Herbs That Drain Downward

Herbs That Drain Downward:

  • Purgatives - constipation from interior-heat or interior-cold (both are interior excesses).
  • Moist laxatives - often nuts or seeds, lubricates the intestines; mild in nature - elderly or weakness from febrile disease or from child birth.
  • Harsh expellants - induce diarrhea; only for severe cases - injures the yin and qi; due to stagnation of fluids in thoracic or abdominal cavities or poor water metabolism.

Section Herbal Summary:

  • Da Huang, Mang Xiao, Fan Xie Ye - bitter, cold purgatives.
    • Da Huang - drains heat and purges accumulations, fire; reduces heat toxicity; clears heat from the stomach and intestines and reduces heat toxicity at blood level.
    • Mang Xiao - moistens dryness and softens hardness - hard and dry stool.
    • Fan Xie Ye - similar to Da Huang, good for edema.
  • Huo Ma Ren, Yu Li Ren - moistens intestines.
    • Huo Ma Ren - more gentle in action, nourishes, used in deficient disorders.
    • Yu Li Ren - stonger, promotes urination and treats edema; excessive disorders.
  • Gan Sui, Da Ji, Yuan Hua - severe edema and fluids in the abdomen and chest; only for short term usage.
    • Qian Niu Zi is more moderate in nature in this grouping; can be used for intestinal worms and food stagnation.

Chinese Herbsort icon Functions and Usage
Ba Dou (Croton Seed)
  • Vigorously purges, warmly unblocks - severe cold accumulation in the interior leading to constipation and abdominal fullness and pain.
  • Drives out water and reduces edema - ascites.
  • Bursts clogged phlegm and improves condition of throat - difficult breathing due to phlegm in the throat, wheezing.
  • Promotes healing of abscesses and ulcers - topically, accelerates ulcerating process.
Da Huang (Rhubarb)
  • Drains heat and purges accumulations - high fever, profuse sweating, thirst, constipation, abdominal distention and pain, delirium, yellow tongue coating, full pulse which indicates intestinal heat excess or yang ming stage illness.
  • Drains heat from the blood - blood in the stool from bleeding hemorrhoids or heat in the intestine; vomting blood or nosebleed accompanied by constipation; painful eyes or fire toxin sores due to heat in the blood level.
  • Drains damp-heat via the stool - jaundice, dysentery, lin syndrome.
  • Invigorates the blood and dispels blood stasis - amenorrhea, abdominal masses, fixed pain due to blood stasis (recent and long-term blood stasis).
  • Clears heat and reduces fire toxicity - for burns, hot skin.
Fan Xie Ye (Senna)
  • Drains downward, guides out stagnation - constipation due to heat.
  • Can also be used as a diet tea (1.5-3g).
Gan Sui (Kan Sui Root)
  • Drains water downward, drives out congested fluid - fluid in the chest and abdomen, general edema; violent passing of water through the anus.
  • Clears heat, reduces swellings - swollen, painful skin lesions due to damp-heat.
Huo Ma Ren (Hemp Seeds)
  • Moistens and nourishes the intestines - constipation in the elderly, aftermath of a febrile disease, postpartum, and in cases of blood deficiency.
  • Mildly nourishes yin - constipation with yin deficiency.
  • Clears heat - promotes healing of sores (orally or topically).
Lu Hui (Dried Aloe Leaf Juice)
  • Drains fire and guides out accumulation - constipation, dizziness, red eyes, irritability; good for chronic cases.
  • Kills parasites, strengthens stomach - roundworms and ringworms.
  • Clears heat and cools the liver - epigastric discomfort, dizziness, headache, tinnitus, irritability, constipation, and fever due to heat in the liver channel.
Mang Xiao (Glauber's Salt)
  • Purges accumulations, guides out stagnation - heat in the stomach and intestines with constipation; moistens dryness and softens hardness.
  • Clears heat, reduces swelling - red, swollen, painful eyes, mouth, and/or throat; red, swollen skin lesions including breast problems.
Qian Niu Zi (Morning Glory Seed)
  • Drives out water - for heat accumulation in the stomach or intestines, severe constipation, abdominal distention, urinary difficulty (water is expelled through urine and stool).
  • Unblocks the bowels and removes accumulations - constipation due to accumulation and stagnation of damp-heat in the stomach and intestines.
  • Drives out phlegm and congested fluids - cough, wheezing, chest fullness.
  • Expels intestinal parasites and reduces food stagnation - roundworm or tapeworm infestations and food stagnation.
Shang Lu (Poke Root)
  • Drives out water through the urethra and anus - edema associated with severe constipation and urinary difficulty.
  • Reduces sores and carbuncles (topically).
Yu Li Ren (Bush Cherry Pit)
  • Moistens intestines, unblocks the bowel - constipation due to qi stagnation in intestines.
  • Promotes urination and reduces edema in the legs.
Yuan Hua (Genkwa Flower)
  • Drains water downward, drives out congested fluid - cathartic and diuretic - fluids in the chest and abdomen.
  • Kills parasites - topically for ringworm.