Ephedra (ma huang)

Herba Ephedrae

Properties: Ephedra is pungent and slightly bitter in flavour, warm in nature and acting on the lung and urinary bladder channels. The pungent and the warm is dispersing cold. Ephedra has main effects of facilitating the circulation of the lung-qi, relieving exterior syndromes, alleviating asthma and inducing diuresis, with the strongest dispersing power. It is indicated for exterior syndromes of excess type affected by pathogenic wind-cold, dyspnea of excess type due to obstruction of the lung-qi, wind edema and anhidrosis.

Effects: Inducing sweating to dispel exopathogens, facilitating the circulation of the lung-Qi to relieve asthma, and inducing diuresis to remove edema.

Indication:

1.   For treatment of exterior syndromes of excess type affected by pathogenic wind-cold with symptoms of wind-cold type of common cold, aversion to cold, anhidrosis, fever and headache the herb is often used in combination with cinnamom twig such as Ephedra Decoction for strengthening the effect of dispersing wind-cold.

2.   Ephedra is often used in combination with apricot kernel to strengthen the effects of arresting cough and relieving asthma, such as Sanao Decoction, for treatment of dyspnea of excess type due to wind-cold attacked on the lung and impairment of ventilating and descending function of the lung; with pinellia tuber, dried ginger, asarum herb and other drugs to remove dampness, resolve phlegm, warm the lung and eliminate fluid retention. such as Xiao Qinglong Decoction, for treatment of cold fluid retention in the lung, stagnation of phlegm and Qi with abundant thin sputum; and with raw gypsum o clear heat from the lung, arrest cough and relieve asthma, such as Ma Xing Shi Gan Decoction, for treatment of heat of excess type in he lung, high fever and dyspnea.

3.  For treatment of initial edema mainly facial, with exopathogenic exterior syndromes, that is, wind edema, the herb is always used in combination with white atractylodes rhizome such as Yuebi Jiazhu Decoction for strengthening the effects of diuresis to remove edema.

Dosage and Administration: 1.5-10g. Raw herb is strong for inducing sweating, and stir-baked is mild for inducing sweating but better at relieving asthma.

Precautions: Patients with debility, hyperhidrosis and asthma of deficiency type should be prohibited to use Ephedra.    

Note: This herb is not allowed to use to people in some countries now.