Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang
Classical TCM Formula Profile
Part of the HJMEDICAL TCM Discovery Center
沙参麦冬汤 · Shā Shēn Mài Dōng Tāng
Gentle Yin-nourishing formula for Lung and Stomach Yin deficiency with dryness. Used for dry cough, dry throat/mouth, thirst and residual dryness after warm diseases or chronic Yin damage.
Read the complete guide →Quick Facts
- Formula Category
- Yin-Tonifying Formulas
- Primary Pattern
- Yin Deficiency
- Primary Function
- Nourish Lung-Stomach Yin, generate fluids
- Primary Therapeutic Principle
- Nourish Lung and Stomach Yin, generate fluids and moisten dryness
- Classical Source
- Wen Bing Tiao Bian (Wu Jutong, Qing dynasty)
- Available as Granules
- Yes
Formula Overview
Gentle Yin-nourishing formula for Lung and Stomach Yin deficiency with dryness. Used for dry cough, dry throat/mouth, thirst and residual dryness after warm diseases or chronic Yin damage.
Therapeutic Principle
Traditionally selected when Lung and Stomach Yin are depleted from within — dry mouth, dry cough and scanty sputum without exterior signs — nourishing rather than dispersing, unlike Qing Zao Jiu Fei Tang and Sang Xing Tang, and milder than Bai He Gu Jin Tang's deeper Lung-Kidney tonification.
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
佐AssistantTreats accompanying patterns
桑葉Sang Ye6g
Mulberry Leaf- disperses wind-heat and moistens the lung
天花粉Tian Hua Fen10g
Trichosanthes Root- clears heat
- generates fluids and transforms phlegm
白扁豆Bai Bian Dou10g
White Hyacinth Bean- supports the formula's treatment strategy in this position
使EnvoyGuides and harmonises
Classical Composition
- Radix Glehniae (Bei Sha Shen) 10g
- Radix Ophiopogonis (Mai Men Dong) 10g
- Rhizoma Polygonati Odorati (Yu Zhu) 10g
- Folium Mori (Sang Ye) 6g
- Radix Trichosanthis (Tian Hua Fen) 10g
- Semen Lablab Album (Bai Bian Dou) 10g
- Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae (Gan Cao) 3g
Dosages follow the classical source and are shown for study, not as a prescription.
Related Conditions
Related Health Topics
Actions
- Nourishes lung and stomach yin
- generates fluids and moistens dryness.
Indications
- This formula is indicated for dryness damaging lung and stomach yin.
- Signs and symptoms include dry cough with scant phlegm, dry throat and mouth, and mild thirst.
Tongue & pulseThe tongue is red with little coating, and the pulse is fine.
Traditional Pathogenesis
Cause & mechanism
- This pattern is due to yin-fluid insufficiency that fails to moisten and restrain yang.
- Dryness damaging lung and stomach yin after warm disease or autumn dryness produces dry cough, dry throat and scant phlegm.
Clinical presentation
- Yin deficiency generates interior heat, producing dry throat, night sweating, a red tongue with little coating, and a fine, rapid pulse.
Treatment strategy
- The correct method is to enrich yin, moisten dryness, and clear deficiency heat.
- In this formula the emphasis is to nourish Lung and Stomach Yin, generate fluids and moisten dryness.
How does this formula compare?
Clinical Perspective
Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang nourishes internal Lung-Stomach Yin. Qing Zao Jiu Fei Tang and Sang Xing Tang clear exterior warm-dryness. Xing Su San is for cool-dryness. Bai He Gu Jin Tang is a stronger Lung Yin tonic for more chronic deficiency.
Clinical Differentiation
- Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang is used for dryness damaging lung and stomach yin, often after warm disease or in autumn dryness.
- The pattern is dry cough with scant phlegm and a dry throat, without the severe metal-dryness of Qing Zao Jiu Fei Tang or the lung-kidney dual tonification of Bai He Gu Jin Tang.
Safety notes: This formula is sweet and moistening. It is not appropriate for spleen deficiency with loose stools or for exterior wind-cold.
For educational reference only, based on traditional pattern differentiation — not a substitute for professional advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the actions of Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang?
Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang has the actions of nourishing Lung and Stomach Yin, generating fluids, and moistening dryness. It is primarily used for dryness injuring the Yin of the Lung and Stomach, often following a Warm disease or in autumn dryness.
Which modern diseases is Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang suited to?
Modern TCM clinical practice commonly applies it to individuals whose pattern differentiation falls within Lung and Stomach Yin deficiency with dryness, including post-viral dry cough, chronic dry throat or laryngopharyngitis, Sjögren’s syndrome (supportive), radiation-induced dryness, and atrophic gastritis with Yin deficiency signs.
Is Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang suitable for improving dry cough and dry throat?
For presentations of dry cough with little or no phlegm, dry throat and mouth, thirst, possible low-grade fever or dry stools, a red tongue with scanty coating, and a thin rapid pulse — in those whose pattern differentiation confirms Lung and Stomach Yin injury — TCM commonly applies Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang as an adjunct. It cannot replace standard medical treatment.
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Related Articles
Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang: Classic TCM Formula for Lung & Stomach Yin Deficiency & Dryness
Qing Zao Jiu Fei Tang: Classic TCM Formula for Warm-Dryness Damaging the Lungs, Dry Cough & Qi-Yin Injury
Bai He Gu Jin Tang: Classic TCM Formula for Lung & Kidney Yin Deficiency with Dryness
Sang Xing Tang: Classic TCM Formula for Dryness, Dry Cough & Lung Dryness
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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.