Long Dan Xie Gan Tang

Gentiana Drain the Liver Decoction

Clear Liver Fire • Drain Damp-Heat • Regulate the Lower Burner • Calm Excess Patterns

Long Dan Xie Gan Tang is one of the most powerful classical formulas for clearing Liver and Gallbladder Damp-Heat. Traditionally used when excessive Heat combines with Dampness and obstructs the body’s pathways, it is especially valued for acute presentations involving irritability, inflammation, pain, itching, and signs of Heat accumulating in the upper and lower burners.

Unlike formulas that gently soothe Liver Qi or nourish Liver Blood, Long Dan Xie Gan Tang is designed for excess patterns—when stagnation has transformed into Fire and Dampness has accumulated. Its focused action makes it one of the most important formulas for situations where Heat is intense, symptoms are acute, and the Liver system is visibly expressing itself.

When patients present with headaches, red eyes, bitter taste, hypochondriac discomfort, genital or urinary irritation, or emotional symptoms accompanied by Heat, practitioners often consider Long Dan Xie Gan Tang.

Beyond traditional Liver and Gallbladder patterns, this formula has become widely used for modern presentations involving inflammatory flare-ups, recurrent Damp-Heat conditions, and stress-related symptoms with pronounced Heat signs.

Traditional Indications

• Liver and Gallbladder Damp-Heat
• Headaches from Liver Fire
• Red eyes
• Bitter taste
• Hypochondriac pain
• Irritability and anger
• Genital itching
• Painful urination
• Urinary Heat symptoms
• Damp-Heat skin presentations
• Menstrual symptoms with Heat and constraint

TCM Pattern

Liver/Gallbladder Damp-Heat with Excess Fire

Long Dan Xie Gan Tang clears Liver Fire, drains Damp-Heat, promotes urination, clears the lower burner, nourishes Blood, and protects Yin while resolving excessive Heat patterns.

Modern Clinical Applications

Many practitioners reach for Long Dan Xie Gan Tang when supporting patients experiencing:

• Acute Damp-Heat flare-ups
• Urinary discomfort with Heat signs
• Headaches and migraines with Liver Fire patterns
• Red eyes and facial Heat
• Stress-related irritability and anger
• PMS with anger, breast tenderness, and Heat signs
• Itching associated with Damp-Heat
• Genital Heat and irritation patterns
• Herpes flare patterns with Heat signs
• Inflammatory presentations involving Damp-Heat

Its ability to clear Heat from both the upper and lower burners makes it one of the most clinically versatile formulas for excess Liver patterns.

Ingredients

Long Dan Cao — 10%
Huang Qin — 10%
Zhi Zi — 10%
Chai Hu — 10%
Sheng Di Huang — 10%
Ze Xie — 10%
Mu Tong — 10%
Che Qian Zi — 10%
Dang Gui — 10%
Gan Cao — 10%

Based on classical ratios and standard modifications

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

Liver Constraint with Heat

60% Long Dan Xie Gan Tang + 40% Xiao Yao San

Excellent when chronic Liver Qi stagnation has transformed into Heat, combining emotional constraint, irritability, PMS symptoms, and inflammatory flare patterns.

Damp-Heat in the Lower Burner

50% Long Dan Xie Gan Tang + 50% Er Miao San

A favorite combination when Damp-Heat concentrates in the lower burner, with heaviness, swelling, itching, urinary discomfort, or inflammatory patterns.

Single Herb Pairings

For further customization, consider adding:

Bai Hua She She Cao — when stronger Heat clearing and detoxifying support is desired.

Jin Yin Hua — when infection-like Heat patterns, boils, or more pronounced toxicity signs are present.

Urban Herbs Practitioner Advantage

Every 16 oz amber bottle is designed for fast, customized dispensing in clinical practice. Blend Long Dan Xie Gan 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 Long Dan Xie Gan Tang on the Shelf

Every practitioner eventually encounters the patient who says,

"I am stressed, inflamed, irritated, and it feels like everything is flaring at once."

That patient often reflects the classic Long Dan Xie Gan Tang presentation.

Its ability to clear intense Liver Fire while draining Damp-Heat makes it one of the most important formulas for excess Liver patterns. Rather than simply calming symptoms, it addresses the underlying accumulation of Heat and Dampness that disrupts the body’s normal regulation.

Practitioners frequently reach for Long Dan Xie Gan Tang when supporting:

• Migraines with Liver Fire signs
• Red eyes and facial Heat
• Anger and irritability
• PMS with Heat and constraint
• Breast tenderness with Liver stagnation
• Urinary Heat presentations
• Damp-Heat itching
• Genital Heat patterns
• Acute inflammatory flare-ups
• Lower burner Damp-Heat conditions

Because Urban Herbs tinctures are designed for blending, Long Dan Xie Gan Tang becomes even more versatile when combined with formulas that soothe Liver Qi, strengthen digestion, resolve Dampness, or provide additional Heat-clearing support.

For many practitioners, it is one of the first formulas considered when Liver stagnation has crossed the line into Fire and Dampness begins creating visible symptoms.

One bottle. A timeless solution for clearing Liver Fire, draining Damp-Heat, and restoring balance.

Practitioner Snapshot

Category

Liver Fire & Damp-Heat Clearing Formulas

Primary Actions

• Clears Liver Fire
• Drains Damp-Heat
• Clears the Lower Burner
• Promotes Urinary Function
• Regulates Liver Qi
• Protects Yin and Blood

Best For

• Liver/Gallbladder Damp-Heat
• Headaches and migraines
• Red eyes
• Bitter taste
• PMS with anger
• Breast tenderness
• Urinary Heat patterns
• Itching
• Damp-Heat inflammation

Pairs Well With

• Xiao Yao San
• Er Miao San
• Jia Wei Xiao Yao San
• Yin Chen Hao Tang
• Long Dan Xie Gan Tang modifications

Clinical Personality

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Liver Fire Clearing
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Damp-Heat Draining
⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ Lower Burner Support
⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ Inflammatory Pattern Support
⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ Qi Regulation

Clinical Pearl

Long Dan Xie Gan Tang is one of the classic formulas every practitioner associates with the phrase “drain the Liver.” Its hallmark indication is a patient with obvious excess Heat—redness, irritability, inflammation, pain, and Dampness accumulating in the body’s pathways.

Its brilliance lies in its ability to address both Fire and Dampness simultaneously. While Long Dan Cao and the Heat-clearing herbs drain excess Fire, the draining herbs guide Damp-Heat downward, and Sheng Di Huang and Dang Gui help protect Blood and Yin from the formula’s strong clearing action.

For practitioners, Long Dan Xie Gan Tang remains one of the essential formulas for moments when stress, stagnation, and Dampness have transformed into a full Liver Fire presentation.