---
title: "Ma Huang"
url: "https://books.drcassone.com/21/traditional-medicines-of-east-asia/542/ma-huang"
---

 ![ma huang, ephedrae herba.jpg](/u/ma-huang-ephedrae-herba-aLztTP.jpg) 

# Ma Huang

### Ephedrae Herba

_acrid, slightly bitter, warm_

#### PRIMARY FUNCTION:

_**Releases the Exterior for Cold Attack**_

CLASSICAL MANIFESTATIONS:
- Chills
- Fever
- Headache
- Tight floating pulse
- Cough
- Wheeze
- Edema
- Sores

Ma Huang is acrid, slightly bitter, and warm to treat cold exterior
attacks (taiyang). It enters the bladder and lung systems to treat
common cold that may have edema, sores, and body aches. This
presentation does not include sweating.

Ma Huang acts as a powerful stimulant and bronchodilator. When
combined with caffeine and aspirin it has a truly thermogenic
effect (fat burning) but taking it this way is dangerous. It was
terribly abused for this purpose when diet companies over
promoted it resulting in numerous injuries including kidney
damage and stroke. The FDA unfortunately stepped in and made
this herb illegal.

**Channels:** lung, bladder

COMMON APPLICATIONS AND CLINICAL
POSSIBILITIES:
- Common cold
- Fever
- Cough
- Wheeze
- Skin abscess
- Poor circulation
- Allergies
- Eczema
- Rash
- Nephritis

**Formulas:**
- Da Qing Long Tang
- Die Da Wan
- Ding Chuan Tang
- Fang Feng Tong Sheng San
- Ge Gen Jia Ban Xia Tang
- Ge Gen Tang
- Gui Zhi Shao Yao Zhi Mu Tang
- Ma Huang Lian Qiao Chi Xiao Dou Tang
- Ma Huang Tang
- Ma Huang Xi Xin Fu Zi Tang
- Ma Xing Shi Gan Tang
- Mu Li San
- She Gan Ma Huang Tang
- Wu Hu Tang
- Wu Ji San
- Xiao Qing Long Tang
- Yang He Tang
- Yue Bi Tang

**Contraindications:** do not prescribe Ma Huang to patients
that present with spontaneous sweating or wheezing due to
kidney deficiency

**Zoo Image:** a porcupine with a headache and fever is going down a lung
escalator to a sauna to help his wheeze, his face is puffy, he urinated, and
there are ice cubes

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