Si Wu Tang
Four Substance Decoction
- Category
- Formulas that Tonify
- Subcategory
- Formulas that Tonify the Blood
- Ingredients
- 4 herbs
Actions
- Tonifies and invigorates the blood
- Regulates the Liver, harmonizes the menses, and alleviates pain.
Indications
- Irregular menstruation with scanty flow, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, lower abdominal or periumbilical pain, and PMS
- Dizziness, fatigue, tinnitus, blurred vision, palpitations, and pale nails and complexion
- Painful and hard abdominal masses, threatened miscarriage, and lochioschesis.
Western Uses:
- Dysmenorrhea
- Irregular Menstruation
- Pre-Menstrual Syndrome
- Anemia
- Threatened Miscarriage
- Post Partum Weakness
- Insufficient Lactation
- Urticaria
- Neurogenic Headache
Ingredients
4 substances in Si Wu Tang — each links to its full herb monograph.
Bai Shao9-15 gTonify Blood
Chuan Xiong3-6 gInvigorate Blood and Remove Stagnation
Dang Gui9-12 gTonify Blood
Shu Di Huang9-21 gTonify BloodPreparation & dosage
Decoction.
Safety — read before use
This formula is heavy and cloying and should not be used in cases with loose stool, poor appetite, and indigestion due to Spleen Qi/Yang deficiency
Originally Appeared In:
- Imperial Grace Formulary of the Tai Ping Era (Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang)
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



