Da Qing Long Tang (Major Bluegreen Dragon Decoction)

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Indications

Western Uses:

• What is Da Qing Long Tang used for in modern practice?

  In modern practice, Da Qing Long Tang is referenced for a brief, severe febrile onset — high fever with marked chills, pronounced body aches, and restlessness, without any sweating — the kind of presentation seen at the very start of an acute viral illness such as influenza or a severe cold. Because Ma Huang contains ephedrine-type alkaloids, its traditional strong exterior-releasing and Lung-opening action has also led practitioners to reference the formula (usually modified) for cough/wheeze patterns involving both cold and heat.

  These biomedical correlates describe the formula’s traditional use pattern, not a claim that it treats any diagnosed disease. Given how potent it is, Da Qing Long Tang is traditionally used briefly, only for the acute excess-pattern window, and stopped once sweating begins (see cautions). Any use for a diagnosed condition belongs with a qualified practitioner and appropriate medical care.

  Source: traditional-use correlates summarized from Bensky & Barolet, Formulas & Strategies; reference only, not a treatment claim.

Originally Appeared In:

• On Cold Damage (Shang Han Lun)

Notes:

• How does Da Qing Long Tang compare to Ma Huang Tang, Xiao Qing Long Tang, and Yue Bi Tang?

  Da Qing Long Tang is built directly on Ma Huang Tang, with the addition of Shi Gao (plus Sheng Jiang and Da Zao) to address interior heat that a plain exterior-releasing formula cannot touch.

  • vs Ma Huang Tang: Da Qing Long Tang is essentially Ma Huang Tang with the Ma Huang dose roughly doubled, plus Shi Gao, Sheng Jiang, and Da Zao added. Use Ma Huang Tang for a plain exterior wind-cold excess pattern with no sweating and no interior heat; move to Da Qing Long Tang once restlessness/irritability (fan zao) signals trapped interior heat.
  • vs Xiao Qing Long Tang: both are “Bluegreen Dragon” decoctions built on a Ma Huang-and-Gui Zhi exterior-releasing core, but Xiao Qing Long Tang pairs that core with Gan Jiang, Xi Xin, Wu Wei Zi, Ban Xia, and Bai Shao to warm and transform congested phlegm/thin fluids in the Lungs (cough or wheeze with thin, watery sputum). It contains no Shi Gao and does not address interior heat.
  • vs Yue Bi Tang: Yue Bi Tang shares Ma Huang, Shi Gao, Sheng Jiang, Da Zao, and Gan Cao but drops Gui Zhi and Xing Ren; it targets wind edema/water swelling with heat rather than the severe, tightly bound exterior pattern with body aches that Da Qing Long Tang addresses.

  Source: Bensky & Barolet, Formulas & Strategies (formula-family comparisons); Sacred Lotus records for Ma Huang Tang and Xiao Qing Long Tang composition.

Clinical Studies & Research:

• Is there modern research on Da Qing Long Tang?

  Modern research on Da Qing Long Tang (also transliterated Daqinglong Decoction) is limited and mostly preclinical/analytical rather than clinical. Recent studies use mass-spectrometry profiling and network pharmacology to identify the formula’s active compounds and predict mechanisms, rather than testing it directly in patients.

  • Influenza (preclinical, network pharmacology): UPLC-Q-TOF/MS profiling combined with network pharmacology identified 121 compounds in Daqinglong Decoction, 5 with good binding to influenza-virus-related targets, with predicted mechanisms involving reduced inflammatory signaling (e.g., IL-10, TNF) and immune-pathway modulation (PI3K-Akt, HIF-1) (PMID 37962031).
  • Serum pharmacochemistry (preclinical): analysis of serum components after oral administration identified ephedrine, demethylephedrine, glycyrrhetinic acid, and related compounds as core active constituents, with predicted activity via MAPK, cAMP, and cGMP-PKG signaling pathways (PMID 35850846).

  Sources: PubMed 37962031; PubMed 35850846. Research context on the formula’s chemical/pharmacological profile, not a therapeutic claim; direct clinical-trial evidence is lacking.