Fang Ji Huang Qi Tang — Stephania and Astragalus Decoction

On this page

1. Overview
2. TCM pattern
3. Key herbs
4. Conditions treated
5. Cautions

Overview

Fang Ji Huang Qi Tang — Stephania and Astragalus Decoction — is a classical formula from Zhang Zhongjing’s Jin Gui Yao Lue that simultaneously expels Wind-Damp from the exterior and joints while tonifying Wei Qi and Spleen Qi to address the underlying deficiency that made the patient vulnerable to Wind-Damp invasion. It is specifically designed for a clinical presentation that is relatively common but clinically challenging: a patient who is constitutionally deficient (with spontaneous sweating and fatigue), has oedema or heaviness of the limbs from Dampness accumulating below the surface, and has joint pain worsened by damp weather. The formula expels the pathogen outward while simultaneously strengthening the body’s defences — a combined expelling and tonifying strategy.

TCM pattern

Prescribed for Wind-Damp obstruction with underlying Spleen and Wei Qi deficiency, characterised by: joint pain (particularly in the knees and lower extremities) worsened by damp and cold weather, heaviness of the limbs, oedema (particularly below the waist), spontaneous sweating, fatigue, a pale swollen tongue with a white moist coating, and a floating, weak or slow pulse.

Key herbs

1. Fang Ji (Stephania tetrandra root) — the principal herb; powerfully promotes urination and drains Wind-Damp from the joints and lower body; particularly effective for oedema and joint pain from Dampness
2. Huang Qi (Astragalus membranaceus root) — the key supporting herb; tonifies Wei Qi to consolidate the exterior and stop spontaneous sweating; tonifies Spleen Qi to support fluid transformation
3. Bai Zhu (Atractylodes macrocephala rhizome) — tonifies Spleen Qi and dries Dampness; works with Huang Qi to strengthen the Middle Jiao
4. Zhi Gan Cao (honey-fried Glycyrrhiza root) — tonifies Qi and harmonises the formula
5. Sheng Jiang (fresh Zingiber officinale rhizome) — warms the Middle and assists in dispersing Wind-Damp
6. Da Zao (Ziziphus jujuba fruit) — nourishes Blood and Spleen Qi; harmonises

Conditions treated

1. Joint pain worsened by damp and cold in a constitutionally deficient patient with spontaneous sweating — the formula’s classical indication
2. Oedema and swelling of the lower limbs from Wind-Damp with Spleen Qi deficiency
3. Rheumatoid arthritis in a deficient patient where the typical Wind-Cold-Damp pattern is complicated by underlying Wei Qi deficiency and spontaneous sweating
4. Obesity with oedema from Spleen Qi deficiency and Damp accumulation
5. Chronic fatigue with joint heaviness and oedema from Spleen and Wei Qi deficiency with Damp

Cautions

Always consult a qualified Chinese herbalist registered with the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine (RCHM). Online herbal consultations are available. See the prices page for costs.