Long Dan Xie Gan Tang
Classical TCM Formula Profile
Part of the HJMEDICAL TCM Discovery Center
龙胆泻肝汤 · Lóng Dǎn Xiè Gān Tāng
The classic formula for excess Liver and Gallbladder Fire blazing upward or Damp-Heat pouring downward. Manifests as headache, red eyes, bitter taste, hypochondriac pain, or lower-jiao symptoms such as difficult urination and genital dampness.
Read the complete guide →Quick Facts
- Formula Category
- Heat-Clearing Formulas
- Primary Pattern
- Liver Fire
- Primary Function
- Clear Liver Fire, drain Damp-Heat
- Primary Therapeutic Principle
- Clear excess Fire from the Liver and Gallbladder, drain Damp-Heat from the Lower Jiao
- Classical Source
- Yi Fang Ji Jie (Analytic Collection of Medical Formulas, Wang Ang, Qing dynasty)
- Available as Granules
- Yes
Formula Overview
The classic formula for excess Liver and Gallbladder Fire blazing upward or Damp-Heat pouring downward. Manifests as headache, red eyes, bitter taste, hypochondriac pain, or lower-jiao symptoms such as difficult urination and genital dampness.
Therapeutic Principle
Traditionally selected when the Liver channel shows frank excess Fire and Damp-Heat — bitter taste, red eyes, scanty dark urine — rather than the Yang-rising and internal Wind patterns of Tian Ma Gou Teng Yin and Zhen Gan Xi Feng Tang, and opposite in strategy to the nourishing action of Qi Ju Di Huang Wan.
Composition: Sovereign, Minister, Assistant, Envoy
Every herb in the formula, grouped by the job it does in the classical hierarchy.
君SovereignTreats the main pattern
臣MinisterReinforces the sovereign
黃芩Huang Qin9g
Scutellaria / Baikal Skullcap- bitter-cold medicinals that
- drains fire
- dries dampness
- and clears heat
梔子Zhi Zi9g
Gardenia Fruit- bitter-cold medicinals that
- drains fire
- dries dampness
- and clears heat
佐AssistantTreats accompanying patterns
澤瀉Ze Xie9g
Alisma Rhizome- leaches dampness and drains ministerial fire via the urine
木通Mu Tong6g
Akebia Stem- clears heat
- drains fire
- and drains dampness
車前子Che Qian Zi9g
Plantago Seed- leaches dampness and clears heat
當歸Dang Gui9g
Chinese Angelica Root- nourishes blood and supplements the liver prevent bitter-dry medicinals from damaging yin
生地黃Sheng Di Huang9g
Raw Rehmannia Root- cools blood and nourishes yin
柴胡Chai Hu6g
Bupleurum Root- scatters the liver qi and directs all medicinals in the formula to the target channel
Classical Composition
- Gentianae Radix et Rhizoma (Long Dan Cao wine-fried) 6g
- Scutellariae Radix (Huang Qin dry-fried) 9g
- Gardeniae Fructus (Zhi Zi wine-fried) 9g
- Alismatis Rhizoma (Ze Xie) 12g
- Akebiae Caulis (Mu Tong) 6g
- Plantaginis Semen (Che Qian Zi) 9g
- Angelicae Sinensis Radix (Dang Gui wine-washed) 6g
- Rehmanniae Radix (Sheng Di wine-fried) 12g
- Bupleuri Radix (Chai Hu) 12g
- Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Gan Cao) 6g
Dosages follow the classical source and are shown for study, not as a prescription.
Related Conditions
Related Health Topics
Actions
- Clears and drains excessive fire of the liver and gallbladder
- and clears damp-heat in the liver channel.
Indications
- 1.
- Flaming up of excessive fire of the liver and gallbladder, which manifests as headache and red eyes, pain in the rib-side, bitter taste in the mouth, deafness, swelling of the ears, a red tongue with a yellow coating, and a forceful wiry, rapid pulse. 2.
- Pouring downward of damp-heat in the liver channel, which manifests as vaginal swelling and itching, dampness or sweating at the exterior genitalia, painful urination with turbid urine, impotence, smelly yellow leukorrhea, a red tongue with a yellow greasy coating, and a slippery, wiry, rapid pulse.
Traditional Pathogenesis
Cause & mechanism
- This pattern includes the flaming up of excessive liver and gallbladder fire and the pouring downward of damp-heat in the liver channel.
- The foot jueyin liver channel goes around exterior genitalia, goes along the rib-side, connects with the eyes, and enters the top of the head.
- The foot shaoyang gallbladder channel starts at the inner canthus, goes around the ears, and enters the ears.
- From there, one branch enters the femoribus internus and goes around the exterior genitalia, and the other branch runs along the rib-side.
- The fire of the liver and gallbladder flames upward along the two channels which causes pain in the head, eyes, and ears; or deafness.
- Liver and gallbladder fire attacks the rib-side, which causes pain in rib-side and bitter taste in the mouth.
- Damp-heat in the liver channel pours downward along the channel, which causes vaginal swelling, itching, damp or sweat at the exterior genitalia, painful urination with turbid urine, impotence, and smelly yellow leukorrhea.
- The characteristic features of this pattern pathogenesis are flaming up of excessive fire of the liver and gallbladder, pouring downward of damp-heat in the liver channel, and a disturbance of the qi movement.
Clinical presentation
- A red tongue with a greasy yellow coating and a slippery, wiry rapid pulse are signs of intense fire and damp-heat.
Treatment strategy
- Therefore, the therapeutic method is to clear and drain excessive fire of the liver and gallbladder, clear damp-heat in the liver channel, and free the qi movement.
How does this formula compare?
Clinical Perspective
Long Dan Xie Gan Tang clears excess Fire and Damp-Heat. Tian Ma Gou Teng Yin and Zhen Gan Xi Feng Tang address Yang rising / internal Wind (often with Yin deficiency). Qi Ju Di Huang Wan nourishes Liver-Kidney Yin when deficiency is primary rather than excess Fire.
Clinical Differentiation
- Long Dan Xie Gan Tang is a commonly used formula for treating the flaming up of excessive fire of the liver and gallbladder, or the pouring downward of damp-heat in the liver channel.
- This clinical pattern is marked by bitter taste in the mouth, dark urine, red tongue with yellow coating, or red tongue with greasy, yellow coating, and a wiry, rapid or slippery pulse.
Safety notes: Do not use the formula in patients with deficiency-cold of the spleen and stomach, as well as those with yin deficiency and yang hyperactivity, because there are many bitter-cold medicinals that can damage the spleen and stomach.
For educational reference only, based on traditional pattern differentiation — not a substitute for professional advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the actions of Long Dan Xie Gan Tang?
Long Dan Xie Gan Tang has the actions of draining excess Fire from the Liver and Gallbladder and clearing Damp-Heat from the Liver channel and Lower Jiao. It is a representative bitter-cold formula for excess Heat patterns, not for deficiency Fire.
Which modern diseases is Long Dan Xie Gan Tang suited to?
Modern TCM clinical practice commonly applies it to individuals whose pattern differentiation falls within Liver-Gallbladder excess Fire or Lower Jiao Damp-Heat, including acute conjunctivitis or red painful eyes, migraine or hypertension of Liver-Fire type, acute cholecystitis or hepatitis of Damp-Heat type, urinary tract inflammation with burning dark urine, genital itching or swelling, foul yellow leukorrhea, and shingles of Liver-channel Heat type.
Is Long Dan Xie Gan Tang suitable for improving red eyes, bitter taste, irritability, or genital Damp-Heat?
For presentations of headache and red eyes, hypochondriac pain, bitter taste, irritability, tinnitus or ear swelling, and/or genital swelling and itching, foul yellow discharge, or burning dark scanty urine — with a red tongue, yellow or yellow-greasy coating, and a wiry rapid pulse — TCM commonly applies Long Dan Xie Gan Tang as an adjunct when excess Fire or Damp-Heat is confirmed. It cannot replace medical evaluation of infection, eye, liver, or urogenital disease.
Related Products
Hoi Tin Long Dan Xie Gan Tang (Gentiana Decoction to Drain the Liver) 5:1 Concentrated Granules
Nong's Long Dan Xie Gan Tang (Gentiana Decoction to Drain the Liver) 5:1 Concentrated Granules
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Long Dan Xie Gan Tang: Classic TCM Formula for Liver-Gallbladder Damp-Heat, Irritability & Hypochondriac Pain
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Zhen Gan Xi Feng Tang: Classic TCM Formula for Liver Yang Rising, Internal Wind & Hypertension
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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.