利水渗湿药

These herbs can treat 2 types of dampness.　The first section is dampness causing edema and/or congested fluids in the chest and digestive system.　These herbs are successful at treating edema below the waist in the lower extremities.　Acute edema should be combined with herbs that release the exterior while chronic edema should be combined with herbs that tonify spleen and kidney Qi.　The second section is dampness complicated with heat.　With this disorder there will be heat signs of fever, burning sensation, yellow discharges with stagnation symptoms of distention and fullness.　Lin syndrome (painful urination), Shi Wen (warm febrile disease), damp sores and Jaundice all fit under this category.

The main method of treatment is to induce diuresis so the excess heat will be drained out in the urine along with the excess water and fluids.　These herbs must be used with caution and special care must be used to make sure yin deficiency does not occur.


Section 1 Herbs that promote urination and reduce edema
利水消肿药

Fu Ling Properties: SWEET, BLAND - NEUTRAL
茯苓 　　　　　　　　　　Dosage: 9 - 15g
Hoelen fungus　　　　　　　　 Meridian: HEART, SPLEEN, LUNG
-promotes urination , drains damp　
-strengthen spleen, harmonize middle Jiao
-pacify heart and calms spirit

Fu Ling Pi
茯苓皮
the black skin of the Fu Ling fungal mass.
- the same as those of Fu Ling above, with difference that is stronger for draining damp.
Fu Shen
茯神
the part of the Fu Ling mass attached to the pine tree rootlets, and which may contain some embedded rootlets
- the same as those of Fu Ling, with difference that it is stronger in calm the mind

Zhu Ling 　　Properties: BLAND – COOL
猪苓 　　　　　　　 Dosage: 6 - 15g
Hog Fungus　　　　　　　　　　　　 Meridian: SPLEEN, KIDNEY, BLADDER
- promotes urination, drains turbid-damp
　edema, urinary difficulty (dysuria, strangury) (combine with Fu Ling)
diarrhea (combine with Bai Zhu)
- stop discharge and cloudy urination -lin syndrome
- treat Yang jaundice

Ze Xie Properties: SWEET, BLAND - COLD
泽泻 　　　　 Dosage: 6 - 15g
Water Plantain Root Meridian: KIDNEY, BLADDER
-promote urination, drains damp in lower Jiao
-drain damp-heat
-drain deficient kidney fire

Yi Yi Ren Properties: SWEET, BLAND - COOL
薏苡仁 　　　　　Dosage: 9 – 30g.
Seeds Of Jobs Ears Meridian: SPLEEN, LUNG, KIDNEY
-Promote urination, drain damp
-strengthen spleen, stops diarrhea (dry-fried herb is good for)
-expel wind-damp, relieve joint and muscle pain
-clear damp-heat and drain pus/ lung abscess and Intestine abscess (raw herb is good for)
*contraindicated during pregnancy
　edible herb

Dong Gua Pi Properties: SWEET　- COLD
冬瓜皮 　　　　 Dosage:　15 – 30g.
Winter Melon Peel　　　　　　 Meridian LUNG, SMALL INTESTINE
-Promote urination, reduce edema and clear heat/ edema, dysuria
-relieve summer-heat with scanty urine

Dong Gua Ren
冬瓜仁
-clear lung heat, expel phlegm, discharge pus
thick-sticky-yellow phlegm, lung abscess/intestine abscess, upper jiao obstruction
-clear heat, drain damp – leucorrhea

Chi Xiao Dou Properties: SWEET, SOUR　- NEUTRAL
赤小豆 　　　　　　　　　　Dosage: 5 – 10 g.
Aduki Bean Meridian HEART, SMALL INTESTINE
-clear heat, promote urination – abdominal fullness/swelling with edema
-relieve toxicity and discharge pus with dispersing blood stasis – reduce swelling and fire toxicity, sores, carbuncles
-clear damp heat – jaundice

Yu Mi Xu Properties: SWEET　- NEUTRAL
玉米须 　　　　　　　　　　Dosage: 30 – 60 g.
Cornsilk Meridian BLADDER, GALLBLADDER, LIVER
-promote urination, reduce edema – hot lin, stone lin, edema
-drain damp-heat and relieve jaundice- both Yin and Yang jaundice
-wasting, thirst disorder

Han Fang Ji　 Properties: BITTER, PUNGENT　- COLD
汉防己 　　　　　Dosage: 3 – 9 g.
Stephania Root Meridian: BLADDER, SPLEEN, KIDNEY
-promote urination, reduce edema – lower extremity edema, borborgymus, abdominal distention,
lower jiao bladder damp-heat accumulation
-edema in lower part of body


Section 2 Herbs that promote urination and relieve strangury
利尿通淋药

Che Qian Zi 　　　 Properties: SWEET　- COLD
车前子 　　　　　　　　　　Dosage:　9 – 15 g.
Plantago Seeds Meridian: KIDNEY, LIVER, LUNG
-promote urination, drain heat from bladder
-drain damp and stop diarrhea ,　
-clear/brighten eyes.
-clear lung heat – expel phlegm, stop cough

Hua Shi Properties: SWEET, BLAND - COLD
滑石 　　　　 Dosage: 10 - 15g
Talcum Powder Meridian: STOMACH, BLADDER
-promote urination, drain Heat from bladder,relieve strangury (damp-heat lin syndrome)
-clear heat, summer-heat and damp-heat through urine.
-absorbs dampness (oozing eczema) used topically.
*contraindicated during pregnancy

Dan Zhu Ye 　　　Properties: SWEET, BLAND　- COLD
淡竹叶 　　　　　　　　　 Dosage: 6 – 9g.
Lophatherum Stem and leaf　　 Meridian HEART, SMALL INTESTINE, STOMACH
-clear heat in stomach or heart and relieve irritability - irritable, cankers, swollen-painful gums
-promote urination – clear damp heat, lin syndrome
-heat in small intestine – irritability, dark red tongue tip

Mu Tong Properties: BITTER - COOL
木通 Dosage:　3 – 9g.
Akebia Vine Meridian: BLADDER, HEART, SMALL INTESTINE
-promote urination, drain heat from heart through the small intestine.
-promotes lactation, Un-blocks blood vessels.
*Toxic herb of acute nephritis or renal failure inducer

Tong Cao Properties: SWEET, BLAND　- COLD
通草 　　　　　Dosage: 5 – 10 g.
Rice Paper Pith Meridian: LUNG, STOMACH
-promote urination, clear heat – lin syndrome, damp warm-febrile disease
-promote lactation

Bian Xu Properties: BITTER - COOL
扁蓄 　　　　 Dosage: 9 - 15g.
Knot Weed 　　　Meridian: BLADDER
- promote urination, drain damp-heat and relieve stranguria/
damp heat in bladder hot lin, blood lin syndrome
-expels parasites
-itchy skin

Di Fu Zi Properties: SWEET, BITTER　- COLD
地肤子 　　　　 Dosage:　10 – 15g.
Broom Cypress Fruit 　　　　 Meridian:　BLADDER
-clear damp heat, promote urination – lin syndrome, hot lin. (lower jiao and bladder damp-heat)
-expel dampness, stop itch – damp skin disorder, eczema, scabies, genital itch.

Qu Mai Properties: BITTER　- COLD
瞿麦 　　　　　Dosage:　10 - 15g.
Dianthus 　　　　 Meridian: BLADDER, HEART, SMALL INTESTINE
- promote urination, drain heat and relieve stranguria
Damp Heat from bladder, lin syndrome- hot lin, blood lin, stone lin
- breaks up blood stasis to open menstruation.

Hai Jin sha 　　Properties: SWEET　- COLD
海金沙 　　　　　　　　Dosage: 6 – 12g.
Japanese Fern 　　　Meridian: BLADDER, SMALL INTESTINE
- promote urination, drain heat and relieve stranguria– pain urination with every kind of lin syndrome
-drain damp and reduce edema
-clear heat and toxic fire – swollen-painful throat

Shi Wei Properties: BITTER, SWEET　- COOL
石韦 　　　　　Dosage:　5 - 10g.
Pyrrosia Leaves Meridian: BLADDER, LUNG
- promote urination, drain heat and relieve stranguria (scanty and painful urination)
　　 drain damp heat from bladder, hot lin, , stone lin
-cool blood and stop bleeding (blood lin)
-clears lung. expel phlegm, relieve cough

Bi Xie Properties: BITTER　- NEUTRAL
萆解 　　　　　 Dosage:　9 – 15g.
Dioscorea Root　　　　Meridian: BLADDER, LIVER, STOMACH
-separates lucid from turbid, stop discharge/　　 cloudy urine and leukorrhea
-expel wind damp (cold and hot bi syndrome), relax sinews
-clear damp heat – skin disorders


Section 3 Herbs that clear damp-heat and reduce jaundice
利湿退黄药

Jin Qian Cao　 Properties: SWEET, BLAND　- NEUTRAL
金钱草 　　　　　　　　　　Dosage: 15 – 60g.
Lysimachia Whole Plant　　　Meridian: BLADDER, GALLBLADDER, KIDNEY, LIVER
- promote urination, drain heat and relieve stranguria and expel stone
most effective herb for stone lin and hot lin syndrome
-clears damp-heat, jaundice (yang or yin), red-swollen eyes/ liver-gallbladder damp-heat
-relieve toxicity and resolve swellings/ boils and snake bite

Yin Chen Hao　 Properties: BITTER, PUNGENT　- COOL
茵陈蒿 　　　　　　　　　　Dosage: 10 – 30g.
Downy wormwood Seedling Meridian: LIVER, SPLEEN, GALLBLADDER, STOMACH
-clear damp heat from liver and gallbladder, relieves jaundice (yang or yin)
-clear heat, Shao Yang Syndrome.