Actions
- Promotes sweating to dispel Wind Cold and release the exterior
- Generates fluids and releases the muscle layer.
Indications
- Chills and fever without sweating, aversion to cold
- Rigid or stiff neck and upper back muscles.
- Possible diarrhea or nausea, irritability or insomnia, or headache with mixed Tai Yang and Yang Ming syndromes.
Western Uses:
- Common Cold
- Influenza
- Stomach Flu
- Acute Cervical Myositis
- Headache
- Stiff Neck
- Frozen Shoulder
- Urticaria
- Allergic Rhinitis
- Early Stage Polio or Encephalitis
Ingredients
7 substances in Ge Gen Tang — each links to its full herb monograph.
Bai Shao6 gTonify Blood
Da Zao12 piecesTonify Qi
Gan Cao6 gTonify Qi
Ge Gen12 gCool, Spicy Herbs that Release the Exterior
Gui Zhi6 gWarm, Spicy Herbs that Release the Exterior
Ma Huang9 gWarm, Spicy Herbs that Release the Exterior
Sheng Jiang9 gWarm, Spicy Herbs that Release the ExteriorSafety — read before use
Use cautiously in cases with hypertension
Originally Appeared In:
- On Cold Damage (Shang Han Lun)
Sources & References
Compiled and edited by Thomas Dehli, Founder & Editor, Sacred Lotus
The information here is referenced from numerous sources — teachers, practitioners, class notes from Five Branches University, the books below, and the published research literature, with citations given as resolvable PubMed identifiers. Where sources disagree, I have flagged the discrepancies directly. If facts couldn't be verified, I have left them out. How we source our content.
Reference information for students and practitioners — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner. Terms of use.
Chinese Formulas Books & References
- https://amzn.to/4fYI3f8
- https://amzn.to/4j55NRA
- https://amzn.to/4gMROyv
- https://amzn.to/4h7msSK



