Wu Ling San — Five-Ingredient Powder with Poria

On this page

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

Overview

Wu Ling San — Five-Ingredient Powder with Poria — is the classical Chinese herbal formula for promoting urination and resolving water accumulation from a failure of the Bladder’s Qi transformation (Qi Hua) function. Originating from Zhang Zhongjing’s Shang Han Lun, it addresses the situation where pathogenic Cold or internal Yang deficiency impairs the Bladder’s ability to transform and excrete fluids, causing them to accumulate as oedema, difficult urination, diarrhoea or gastric fluid retention. It is one of the most important formulas for managing fluid metabolism disorders in TCM and differs from Zhen Wu Tang in that it promotes urination more strongly and uses milder warming herbs, making it suited to less severe Yang deficiency conditions.

TCM pattern

Prescribed for failure of Bladder Qi transformation with water accumulation, characterised by: urinary difficulty or reduced urination, oedema of the lower limbs, thirst with a desire to drink but vomiting of fluids shortly after drinking (water rebelling upward), diarrhoea or loose stools, headache with a floating sensation, a pale tongue with a white moist coating, and a floating or slippery pulse.

Key herbs

1. Ze Xie (Alisma plantago-aquatica rhizome) — the principal herb (in the largest dose); the most potent urination-promoting herb; drains Damp-Heat from the Bladder and Kidney
2. Zhu Ling (Polyporus umbellatus sclerotium) — strongly promotes urination and drains Dampness
3. Fu Ling (Poria cocos) — promotes urination, tonifies Spleen and resolves Dampness
4. Bai Zhu (Atractylodes macrocephala rhizome) — tonifies Spleen Qi and dries Dampness; supports the Spleen’s water-transforming function
5. Gui Zhi (Cinnamomum cassia twigs) — the key Yang-warming herb; warms the Bladder Qi to restore its transforming function; also disperses Wind from the exterior

Conditions treated

1. Oedema and fluid retention from impaired Bladder Qi transformation
2. Urinary difficulty and reduced urination from Bladder Qi failing to transform fluids
3. Diarrhoea from water accumulation in the Intestines
4. Headache with nausea and vomiting from water retention and Qi rebellion in the Middle Jiao
5. Hyponatraemia (low sodium) and fluid imbalance conditions
6. Chronic oedema from cardiac or renal insufficiency used alongside conventional care
7. Meniere’s disease with vertigo, tinnitus and fluid accumulation pattern

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.