Tonifies the Blood and Regulates the Liver

• Dizziness, blurred vision
• Lustreless complexion and weak nails
• General muscle tension
• Palpitations
• Eye strain, floaters or poor vision at the end of the day
• Scanty menses or amenorrhea
• Lower abdominal and periumbilical pain.
• A pale tongue
• A thin, choppy pulse

• Also used for:
• Menorrhagia
• Hard abdominal masses with recurrent pain
• Restless foetus disorder
• Retention of lochia with a firm and painful abdomen and sporadic fever and chills

• The formula is made up of two groups of herbs:
• Shu Di Huang and Bai Shao Yao are the “Blood of the Blood”.
• Shu di strongly tonifies the Liver and Kidneys to nourish the Yin of the Blood, while Bai Shao tonifies the Blood and preserves the Yin.
• Dang Gui and Chuan Xiong are the “Qi of the Blood” and prevent the cloying nature of the first two herbs from causing stagnation.
• Dang Gui tonifies and invigorates Blood and is said to nourish the Yang of the Blood. It also moistens the intestines and regulates the Liver and Kidney relationship.
• Chuan Xiong invigorates Blood and moves Qi to release constraints and alleviate pain.

• Threatened miscarriage with bleeding: add Ai Ye and E Jiao
• Signs of Heat: swap Shu di Huang for Sheng di Huang
• For Blood stasis: swap Bai Shao Yao for Chi Shao Yao
• For concurrent Cold in the uterus: add Ai Ye and Xiang Fu
• For short menstrual cycles and afternoon fever: add Di Gu Pi and Mu Dan Pi

• This is the basic formula for tonifying Blood and regulating menstruation, and it nourishes Blood deficiency (mainly of the Liver).
• The dosages of the herbs can be adjusted to address the relative balance of Blood deficiency and constraint.
• With the appropriate presentation, the formula may be used for primary dysmenorrhoea, irregular menstruation, anaemia (of various types), threatened miscarriage, post-partum weakness, insufficient lactation, urticaria and neurogenic headaches.

• The formula is appropriate for moderate chronic conditions and not for acute, severe blood loss or other Blood deficiency patterns involving severe weakness or laboured breathing; when a formula such as Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang would be more appropriate.
• For patients with constitutional Spleen Yang (poor appetite, loose stools) the formula should include herbs to strengthen the middle Jiao.

Tonifies and Invigorates the Blood and regulates menstruation

• Dizziness, blurred vision
• Lustreless complexion and nails
• General muscle tension
• Scanty menses or amenorrhea
• Lower abdominal and periumbilical pain.
• Shortened menstrual cycles with dark-purple, sticky blood with or without clots
• A pale, mauve tongue
• A thin, wiry, choppy pulse

• Shu Di Huang and Bai Shao Yao are the “Blood of the Blood” and tonify the Liver and Kidneys to nourish and preserve the Yin of the Blood.
• Dang Gui and Chuan Xiong are the “Qi of the Blood” and they tonify and invigorate Blood and nourish the Yang of the Blood and regulates the Liver and Kidneys relationship.
• Tao Ren and Hong Hua assist the Qi of Blood dynamic and remove Blood stasis.

• For concurrent Cold in the uterus: add Ai Ye and Xiang Fu
• For short menstrual cycles and afternoon fever: add Di Gu Pi and Mu Dan Pi
• Nourish Yin and Yang: add Sang Ji Sheng (10-15)(nourishes Yin) and Tu Si Zi (6-12)(warms and strengthens Yang), as the combination assists in engendering Blood.
• Short cycle: (causes immature follicles and a thin endometrium) omit Shu Di Huang and replace with Sheng Di Huang (10-30).
• Palpitations & insomnia: add Bai Zi Ren (12), Suan Zao Ren (12) or Dan Shen (5).
• Liver Qi stagnation: increase Bai Shao Yao (15-20) and add Xiang Fu (9).
• Constipation: add Bai Zi Ren (10-15).

• For Blood deficiency and Blood stagnation leading to shortened menstrual cycles with copious bleeding of dark sticky blood (with or without clots).
• It’s also appropriate when menstruation is accompanied by abdominal pain and distension because of Blood deficiency and Blood stagnation,