Da Chai Hu Tang

Major Bupleurum Decoction

Harmonize Shaoyang • Clear Interior Heat • Restore Digestive Flow

Da Chai Hu Tang is the classical formula for patients caught between the exterior and interior—where an unresolved Shaoyang disorder has progressed into Yangming Heat. It harmonizes the Shaoyang while simultaneously clearing Heat, relieving constipation, and restoring the smooth movement of Qi through the digestive system.

This formula is especially valuable when patients present with alternating chills and fever alongside digestive symptoms such as nausea, abdominal fullness, constipation, or rib-side discomfort. Rather than choosing between harmonizing or purging, Da Chai Hu Tang skillfully accomplishes both, making it one of the most versatile formulas for complex gastrointestinal presentations.

For practitioners, it remains an indispensable formula whenever trapped Heat and constrained Shaoyang patterns coexist.

Traditional Indications

• Alternating chills and fever
• Hypochondriac (rib-side) fullness
• Chest oppression
• Nausea and vomiting
• Bitter taste in the mouth
• Constipation
• Abdominal distention
• Dry stool
• Irritability
• Shaoyang disorder with interior Heat

TCM Pattern

Shaoyang Disorder with Yangming Heat

Da Chai Hu Tang harmonizes the Shaoyang, clears Heat from the Yangming, directs rebellious Stomach Qi downward, breaks up Qi stagnation, and gently purges accumulated Heat from the intestines.

Modern Clinical Applications

Many practitioners reach for Da Chai Hu Tang when supporting patients experiencing:

• Acute digestive inflammation
• Functional constipation with Heat
• Gallbladder dysfunction
• Biliary congestion
• Irritable bowel symptoms with constipation
• Post-infectious digestive disorders
• Acid reflux accompanied by Heat signs
• Nausea with abdominal fullness
• Rib-side pain with digestive symptoms
• Lingering febrile illness with constipation

Its ability to harmonize and purge simultaneously makes it especially useful for patients who appear "stuck"—where pathogens remain unresolved while Heat accumulates internally.

Ingredients

• Chai Hu — 20%
• Huang Qin — 15%
• Zhi Ban Xia — 15%
• Sheng Jiang — 10%
• Da Zao — 10%
• Bai Shao — 10%
• Zhi Shi — 10%
• Da Huang — 10%

Crafted using our signature Two-Cured Decoction™ process—combining a traditional hot water decoction with a secondary high-proof alcohol extraction—to capture both water-soluble and alcohol-soluble herbal constituents for a full-spectrum tincture.

Practitioner Favorites

Lingering Shaoyang Disorder

60% Da Chai Hu Tang + 40% Xiao Chai Hu Tang

An excellent combination for prolonged illnesses where unresolved Shaoyang symptoms coexist with developing internal Heat and digestive stagnation.

Digestive Heat + Nausea

50% Da Chai Hu Tang + 50% Huang Qin Tang

Ideal for patients presenting with nausea, abdominal discomfort, diarrhea or constipation, and significant gastrointestinal Heat.

Single Herb Pairings

For further customization, consider adding:

• Hou Po — when abdominal bloating, fullness, and Qi stagnation are especially pronounced.
• Huo Xiang — for persistent nausea, poor appetite, and damp turbidity affecting the Stomach.

Urban Herbs Practitioner Advantage

Every 16 oz amber bottle is designed for fast, customized dispensing in clinical practice. Blend Da Chai Hu Tang with complementary formulas to create individualized prescriptions in minutes—giving your patients the convenience of a liquid tincture while providing your practice with a flexible, space-saving herbal pharmacy.

Double-extracted. Ready to dispense. Built for practitioners.

Why Practitioners Keep Da Chai Hu Tang on the Shelf

Some patients don't fit neatly into one pattern.

They still have signs of an unresolved exterior illness—alternating chills and fever, rib-side discomfort, or a bitter taste in the mouth—but they've also developed constipation, abdominal fullness, nausea, and internal Heat.

This is where Da Chai Hu Tang excels.

Rather than forcing the practitioner to choose between harmonizing or purging, this classical formula does both. It releases what remains trapped in the Shaoyang while clearing accumulated Heat from the Yangming, making it one of the most clinically useful formulas for transitional disease stages.

Practitioners frequently reach for Da Chai Hu Tang when treating:

• Lingering viral illnesses with digestive involvement
• Gallbladder and biliary dysfunction
• Constipation accompanied by Heat
• Rib-side fullness
• Digestive inflammation
• Nausea with abdominal distention
• Patients who alternate between feeling hot and cold
• Complex digestive presentations with mixed excess patterns

Because Urban Herbs tinctures are designed for blending, Da Chai Hu Tang becomes an incredibly adaptable formula for gastrointestinal practice. It pairs seamlessly with formulas that harmonize the Shaoyang, clear Heat, resolve Dampness, or support digestive recovery.

For practitioners who routinely treat digestive disorders, this is one of the most valuable formulas to keep within easy reach.

One bottle. The bridge between harmonizing and purging.

Practitioner Snapshot

Category

Shaoyang Harmonizing Formulas

Primary Actions

• Harmonizes Shaoyang
• Clears Yangming Heat
• Directs Rebellious Qi Downward
• Relieves Constipation
• Resolves Qi Stagnation
• Supports Healthy Digestion

Best For

• Alternating chills and fever
• Rib-side fullness
• Nausea
• Constipation
• Digestive Heat
• Gallbladder disorders
• Functional digestive inflammation
• Post-infectious digestive recovery

Pairs Well With

• Xiao Chai Hu Tang
• Huang Qin Tang
• Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang
• Da Cheng Qi Tang
• Wen Dan Tang

Clinical Personality

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Shaoyang Harmonizing
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Heat Clearing
⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ Digestive Regulating
⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ Qi Descending
⭐⭐⭐☆☆ Gentle Purging

Clinical Pearl

Da Chai Hu Tang is one of the few formulas that confidently treats two stages of disease at once. When a patient presents with lingering Shaoyang symptoms—alternating chills and fever, rib-side tension, or nausea—alongside constipation or signs of interior Heat, it provides a balanced approach that harmonizes without trapping the pathogen and purges without overtaxing the patient. This dual action makes it an invaluable formula for modern practitioners treating complex digestive and post-infectious cases.