Ge Gen Huang Lian Huang Qin Tang (Kudzu, Coptis, and Scutellaria Decoction)

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Indications

Western Uses:

• What is Ge Gen Huang Lian Huang Qin Tang used for in modern practice?

  In modern practice, this formula (usually studied under the name Gegen Qinlian Decoction, GQD, sometimes modified with additional herbs) is researched mainly for ulcerative colitis and type 2 diabetes — conditions whose gut inflammation and heat-type presentations loosely correspond to the traditional damp-heat diarrhea pattern the formula was written for.

  These biomedical correlates are offered as a reference to the formula’s traditional use, not as a claim that it treats any diagnosed disease. Much of the supporting clinical evidence comes from Chinese-language trials of variable methodological quality, and several trials used formulas modified beyond the classic four ingredients (see research). 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, and the research literature below; reference only, not a treatment claim.

Originally Appeared In:

• On Cold Damage (Shang Han Lun)

Notes:

• How is Ge Gen Huang Lian Huang Qin Tang different from Huang Qin Tang and Bai Tou Weng Tang?

  All three formulas clear damp-heat diarrhea/dysentery, but they differ by whether exterior symptoms remain and how severe the interior heat-toxin is.

  • vs Huang Qin Tang: Huang Qin Tang treats damp-heat diarrhea without lingering exterior signs; Ge Gen Huang Lian Huang Qin Tang adds Ge Gen specifically because fever and sweating are still present, releasing the residual exterior while raising clear yang to stop the diarrhea.
  • vs Bai Tou Weng Tang: Bai Tou Weng Tang is used for more severe damp-heat-toxin dysentery, with blood and pus in the stool and marked tenesmus — a deeper, more toxic presentation than the diarrhea this formula addresses.

  Source: Bensky & Barolet, Formulas & Strategies (comparative formula analysis).

Clinical Studies & Research:

• Is there modern research on Ge Gen Huang Lian Huang Qin Tang?

  Yes — under the name Gegen Qinlian Decoction (GQD), it has a substantial clinical literature focused mainly on ulcerative colitis and type 2 diabetes, though trial quality is mixed and many studies use formulas modified beyond the classic four herbs.

  • Ulcerative colitis (systematic review): a review of 22 RCTs (2,028 patients) found GQD alone or combined with western medicine improved clinical effective rate (RR 1.21) and reduced recurrence versus western medicine alone, with fewer adverse events, though the authors judged trial quality too poor for a definitive conclusion (PMID 31876740).
  • Ulcerative colitis (meta-analysis, combined with mesalazine): a 2025 meta-analysis of 15 RCTs (1,428 patients) found GQD added to mesalazine improved total clinical effective rate versus mesalazine alone (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.16–1.28) (PMID 40725879).
  • Type 2 diabetes (double-blind RCT): a 120-participant double-blind trial of a modified, 7-herb GQD (adding Wuweizi, Zhimu, and Ganjiang to the classic four) found reduced HbA1c and fasting/postprandial glucose versus placebo over 12 weeks, associated with enrichment of the gut bacterium Faecalibacterium and increased short-chain fatty acids (PMID 38495337).

  Sources: PubMed 31876740; PubMed 40725879; PubMed 38495337. Research context, not a therapeutic claim; note that several cited trials used the formula modified with additional herbs rather than the classic four-ingredient decoction.