San Qi (Notoginseng Root, Pseudoginseng Root)

Chinese Herb Actions

Chinese Herb Dosage

• What is the dosage of San Qi (Tian Qi / notoginseng)?

  3–9 g in decoction; 1–3 g of the powder taken directly. San Qi is traditionally ground to a fine powder and swallowed (or applied topically to a wound) rather than decocted, as this is considered the most effective way to use it for bleeding.

  Source: owner’s Five Branches notes (1–3 qian in tea, better ground; powder 1–1.5 g) with standard materia medica ranges. Reference only — not a prescription.

Chinese Herb Combinations:

Chinese Herb Contraindications & Cautions

• Is San Qi safe? Are there cautions or contraindications?

  San Qi is contraindicated in pregnancy because it moves blood, and it should be used with caution where there is yin or blood deficiency without stasis. As a strong blood-moving herb it is not appropriate for bleeding that has no stasis component without careful pattern differentiation.

  Source: owner’s Five Branches notes (Contra: Pregnancy; caution in Yin & Blood Xu). See also Drug interactions below for perioperative and anticoagulant cautions.

Chinese Herb Toxicity & Overdose

• Low at normal therapeutic doses. San Qi is widely used and is regarded as well tolerated when dosed appropriately; in China it is even taken as a food-grade tonic. Excessive intake has been associated with nausea, vomiting, and, paradoxically, nosebleed, so it should be kept within customary doses.

  Source: materia medica consensus; adverse-effect note corroborated in the reviewed pharmacology literature (see Research). Not medical advice.

Herb-Drug Interactions

• Use caution with antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs (e.g. aspirin, clopidogrel, warfarin) and around surgery. Notoginseng saponins have documented antiplatelet activity in laboratory studies — notoginsenoside Fc inhibits platelet aggregation triggered by thrombin, collagen, and ADP — giving a plausible mechanism for an additive bleeding effect. Because of this blood-moving action, professional practice is to have a practitioner oversee combined use and to consider stopping San Qi before surgery.

  • What the clinical data show: a meta-analysis of 20 randomized trials (2,216 patients) found notoginseng preparations plus aspirin lowered platelet aggregation more than aspirin alone without a significant increase in bleeding-related events — reassuring, but antiplatelet activity is real and warrants caution.

  Sources: PMID 30459626 (notoginsenoside Fc antiplatelet mechanism); PMID 36569332 (notoginseng-plus-aspirin meta-analysis, platelet aggregation and bleeding events). Flagged for practitioner confirmation — individual anticoagulant regimens differ.

Western / Biomedical Research

Chinese Herb Clinical Studies & Research

Provided as research context — a summary of published biomedical study, not a therapeutic or medical claim.

• Is there modern research on San Qi (Panax notoginseng)?

  Yes — notoginseng is one of the more heavily studied Chinese herbs, and its research mirrors the traditional “stops bleeding without causing stasis” duality. Its characteristic saponins (notoginsenosides) show bidirectional regulation of coagulation and circulation: notoginsenoside Ft1 acts as a hemostatic (the most effective coagulant in vitro, shortening tail-bleeding time in animals) while also functioning as an endothelium-dependent vasodilator, and other saponins (e.g. Fc) inhibit platelet aggregation.

  • Limitations: reviewers note that much of this work remains in vitro, with in vivo confirmation and direct molecular targets still incomplete — so these are mechanisms of interest, not proven clinical effects.

  Sources: PMID 40061484 (narrative review, unique saponins & bidirectional hemostasis/circulation, DOI 10.1016/j.jgr.2024.12.005); PMID 30459626 (notoginsenoside Fc antiplatelet effect). Research context, not a therapeutic claim.

Chinese Herb Notes

• How is San Qi different from other bleeding herbs, and what is it combined with?

  San Qi is the strongest of the herbs that stop bleeding by transforming blood stasis, and is unusual in also reducing swelling and pain from trauma. Among the “transform stasis and stop bleeding” group it stands out for treating bleeding due to blood stasis most powerfully, while also being a leading herb for traumatic injury.

  How it compares:

  • vs Hua Rui Shi — both treat bleeding secondary to blood stasis, but San Qi is the stronger of the two.
  • vs Pu Huang & Qian Cao Gen — the other main stasis-transforming hemostatics; San Qi is favored where trauma, swelling, and pain accompany the bleeding.

  Common combinations: with Bai Ji (Rhizoma Bletillae) to stop bleeding, dispel blood stagnation, and generate flesh — used for vomiting of blood (per the current Sacred Lotus sources & references). San Qi is also the chief herb in the well-known hemostatic trauma formula Yunnan Bai Yao.

  Source: owner’s Five Branches notes (comparison of San Qi and Hua Rui Shi; category differentiation) and the current Sacred Lotus combination record.