Poor Appetite

食慾不振 / 食欲不振

Reduced desire to eat or lack of interest in food.

Quick Facts

Health Topic	Digestive Health
Also Known As	Loss of appetite, Reduced appetite, No appetite, Poor desire to eat, Anorexia-like low appetite
Common Symptoms	A reduced desire to eat or a clear drop in food intake. Meals may feel unappealing, portions become smaller, and there can be early fullness, mild nausea, or a bland taste. Energy after eating is often low, and the person may feel listless rather than satisfied.
Related TCM Patterns	Spleen Qi Deficiency · Dampness · Qi Deficiency · Qi Stagnation · Yang Deficiency · Food Stagnation · Yin Deficiency · Summer Heat · Damp-Heat · Phlegm-Dampness
Related Classical Formulas	Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang · Si Jun Zi Tang · Liu Jun Zi Tang · Shen Ling Bai Zhu San · Xiao Jian Zhong Tang · Li Zhong Tang · Huang Qi Jian Zhong Tang · Xiao Yao San · Jia Wei Xiao Yao San · Yue Ju Wan · Wei Ling Tang · Ping Wei San · Shi Quan Da Bu Tang · Si Shen Wan · Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang · Ba Zhen Tang · Bao He Wan · Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San · Mu Xiang Bing Lang Wan · Yi Wei Tang · Wu Pi Yin · Qing Shu Yi Qi Tang · Mai Men Dong Tang · Ren Shen Yang Rong Tang · Xiao Chai Hu Tang · Gui Pi Tang · Gan Lu Xiao Du Dan · Er Chen Tang · Wan Dai Tang · San Ren Tang · San Zi Yang Qin Tang · Xiang Sha Yang Wei Tang · Mu Xiang Shun Qi Wan

Poor Appetite in Traditional Chinese Medicine

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, poor appetite is not treated as a single fixed condition. The same reduced desire to eat may be associated with different patterns, and classical formulas are matched to the pattern rather than to the symptom alone. Spleen Qi deficiency, Yang deficiency, dampness, Qi stagnation and food stagnation are among the patterns that may present with poor appetite. Differentiation looks at the broader picture: whether there is bloating, loose stools, cold limbs, a heavy body, emotional constraint, or recent overeating. Accompanying signs such as fatigue, a pale or greasy tongue, and the quality of digestion after meals help distinguish one pattern from another.

TCM Patterns Associated With Poor Appetite

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 Wan Dai Tang Xiang Sha Yang Wei Tang
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 Wu Pi Yin
Qi Deficiency氣虛證Deficiency Patterns	Easy fatigue, shortness of breath on mild effort, a soft or low voice, and spontaneous sweating with light activity. The complexion is often pale, and recovery after exertion is slow. There may be a tendency to catch external pathogens more easily. Tongue pale with a thin white coating; pulse weak or empty.	Shi Quan Da Bu Tang Ba Zhen Tang Ren Shen Yang Rong Tang Gui Pi Tang
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.	Xiao Yao San Jia Wei Xiao Yao San Yue Ju Wan Xiao Chai Hu Tang Mu Xiang Shun Qi Wan
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.	Xiao Jian Zhong Tang Li Zhong Tang Huang Qi Jian Zhong Tang Si Shen Wan
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 Mu Xiang Bing Lang Wan
Yin Deficiency陰虛證Deficiency Patterns	Dry mouth and throat, night sweats or warm palms and soles, a thin body frame, and restlessness that is worse in the afternoon or at night. Sleep may be light, and there is often a preference for cool drinks. Symptoms feel empty rather than forceful. Tongue red with scant coating; pulse thin and rapid.	Yi Wei Tang Mai Men Dong Tang
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.	Qing Shu Yi Qi 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.	Gan Lu Xiao Du Dan San Ren Tang
Phlegm-Dampness痰濕證Phlegm Patterns	Copious white or sticky phlegm, a heavy chest or head, and a greasy tongue coating. There may be nausea, poor appetite, and a foggy or heavy mental feeling that worsens in damp weather or after rich food. Coughing brings up phlegm that is hard to clear completely. Tongue pale with a thick greasy white coating; pulse slippery.	Er Chen Tang San Zi Yang Qin Tang