SCHIZANDRA
Wu Wei Zi

 

Schizandra chinensis
‘Five Flavoured Seed’

Attributes and Domain
sour, warm; Lung, Kidney

Major therapeutic action
Strengthens the body, stops sweating, calms the mind, restrains leakage of fluids.


 Dosage
The typical proportion when added to a constitutional formula is 6:1 formula to addition (15 grams in 75- 90 grams of formula). If a stronger effect is desired more can be added. When used alone the dose is three grams twice daily.

Indications
o  Chronic cough or wheezing with weakness and lethargy.
o  Excess sweating.
o  Chronic diarrhoea, frequent urination, nocturia.
o  Forgetfulness and insomnia.
o  Used to normalise liver enzymes in chronic hepatitis (especially hepatitis C).

Cautions and contraindications
None noted.
Contraindicated in patterns with an acute cold or flu, and in acute coughs.

Combinations
o  With Si Jun Zi Tang for chronic weak cough with lethargy and possibly spontaneous sweating and digestive complaints.
o  With Liu Wei Di Huang Wan and Bu Gu Zhi & Yi Zhi Ren for excessive urination with weakness and lethargy.
o  With Yu Ping Feng San for excessive sweating and immune weakness with lethargy.