Diarrhea

腹瀉 / 腹泻

Frequent loose or watery stools.

Quick Facts

Health Topic	Digestive Health
Also Known As	Loose stools, Watery stools, Frequent loose bowels, Diarrhoea, Runny stool
Common Symptoms	Stools that are loose, unformed or watery, often more frequent than usual. There may be urgency, incomplete feeling after bowel movements, or undigested food in the stool. Abdominal discomfort, fatigue after stools, or a preference for warm drinks can accompany the change in bowel habit.
Related TCM Patterns	Spleen Qi Deficiency · Yang Deficiency · Dampness · Qi Stagnation · Damp-Heat · Food Stagnation · Summer Heat · Cold Accumulation
Related Classical Formulas	Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang · Si Jun Zi Tang · Liu Jun Zi Tang · Shen Ling Bai Zhu San · Li Zhong Tang · Fu Zi Li Zhong Tang · Zhen Wu Tang · Wei Ling Tang · Ping Wei San · Si Shen Wan · Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang · Bao He Wan · Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San · Ge Gen Qin Lian Tang · Zhi Shi Dao Zhi Wan · Xiang Ru Yin · Bai Tou Weng Tang · Tong Xie Yao Fang · Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang · Sheng Jiang Xie Xin Tang · Wu Mei Wan

Diarrhea in Traditional Chinese Medicine

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, diarrhea is differentiated by pattern rather than treated as one uniform problem. The same loose stools may be associated with Spleen Qi deficiency, Yang deficiency, dampness or food stagnation. Differentiation considers whether the diarrhea is chronic or acute, whether it contains undigested food, whether there is cold preference or a greasy tongue coating, and whether fatigue or abdominal pain is prominent. Classical formulas are selected according to these pattern features, not according to the presence of diarrhea alone.

TCM Patterns Associated With Diarrhea

The same presentation may be understood through more than one pattern. Pattern differentiation weighs the accompanying signs, not the symptom on its own.

Pattern	Common Features	Related Formulas
Spleen Qi Deficiency脾氣虛證Deficiency Patterns	Poor appetite, loose or unformed stools, fatigue that worsens after meals, a pale or sallow complexion, and a soft or low voice. There may be abdominal fullness after eating, easy bruising, or a tendency toward thin white phlegm. The person often feels better with rest and simple warm food. Tongue pale with a thin white coating; pulse weak or empty.	Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang Si Jun Zi Tang Liu Jun Zi Tang Shen Ling Bai Zhu San Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang
Yang Deficiency陽虛證Deficiency Patterns	Aversion to cold, cold limbs, preference for warm drinks and clothing, and low energy that worsens in cold weather. There may be loose stools, clear copious urine, a pale puffy face, and reduced libido or lumbar weakness. The person feels better with warmth and worse with cold exposure. Tongue pale and possibly swollen with a white coating; pulse deep and weak.	Li Zhong Tang Fu Zi Li Zhong Tang Zhen Wu Tang Si Shen Wan
Dampness濕阻證Damp Patterns	A heavy, sluggish body feeling, abdominal fullness, sticky sensation in the mouth, and reduced appetite. Stools may be sticky or incomplete, and the person often feels worse in humid weather. There can be oedema of the limbs or a greasy facial sheen. Tongue with a thick greasy white coating; pulse soft or slippery.	Wei Ling Tang Ping Wei San Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San
Qi Stagnation氣滯證Stagnation Patterns	Distension, tightness or a constrained feeling in the chest, flanks or abdomen that comes and goes with emotion or stress. Frequent sighing, a sense that emotions are hard to move, and in women premenstrual breast or lower abdominal discomfort are common. Symptoms often ease after movement, expression or belching. Tongue may be normal or slightly dusky; pulse wiry.	Tong Xie Yao Fang Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang Sheng Jiang Xie Xin Tang
Damp-Heat濕熱證Damp Patterns	A heavy body with a sense of heat, sticky or bitter taste in the mouth, scanty dark urine, and discomfort that worsens in hot humid weather. There may be greasy skin, sticky stools, or yellowish discharge. Thirst is present but drinking may not feel satisfying. Tongue red with a yellow greasy coating; pulse slippery and rapid.	Ge Gen Qin Lian Tang Bai Tou Weng Tang
Food Stagnation食積證Stagnation Patterns	Epigastric or abdominal fullness and distension after eating, foul belching or sour regurgitation, and reduced appetite for the next meal. Stools may be foul-smelling or sticky, and the person often feels better after vomiting or passing stool. Symptoms clearly relate to overeating or irregular meals. Tongue with a thick greasy coating; pulse slippery.	Bao He Wan Zhi Shi Dao Zhi Wan
Summer Heat暑熱證Exterior Patterns	Fever or a strong sense of heat after exposure to hot weather, heavy sweating, thirst, and fatigue or heaviness of the body. There may be irritability, scanty dark urine, and a preference for cool drinks. Symptoms often start in high summer. Tongue red with a dry yellow coating; pulse rapid and possibly soft or large.	Xiang Ru Yin
Cold Accumulation寒積證Cold Patterns	Fixed cold pain in the abdomen that prefers warmth and worsens with cold food or exposure. There may be constipation or difficult stools, cold limbs, and a preference for warm drinks. The abdomen can feel hard or full on pressure. Tongue pale with a white coating; pulse deep and tight or wiry.	Wu Mei Wan