Heat-Clearing Formulas

三黃瀉心湯 · Sān Huáng Xiè Xīn Tāng

San Huang Xie Xin Tang

The Jin Gui Xie Xin Tang under its three-yellows name, for fire excess with bleeding or irritability.

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Last reviewed October 2026

Formula CategoryHeat-Clearing Formulas

Primary PatternStomach Heat

Primary FunctionClear heat, drain fire, stop bleeding

Primary Therapeutic PrincipleClear heat and drain fire

Main HerbsRhubarb Root and Rhizome · Coptis Rhizome · Scutellaria / Baikal Skullcap

Classical SourceJin Gui Yao Lue (Zhang Zhongjing, Eastern Han)

Why This Formula?

Selected for fire excess with bleeding or irritability rather than deficiency fire or qi-aspect heat alone.

Overview

What Is San Huang Xie Xin Tang?

1. Where the Formula Comes From

San Huang Xie Xin Tang (三黄泻心汤), or Three-Yellow Heart-Draining Decoction, is a classic heat-clearing formula first recorded in the Eastern-Han masterpiece Shang Han Za Bing Lun (Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases) by Zhang Zhongjing. It belongs to the category of bitter-cold formulas that drain fire and purge the three burners, with the core action of clearing excess heat and freeing the bowels.

The formula targets the pattern of excess heat in the three burners with disordered qi movement. Typical signs include a stuffy, full upper abdomen that feels soft when pressed, irritability, a dry mouth with a bitter taste, constipation, dark scanty urine, and heat-driven bleeding (vomiting blood, nosebleeds). It is widely used for chronic gastritis, functional dyspepsia, acute tonsillitis, gingivitis, acne, and heat-type upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

In the Shang Han Lun the prototype appears as Da Huang Huang Lian Xie Xin Tang, used for "stuffiness below the heart that is soft to the touch with a floating pulse at the guan position" — epigastric fullness without a hard mass, pointing to heat gathering in the middle burner. In the Jin Gui Yao Lue its use widened to "heart qi insufficiency with vomiting of blood and nosebleeds" — not qi-blood deficiency, but heat in the heart and stomach with deranged qi that pushes blood out of its normal path. The earliest versions held only Da Huang and Huang Lian; Huang Qin was added in later practice to reach the standard three-herb formula.

2. Digestive Disease: From Fullness to Upper GI Bleeding

Chronic gastritis, functional dyspepsia: epigastric fullness with dry mouth, bitter taste, irritability, dark urine, even constipation; gastroscopy often shows congested, swollen lining — middle-burner excess heat. The formula clears it and settles the qi, easing fullness, acid reflux, and bloating.
Acute gastritis, nervous vomiting: after spicy food or emotional upset — burning stomach, nonstop vomiting, irritability, dry mouth, constipation — stomach heat rushing upward. The purging and fire-settling quickly calm the vomiting and clear the heat.
Upper GI bleeding: for heat-type acute bleeding (eroded gastric lining, early duodenal ulcer) with small bright-red losses plus burning stomach, dry mouth, constipation — heat driving the blood recklessly. The bitter-cold and purging both stop the bleeding and remove the heat that caused it, cutting recurrence.

3. Respiratory Disease: Lung-Heat Emergencies

Acute tonsillitis, acute pharyngitis: sore swollen throat, hard swallowing, fever, irritability, dry mouth, constipation — lung-stomach heat excess. Clearing both plus freeing the bowels quickly eases the throat and fever.
Acute bronchitis: cough with yellow sputum, chest tightness, irritability, constipation, dark urine — lung heat passing into the large intestine. Huang Qin clears the lung, Da Huang purges the bowel — "treating lung and bowel together."

4. ENT and Skin: Heat-Toxin Flares

Gingivitis, periodontitis: red, swollen, painful gums, sometimes bleeding, with stomach-fire signs (dry mouth, bad breath, constipation) — stomach fire rising into the gums. The formula clears the stomach fire and cools the blood, easing the swelling, pain, and bleeding.
Acne: for young people's acute flares from spicy food and late nights — red, tender papules with irritability, constipation, dry bitter mouth — lung-stomach heat excess. Clearing the heat and relieving the constipation cuts the inflammation and prevents new breakouts.
Stye: a red, swollen, painful eyelid bump, sometimes purulent, with agitation and constipation — heat-toxin attacking the lid. The formula clears the upper-middle burners and helps the stye resolve.

5. Other Urgent Uses

Nosebleeds: for young people's acute nosebleeds from lung or stomach heat — small bright-red losses with irritability, dry mouth, constipation. Clearing the heat and purging the bowel stops the bleed fast and prevents relapse.
Acute urinary infection: for lower-burner damp-heat — urinary frequency, urgency, pain, with irritability, dry mouth, constipation. Da Huang purges the heat and Huang Qin clears the lower-burner damp-heat, easing the urinary irritation.

How It Works

Herb Composition (Sovereign / Minister / Assistant / Envoy)

1. The Lord: Da Huang — Pulling the Firewood From Under the Pot

Da Huang (Rhubarb) is the lord — cold, bitter; enters the stomach, large intestine, spleen, and liver. Its core actions are purging accumulation, clearing fire, cooling the blood, and moving stasis. In this formula it works like "pulling the firewood out from under the pot": by opening the bowels it sends the accumulated excess heat out through the gut and drains the three burners' excess fire at the same time.

Its dose matters: larger for stronger heat, smaller for mild. The key job is not merely laxation but "guiding the heat downward" — the upper and middle burner's heat leaves via the bowels instead of rushing upward. For a patient with swollen painful gums or throat plus constipation, this resolves the classic "heat above, blockage below" tension.

2. The Minister: Huang Lian — The Core Fire-Clearer of the Heart and Stomach

Huang Lian (Coptis) — bitter, cold; enters the heart, spleen, stomach, liver, gallbladder, and large intestine — is the formula's main fire-clearing force: it dries damp, drains fire, and resolves toxin, above all the excess fire of the upper (heart-lung) and middle (spleen-stomach) burners.

It works beside Da Huang: Da Huang "frees the bowels and drains heat" (the heat trapped in the body); Huang Lian "directly clears the fire" (the heat of the heart and stomach). For the patient with irritability, insomnia, mouth sores, plus a burning stomach and acid reflux, Huang Lian covers exactly those sites. The classical saying "Huang Lian clears the heat of the heart and spleen" describes the very mechanism this formula targets; adding it carried the clearing beyond the gut up into the heart and spleen-stomach.

3. The Assistant: Huang Qin — Clearing Lung Heat and Leftover Three-Burner Heat

Huang Qin (Scutellaria) — bitter, cold; enters the lung, gallbladder, spleen, large intestine, and small intestine — dries damp, drains fire, resolves toxin, and stops bleeding. Its role here is the upper burner's lung heat and any leftover three-burner heat, filling the range the other two don't cover.

Da Huang leans to the middle burner and gut, Huang Lian to the heart and spleen, and Huang Qin to the lung: for cough with yellow sputum and chest tightness, it clears the lung. It also stops bleeding — for the vomiting of blood and nosebleeds the formula treats, it backs up the blood-cooling. "Huang Qin clears the heat of the three burners": its addition makes the formula's range complete rather than one-sided.

4. How the Three Work Together on the Qi

Beyond their individual actions, the trio regulates the qi machinery as a team: Da Huang frees the bowels so turbid qi descends; Huang Lian settles the fire so heart fire doesn't run wild; Huang Qin clears the lung so lung qi flows. Together they restore normal qi movement through all three burners — which is why the formula cures so many heat patterns. When heat has deranged the qi and caused vomiting or hiccups, clearing the heat lets the qi settle and the symptoms pass.

Symptoms Traditionally Associated

Clinical Presentation in TCM

1. The Root Problem: Excess Heat in the Three Burners

In TCM the "three burners" are functional zones: the upper (heart, lung — respiration and mental activity), the middle (spleen, stomach — digestion and absorption), and the lower (liver, kidney, large intestine, bladder — waste excretion and fluid metabolism).

Heat piles up in these zones from poor diet (long-term spicy, greasy, high-calorie food), emotional strain (long anxiety and anger with liver heat), or external heat. Then symptoms follow by level:

Upper-burner heat: irritability, mouth sores, sore swollen throat, red eyes.
Middle-burner heat: burning stomach, acid reflux, dry mouth, bitter taste.
Lower-burner heat with constipation: adds to the whole-body heat burden.

The heat also deranges the qi: stomach qi and lung qi that should descend now rush upward — hence epigastric fullness, vomiting, hiccups. And heat drives the blood recklessly out of its vessels — hence vomiting of blood and nosebleeds.

2. What It Does

Its action comes in three linked layers:

Clear the three burners' excess heat — Da Huang, Huang Lian, and Huang Qin together remove the heat of all three levels and the discomfort it causes.
Send the qi down and stop the fullness — by freeing the bowels and settling the fire, it restores the qi machinery, resolving epigastric fullness, vomiting, and hiccups.
Cool the blood and stop bleeding — for heat-driven bleeding, the bitter-cold clears the heat so blood returns to its vessels, without letting the heat keep injuring them.

3. Whom It's For

Its indications map onto four symptom groups, spanning internal, surgical, gynecological, and pediatric practice:

Epigastric fullness — stuffy, full upper abdomen, soft on pressure, with irritability, dry mouth, bitter taste, dark scanty urine — common in chronic gastritis and functional dyspepsia.
Bleeding — vomiting blood, nosebleeds, sometimes gum bleeding or blood in the stool — heat-type upper GI bleeding or congested nasal-lining bleeding, often acute in young people after spicy food or late nights.
Heat excess — high fever, restlessness, red painful eyes, sore throat, swollen gums, boils (red, hot, painful skin lesions) — acute upper respiratory infection, tonsillitis, gingivitis.
Deranged qi — vomiting, hiccups, agitation — acute gastritis and nervous vomiting.

A key caution: this is for excess-heat patterns — the upright not yet deficient, the heat strong. In qi-blood deficiency or spleen-stomach cold, the formula would worsen the case.

Formula Analysis

The Mechanism in Classical Theory

1. Bitter-Cold Direct Drainage, Working Together

The three herbs form a textbook "bitter-cold direct drainage" — using bitter-cold to attack the excess heat head-on rather than tonifying the yin or the spleen to cool it indirectly, which suits urgent, excess heat. In detail: Da Huang's bitter-cold frees the bowels fast and sends the heat out in the stool — pulling the firewood from under the pot, cutting off the heat's source. Huang Lian's bitter-cold works directly on the heart-spleen, clearing the upper-middle burners — like pouring water on a boiling pot to drop the local temperature fast. Huang Qin's bitter-cold clears upper-burner lung heat and leftover three-burner heat, widening the reach and leaving no heat behind. The team — Da Huang purging, Huang Lian clearing and calming, Huang Qin clearing the lung — together drains all three burners.

2. The Doses: Classic Ratio and Modern Adjustments

The classic ratio was Da Huang 2 liang, Huang Lian 1 liang, Huang Qin 1 liang (ancient weights), roughly Da Huang 6–10 g, Huang Lian 3–6 g, Huang Qin 3–6 g in modern terms. Da Huang leads, matching its lordly role — purging heat is the core, the other two contain the local fire. In practice doctors adjust: up to 10–12 g Da Huang for marked constipation; up to 6–9 g Huang Lian for marked irritability and mouth sores; up to 6–9 g Huang Qin for yellow-sputum lung heat. The core pairing stays; only the balance moves to the patient.

3. The Special "Hot-Water Steep" Method

The Shang Han Za Bing Lun prescribes a special preparation: "steep in two sheng of freshly boiled water, squeeze out the dregs after a moment, take warm in two doses." The actives of these three herbs dissolve in hot water quickly, and long boiling would weaken the bitter-cold effect and make it too harsh for the stomach. The point: clear the heat while sparing the spleen-stomach — suited to urgent conditions in patients whose digestion isn't extremely cold-deficient. For bleeding, a regular water decoction can be used instead, giving fuller extraction and stronger blood-cooling, hemostatic action.

How This Formula Compares

Clinical Comparison Table

Compare	San Huang Xie Xin Tang	Huang Lian Jie Du Tang	Bai Hu Tang	Liang Ge San
Primary Function	Clear heat, drain fire, stop bleeding	Clear heat, resolve toxin, drain fire	Clear Qi-aspect heat, generate fluids, stop thirst	Clear upper heat, drain downward, cool the diaphragm
Formula Category	Heat-Clearing Formulas	Heat-Clearing Formulas	Heat-Clearing Formulas	Heat-Clearing Formulas
Typical TCM Pattern	Stomach Heat	Damp-Heat	Stomach Heat	Stomach Heat
Main Conditions	Constipation, Bitter Taste in Mouth	Fever, Anxiety Restlessness, Dry Mouth & Throat, Constipation, Sore Throat	Fever, Dry Mouth & Throat, Spontaneous Sweating	Constipation, Sore Throat, Dry Mouth & Throat, Fever, Anxiety Restlessness
Main Herbs	Rhubarb Root and Rhizome · Coptis Rhizome · Scutellaria / Baikal Skullcap	Coptis Rhizome · Scutellaria / Baikal Skullcap · Phellodendron Bark · Gardenia Fruit	Gypsum · Anemarrhena Rhizome · Licorice Root · Non-glutinous Rice	Forsythia Fruit · Scutellaria / Baikal Skullcap · Gardenia Fruit · Rhubarb Root and Rhizome · Mirabilite / Glauber's Salt · Mentha / Peppermint · Licorice Root
Classical Source	Jin Gui Yao Lue (Zhang Zhongjing, Eastern Han)	Wai Tai Mi Yao (Wang Tao, Tang dynasty, citing earlier sources)	Shang Han Lun (Zhang Zhongjing, Eastern Han)	Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang (Song dynasty)

How to tell them apart

San Huang Xie Xin Tang, Huang Lian Jie Du Tang and Bai Hu Tang clear heat. Huang Lian Jie Du Tang clears fire toxin across the triple burner. Bai Hu Tang clears qi-aspect heat. This formula drains fire with Da Huang, Huang Lian, and Huang Qin.

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

Clinical Modifications

Clinical Modifications for San Huang Xie Xin Tang

1. Adjusting by Main Symptom

Marked constipation: raise Da Huang (up to 10–12 g); with bloating, add Zhi Shi and Hou Po to free the bowels and move the qi.
Marked irritability and mouth sores: raise Huang Lian (up to 6–9 g), add Zhi Zi and Dan Zhu Ye to clear heart fire and ease restlessness and insomnia.
Marked lung-heat cough with yellow sputum: raise Huang Qin (up to 6–9 g), add Sang Bai Pi and Yu Xing Cao to clear the lung and dissolve phlegm.
Marked bleeding (vomiting blood, nosebleeds): raise Da Huang (up to 10–12 g), add Bai Mao Gen and Ce Bai Ye to cool blood and stop bleeding more firmly.

2. Adjusting by Accompanying Conditions

Mild spleen weakness (slight poor appetite, loose stool, but heat still strong): cut Da Huang to within 6 g and add Chao Bai Zhu and Fu Ling to protect the digestion from the bitter-cold.
Liver stagnation turning to fire (irritability, flank distension): add Chai Hu and Bai Shao to soothe the liver — a common trigger of three-burner heat, and soothing it helps drain the heat.
Heat-toxin boils (red, hot, painful skin lesions): add Jin Yin Hua, Lian Qiao, and Pu Gong Ying to strengthen the toxin-clearing and speed resolution.
Stomach-fire acid reflux (burning stomach, regurgitation): add a little Wu Zhu Yu (within 3 g) and Duan Wa Leng Zi to calm the acid, sparing the stomach lining while still clearing the fire.

3. Principles of Adjustment

Two rules: keep the core pairing intact (don't drift from "bitter-cold direct drainage and purging heat"); and don't add herbs whose nature clashes with the core or loads the spleen-stomach. In spleen-stomach cold, qi-blood deficiency, or no true excess heat (cold hands and feet, loose stools), don't use it even with a few similar symptoms — it would worsen the case.

Modern Research

What the Science Suggests

1. Active Compounds and Pharmacology

Da Huang — anthraquinones (emodin, rhein, chrysophanol): laxative (stimulating peristalsis — the "free the bowels" action); antibacterial (S. aureus, E. coli and others); hemostatic (promoting platelet aggregation and shortening clotting time — the "cool blood, stop bleeding" action); and anti-inflammatory in the gut and stomach.
Huang Lian — berberine, the core compound: antibacterial and anti-inflammatory (against many bacteria and viruses, calming GI mucosal inflammation — "clear the stomach fire"); regulates GI motility (easing spasm and dyspepsia — "send down the qi, stop the fullness"); and mild anti-arrhythmic action, calming heat-driven irritability and palpitations.
Huang Qin — baicalin and baicalein: antibacterial and anti-inflammatory against common respiratory bacteria (pneumococcus, influenza bacillus — "clear the lung heat"); antiallergic (calming airway and skin allergy); and cholagogic, helping expel damp-heat via bile.

The three compounds work together, matching the classical actions and giving the formula a modern mechanism.

2. New Clinical Findings

Metabolic syndrome aid: studies suggest it can lower weight, blood lipids, and blood sugar in simple obesity — the purging reduces intestinal fat absorption and the heat-clearing eases obesity-related inner heat and dry mouth. An aid only — not a replacement for diet and basic treatment.
Acute stroke aid: some reports say, in early stroke with stomach-fire and constipation, it can lower intracranial pressure and improve consciousness by purging retained toxins and calming CNS inflammation — strictly doctor-guided, never self-administered.
Acne mechanism: acne involves Cutibacterium acnes, excess sebum, and inflammation; the formula's antibacterial, anti-inflammatory action suppresses the bacterium and regulates sebum — effective for acute acne, especially with constipation and dry bitter mouth.
Cancer-treatment support: some studies report it eases GI side effects of chemo-radiotherapy (nausea, vomiting, constipation) in digestive-tract cancer patients by clearing stomach fire and freeing the bowels, and calms treatment-induced inner heat — again doctor-guided, dose-adjusted to the case.

3. Gaps and Directions

Dose standardization: different manufacturers' decoction pieces and granules vary in actives, so clinical doses are hard to unify and effect can vary.
Mechanism depth: research mostly targets single compounds, while the formula works through multiple components and targets; whole-formula multi-pathway studies are still thin.
Special groups: modern dose and safety data for children and the elderly are insufficient — more clinical evidence is needed.

As TCM modernization proceeds, work on the formula is shifting toward dose standardization, whole-formula mechanism research, and safety assessment in special groups — which should make its clinical use more scientific and safer, and benefit more patients.

Safety

Safety Considerations

1. Who Should Use It — A Strict Line

It must be a true excess-heat pattern — a decent constitution, strong heat, no deficiency-cold. If the patient is chronically weak or shows cold signs (cold hands and feet, chills, loose stools, poor appetite), the mouth sores and irritability belong to "deficient heat" or mixed cold-heat — the formula would worsen the cold.
Children, the elderly, pregnancy, breastfeeding need caution: children's spleens tolerate bitter-cold poorly (reduce the dose, doctor-guided); older people's digestion has declined and easily runs cold (control the dose); pregnancy is an absolute ban — the bitter-cold can contract the uterus; breastfeeding should avoid it too (herbs can reach the milk).
Chronic disease: with significant liver, kidney, or heart disease, use only under a doctor — Da Huang is metabolized by the liver and kidney, and impaired function could add burden.

2. Contraindications and Possible Reactions

Absolute: spleen-stomach cold (long-term loose stools, abdominal pain, chills); pregnancy; breastfeeding; children under 12 (small doctor-assessed doses only).
Relative: during menstruation (bitter-cold may disturb the flow); wind-cold colds (chills without sweat, clear runny nose) — resolve the exterior cold first.
Possible reactions: with too large a dose or wrong use — diarrhea (especially with heavy Da Huang), abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting. Reduce or stop; if severe, seek care.

3. After Taking It

Avoid spicy, greasy, and cold food and alcohol — they load the digestion, hinder absorption, and add heat.
Watch the response: more than three diarrheal stools, or abdominal pain and nausea, means stop; if it continues, see a doctor.
Don't use it long-term: it's an "treat the branch in urgency" formula for excess-heat emergencies — usually 3–5 days; if symptoms persist, consult rather than push on.
Tell the doctor about other bitter-cold medicines you take (Huang Lian Shang Qing Wan, Niu Huang Jie Du Pian) — stacking bitter-cold can injure the spleen-stomach.

FAQ

Questions About San Huang Xie Xin Tang

Q1: What is San Huang Xie Xin Tang? Are Huang Lian Jie Du Tang and Xie Xin Tang the same?

San Huang Xie Xin Tang (三黄泻心汤, also Xie Xin Tang) is a classic formula from the Shang Han Lun, centered on draining fire, resolving toxicity, drying dampness and discharging heat for pathogenic fire blazing internally forcing blood to move recklessly with hematemesis or epistaxis, or damp-heat jaundice and heat binding constipation. Huang Lian Jie Du Tang drains fire and resolves toxicity, leaning to fire toxin in the three burners without Da Huang. Xie Xin Tang is this formula. The three cannot be interchanged by equal weight. Write San Huang Xie Xin Tang. Contraindicated in vacuity cold and pregnancy.

Q2: What is the composition and traditional use of San Huang Xie Xin Tang?

Classic composition: Da Huang two liang, Huang Lian one liang, Huang Qin one liang. It acts to drain fire, resolve toxicity, dry dampness and discharge heat. It is used for pathogenic fire blazing internally forcing blood to move recklessly with hematemesis or epistaxis, or damp-heat jaundice, or heat binding constipation with fullness below the heart. Huang Lian and Huang Qin clear fire in the upper and middle burners; Da Huang drains heat in the lower burner; the three yellows together drain fire and resolve toxicity.

Q3: How do you choose raw versus prepared? Can Huang Lian Jie Du Tang replace it?

Da Huang is raw and added later; Huang Lian and Huang Qin are raw. Huang Lian Jie Du Tang lacks Da Huang and leans to pure fire-clearing; it cannot replace the draining action by equal weight. Commercial products follow regulated compounding; do not self-modify.

Q4: What is the usual dosage? Can it be drunk daily as a fire-draining tea?

Ancient use was steeped in boiling water briefly, strained and taken warm in two doses. Modern use adjusts proportions; common as decoction, with dose named by a practitioner. It is not a four-season “Three Yellows Drain the Heart tea.” Vacuity cold only injures further. Excess heat needs a practitioner to name a short course; it does not replace assessment.

Q5: What are the contraindications? Can it be used in pregnancy?

Contraindicated in vacuity cold constitutions, Spleen-Stomach weakness and pregnancy. Not suitable for long-term use. Stop if loose stool or abdominal pain appears. Unceasing bleeding or high fever need immediate medical care.

Q6: Can San Huang Xie Xin Tang drain fire, resolve toxicity, dry dampness and discharge heat?

It can help pathogenic fire blazing internally forcing blood to move recklessly with hematemesis or epistaxis, or damp-heat jaundice and heat binding constipation. It drains fire, resolves toxicity, dries dampness and discharges heat—not a specific for every bleeding or every constipation.

Q7: Can San Huang Xie Xin Tang be drunk daily as a fire-draining, toxicity-resolving or purgative tea?

Excess heat blazing internally may enter a short formula; vacuity cold only injures further. “Rhubarb must drain fire” does not replace assessment. Draining fire, resolving toxicity, drying dampness and discharging heat should be named by a practitioner with form and dose.

Q8: How do you choose among San Huang Xie Xin Tang, Huang Lian Jie Du Tang, Da Huang Huang Lian Xie Xin Tang, Yin Chen Hao Tang and Bai Tou Weng Tang?

San Huang Xie Xin Tang drains fire and resolves toxicity while drying dampness and discharging heat, containing Da Huang, Huang Lian and Huang Qin, leaning to pathogenic fire blazing internally forcing blood or damp-heat. Huang Lian Jie Du Tang drains fire and resolves toxicity, leaning to fire toxin in the three burners without Da Huang. Da Huang Huang Lian Xie Xin Tang is this formula. Yin Chen Hao Tang clears heat, promotes urination and resolves jaundice, leaning to damp-heat jaundice. Bai Tou Weng Tang clears heat, resolves toxicity and cools blood, leaning to heat-toxin bloody dysentery. Pathogenic fire forcing blood favors San Huang Xie Xin Tang; three-burner fire toxin favors Huang Lian Jie Du; jaundice favors Yin Chen Hao; heat dysentery favors Bai Tou Weng. They may be referenced after pattern differentiation; vacuity cold forbids large San Huang Xie Xin Tang.

Q9: How is San Huang Xie Xin Tang commonly modified? What is the representative use?

The original already contains draining fire and resolving toxicity. Bleeding may add Ce Bai Ye; jaundice may add Yin Chen. Write San Huang Xie Xin Tang; do not replace the draining action with an equal weight of Huang Lian Jie Du Tang.

Q10: How do you choose and store San Huang Xie Xin Tang?

Choose regulated Chinese patent medicines or classically compounded decoctions that list the composition. Moldy, damp, or abnormal-smelling lots are discarded. Store cool and dry. Buy “San Huang Xie Xin Tang” or “Xie Xin Tang”; do not replace draining fire, resolving toxicity, drying dampness and discharging heat with an equal weight of Huang Lian Jie Du Tang or Yin Chen Hao Tang.

FAQ

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.

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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.

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