Ku Shen
Sophorae Flavescentis Radix
bitter, cold
PRIMARY FUNCTION:
Clear Heat and Dry Dampness
CLASSICAL MANIFESTATIONS:
- Jaundice
- Dysentery
- Vaginal discharge
- Sores
- Skin lesions
- Itching
- Bleeding
- Genital itch
- Painful urinary dribbling
- Edema
- Parasites
Ku Shen is bitter to drain and detoxify damp pathologies and it is cold to treat heat patterns. It enters the bladder, small intestine, large intestine, stomach, heart, and liver systems.
Channels: heart, bladder, liver, large intestine, small intestine, stomach
COMMON APPLICATIONS AND CLINICAL POSSIBILITIES:
- Parasitic infection
- Jaundice
- Blood in stool
- Hemorrhoids
- Eczema
- Skin sores
- Itching
- Bladder infections
- Vaginitis
- Vaginal discharge
- Leukorrhea
- Sleep disturbance
- Antimicrobial
- Hepatitis
Formulas:
- Dang Gui Nian Tong Tang
- Xiao Feng San
Contraindications: do not prescribe Ku Shen to patients that present with cold from deficiency patterns and do not combine Ku Shen with Li Lu
Zoo Image: a cat in a sailboat is scratching, parasites are jumping off the boat which is floating in urine, and the lower part of the sail is red and dripping