Yi Wei Tang — Benefit the Stomach Decoction
On this page
- Overview
- TCM pattern
- Key herbs
- Formula actions
- Conditions treated
- Comparisons with related formulas
- Modifications
- Cautions
Overview
Yi Wei Tang — Benefit the Stomach Decoction — is from Wu Jutong’s Wen Bing Tiao Bian (Systematic Differentiation of Warm Diseases, 1798), the foundational Qing-dynasty text on the warm-disease school. It was designed to restore Stomach Yin after a febrile illness has burned away the fluids of the middle burner.
The pattern Wu Jutong addressed — hunger but no appetite, dry mouth, dry retching, slight constipation, red tongue with little coat — remains exceptionally common today, particularly after viral illness, prolonged fevers, post-COVID recovery, the aftermath of antibiotics, in older adults, in Long COVID, and in patients on long-term medication. It is the cleanest classical formula for the gentle, focused task of nourishing Stomach Yin.
Yi Wei Tang is built from the “five Yin-nourishing” herbs: Sha Shen, Mai Men Dong, Sheng Di, Yu Zhu and Bing Tang (rock sugar). Each is sweet and cool, moistens dryness and gently nourishes fluid without burdening digestion or generating Damp.
I prescribe Yi Wei Tang as part of bespoke herbal formulas from pharmaceutical-grade granules sourced from Sun Ten in Taiwan.
TCM pattern
Yi Wei Tang is prescribed for Stomach Yin deficiency:
- Hunger but no appetite — the classical “Stomach Yin” sign; the Stomach is empty but the patient cannot eat
- Dry mouth and throat, especially after rising
- Mild dry retching or low-grade nausea without vomit
- Slight constipation with dry, formed stool
- Mild low-grade fever or feeling of warmth in the afternoon
- Burning or empty sensation in the epigastrium
- Mouth ulcers in some cases
- Reduced thirst with desire for small sips (rather than large gulps)
- Tongue — red, dry, with little or peeled coat (a smooth, “mirror” tongue in chronic cases)
- Pulse — thin, slightly rapid, weak
The pattern is classically the aftermath of a warm-pathogen disease but in modern practice arises after any febrile illness, prolonged courses of antibiotics, chronic constipation, in dehydration, in older adults with naturally diminishing fluids, after chemotherapy or radiotherapy, in chronic gastritis, and as part of the picture in Long COVID.
Key herbs
- Sha Shen (Glehnia littoralis or Adenophora) — nourishes Stomach and Lung Yin; gently moistens dryness
- Mai Men Dong (Ophiopogon japonicus) — nourishes Stomach, Lung and Heart Yin; one of the most important Yin-nourishing herbs
- Sheng Di Huang (Rehmannia glutinosa fresh) — nourishes Yin and cools Blood
- Yu Zhu (Polygonatum odoratum) — gently nourishes Stomach and Lung Yin
- Bing Tang (rock sugar) — sweet, nourishes Stomach Yin, harmonises and pleasant for patients
Formula actions
- Nourishes Stomach Yin
- Generates fluids
- Resolves mild dryness and low-grade heat in the middle burner
- Restores appetite by replenishing fluids that the Stomach needs to receive food
Conditions treated
- Stomach Yin deficiency after febrile illness — the classical indication
- Post-viral fatigue with reduced appetite — including Long COVID with appetite changes
- Recovery from gastroenteritis, food poisoning, antibiotics
- Chronic atrophic gastritis with dry stomach and decreased acid
- Recovery from chemotherapy with mouth dryness, mouth ulcers and reduced appetite
- Sjögren’s syndrome and dry-mouth conditions (alongside conventional management)
- Diabetes (xiao ke) with prominent thirst and dry mouth
- Functional dyspepsia with hunger but no appetite, dry retching — see acid reflux and digestive disorders
- Anorexia and recovery from eating disorders — supporting Stomach Yin in restored eating
- Constipation in elderly patients from Yin deficiency with dry stools
- Dry retching in pregnancy — see morning sickness
- Persistent nausea from Stomach Yin deficiency
Comparisons with related formulas
- Mai Men Dong Tang — for Lung and Stomach Yin deficiency with prominent cough; closely related but emphasises Lung. Yi Wei Tang focuses on the middle burner.
- Sheng Mai San — for Qi and Yin deficiency from heat injury; better when fatigue and breathlessness are prominent.
- Sha Shen Mai Men Dong Tang — broader Yin-nourishing formula covering Lung and Stomach Yin together.
- Yu Nu Jian — for Stomach Yin deficiency with empty-Heat causing bleeding gums and ulceration.
- Zeng Ye Tang — for Yin deficiency with prominent dry constipation. Sometimes combined with Yi Wei Tang for both digestive and bowel symptoms.
Modifications
- For prominent dry constipation, combine with Zeng Ye Tang or add Xuan Shen and Sheng He Shou Wu
- For lingering low-grade heat, add Di Gu Pi and Yin Chai Hu
- For nausea, add small amounts of Zhu Ru and Pi Pa Ye
- For mouth ulcers, add Sheng Shi Gao and Huang Lian (small dose)
- For Qi deficiency overlay (chronic fatigue), add Tai Zi Shen and Huang Qi
- For very dry mouth and Sjögren’s pattern, add Shi Hu and Tian Hua Fen
- For chronic atrophic gastritis, add Bai Shao and Zhi Gan Cao to soften the Liver and pair Yin
Cautions
Not appropriate during damp-pattern digestive disorders — the sweet, moistening herbs will worsen Damp signs (thick tongue coat, bloating, loose stools, heavy head).
Not appropriate during acute infection or with thick yellow tongue coat.
Use with caution in diabetes if rock sugar (Bing Tang) is included — substitute with sugar-free preparations if needed.
Generally safe in pregnancy and in older adults — this is one of the gentler classical formulas.
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.
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