Alternative Names

• ban xia hou po tang
• pan hsia hou pu tang
• pinellia and magnolia bark decoction
• hange koboku to
• TJ16; TJ-16; TJ 16
• hange kobuku-to
• Hange-kōboku-tō
• 半夏厚朴湯
• はんげこうぼくとう
• bàn xià hòu pō wán
• 半夏厚樸丸

Benefits

• Addresses the sensation that there’s something stuck in the throat, but it can neither be swallowed or coughed out. In Chinese Medicine we call this “Plum Pit Qi”.

• This is known in biomedicine as “glomus hystericus”. “Glomus” means a lumpy object and “hystericus” suggests that it is part of an emotional disturbance. So, while some doctors might suggest that this sensation is “all in your head”, Chinese medicine would describe this condition as “all in your liver and spleen”.

There are other applications of this formula that do not require the sensation of something stuck in the throat. What this formula really does is dries damp and descends stuck qi. This action can also be helpful for coughing with white or clear phlegm with the sensation of something stuck in the chest. it is also used in Japan for sudden anxiety, depression, insomnia and palpitations that are accompanied by indigestion or edema.

The “liver” in Chinese medicine is sensitive to emotional stress. When you get angry, frustrated, impatient or depressed, the functions of the Chinese liver is are compromised. One of these functions is keeping things circulating. If anything is supposed to move in the body, it has some relationship to the liver.

This formula also targets the “spleen” function which is digestive in this context. When the digestion is inefficient, it can create a by-product called “dampness”. This often manifests as excessive fluids in the digestive tract (gurgling, indigestion, bloating). However what is created in the digestion is stored in the lungs, and so a big meal can cause phlegm in the lungs, and “phlegm nodules” elsewhere in the body.

Phlegm nodules can be bumps and lumps. (Step one: if you have unexamined bumps or lumps in your body, you should get those checked out by your doctor.) These phlegm nodules can be visible (such as lumps or bumps) or invisible (such as the sensation of lumps or bumps).

This is because dampness can arise as extra fluids in the body, or as something more like high-humidity internally. This high-humidity can cause a sensation of heaviness in the body, fatigue, lack of sensory acuity, etc.

When there is emotional stress PLUS internal dampness, the humidity or fluids can congeal into a phlegm nodule that arises in the throat. This is one of those “invisible” phlegm nodules that can’t be seen, but the sensation is most certainly there. Chinese medicine calls this “plum-pit qi” or “plum-pit syndrome”. It is the sensation of something being caught in your throat but there’s not actually anything there.

By regulating the liver (call it the nervous system in this context) and spleen (digestive functions), this formula can “transform phlegm” by stimulating the efficiency of the digestion and moving the phlegm out of the throat.

Ingredients

Ban Xia 半夏 pinellia rhizome, pinellia tuber Rhizoma Pinelliae Ternatae [supports pregnancy]

• This herb dries damp and supports the downward pushing action of the stomach. This addresses the phlegm at its source (digestion) and regulates the stomach functions when nausea, gurgling, or indigestion is part of the symptom picture. (The price of Ban Xia has gone up significantly in the last year.)

Hou Po 厚朴 magnolia bark Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis [use caution if pregnant]

• Magnolia bark is often added to formulas for bloating. Bloating is arises from dampness in the digestion and/or qi stagnation (stress induced neurological disturbances). It ends up benefiting the throat by moving the qi and helping ban xia above to dissipate the phlegm nodule in the throat.

Fu Ling 茯苓 sclerotium of tuckahoe, China root, hoelen, Indian bread Poria Cocos

• Another herb to support the digestion. This herb is also known to address the fluid type of dampness by stimulating urination to excrete it.

Sheng Jiang 生薑 fresh ginger rhizome Zingiberis Rhizoma

• The condition that this formula addresses often includes a propensity toward nausea. Raw ginger (sheng jiang) is an excellent herb to support digestive functions that settle the stomach when it is full of dampness as this condition assumes.

Zi Su Ye 紫蘇葉(紫苏叶) perilla leaf Folium Perillae Frutescentis [supports pregnancy]

• This herb assists the Hou Po above in descending the qi to remove the stagnation from the neck. Like ban xia and sheng jiang, it also regulates the stomach functions when nausea is part of this syndrome.

Eagle Herbs is now supplying a 2 gram “little spoon”. (Please wash and dry before using.)

• • An “average dose” is 10 grams per day of the granules. This means 5 “little spoons” or 20 capsules each day. Each capsule is 1/2 gram. 
  • A Big Dosage for Short-lived but intense issues: 3 little spoons (12 capsules) twice a day.
  • A Smaller Dosage for Lingering low-grade concerns: 2 little spoons (8 capsules) twice a day. 
  • If you are very sensitive to medicines: start out low (1/2 little spoon or 2 capsules) once per day, and raise the dosage each day.

  We find that people find the right dosage for themselves. We don’t know your body weight, your sensitivity etc… So take what feels good for you and you get the results you are looking for. Many people get great results with taking less. 

  Your order will last approximately this long:

  • 50 grams powder (100 capsules) : 4 to 14 days.
  • 100 grams powder (200 capsules) : 8 to 28 days