qualified TCM practitioner before combining formulas, especially if you are already taking other medication.
Are these products suitable during pregnancy or breastfeeding?
Some TCM formulas are not suitable during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Please consult a qualified TCM practitioner or your doctor before use if you are pregnant, trying to conceive, or nursing.
Do these products replace medical treatment?
No. These products are traditional herbal supplements intended to support wellbeing according to TCM principles — they are not a replacement for professional medical diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a qualified TCM practitioner or licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or combining any treatment, especially if you have a chronic condition.
Medical Disclaimer

For general TCM education only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified TCM practitioner or licensed healthcare provider before use, especially if pregnant, nursing, on medication, or managing a chronic condition.

Not sure which formula is right for you?

Take the AI Assessment

最新文章

Login

Forgot your password?

Don't have an account yet?
Create account

Jin Suo Gu Jing Wan: Classic TCM Formula for Kidney Deficiency, Spermatorrhea & Premature Ejaculation