Dong Quai
当归 · Dāng Guī
Builds blood and eases painful periods
Properties
WarmingWarming botanicalSweet, Pungent
What it does
Dang Gui rebuilds blood for the fatigue, dizziness, and pale complexion that come from menstrual loss or postpartum depletion. In TCM, it both nourishes blood and moves it, easing painful periods, irregular cycles, and stuck-blood pain. Sometimes called 'the women's ginseng,' it's the lead herb in Si Wu Tang. It also moistens the intestines for blood-deficient constipation.
Safety
- Don't self-prescribe in pregnancy. TCM uses it in formulas, but Western texts often rule it out
- May increase bleeding risk with anticoagulants like warfarin
- Stop 7 days before surgery. AHPA notes it can slow blood clotting
- Skip with heavy menstrual flow or active diarrhea
- Talk to your doctor before starting, especially if you take medication
How to take it
Decoct 6–12g of dried Dang Gui in 4 cups water for 30 minutes. Drink 1 cup, 1–2x daily. Common in chicken-and-Dang-Gui soup for postpartum recovery.
Try a Dang Gui chicken soup during the week after your period
Take a standardized Dang Gui capsule (typically 500–1000mg) once or twice daily with food. Look for products labeled with ferulic acid content.
Try a daily capsule during the week before your period for cramp support
Formulas it's in
Dong Quai & Peony
當歸芍藥散 · dāng guī sháo yào sǎn
For steady cramping period pain that comes with puffiness and low energy.
Drive Out Blood Stasis
血府逐瘀湯 · xuè fǔ zhú yū tāng
For the fixed, piercing pain and emotional storms of blood stasis in the chest
Eight Treasure
八珍湯 · bā zhēn tāng
The classic TCM double-tonic for when your energy and blood are both running low at the same time.
Eliminate Wind
消風散 · xiāo fēng sǎn
For weepy, red, intensely itchy skin eruptions spreading over large areas of the body.
Four Substances
四物湯 · sì wù tāng
The foundational TCM formula for nourishing blood. Often called the women's tonic.
Free and Easy Wanderer
逍遙散 · xiāo yáo sǎn
One of the most-prescribed TCM formulas in the world, used for stress, PMS, and the feeling of being emotionally stuck.
Gentian to Drain the Liver
龍膽瀉肝湯 · lóng dǎn xiè gān tāng
A strong cooling formula for burning urination, itchy genital rashes, and red, sore eyes.
Modified Free & Easy Wanderer
加味逍遙散 · jiā wèi xiāo yáo sǎn
The variant of Free and Easy Wanderer for when liver tension has tipped into irritability and heat.
Restore the Right Kidney
右歸丸 · yòu guī wán
A deep warming tonic for long-term exhaustion with cold limbs and an aching lower back.
Restore the Spleen
歸脾湯 · guī pí tāng
TCM's classical formula for the trifecta of anxious overthinking, exhaustion, and poor sleep.
Tonify the Heart
天王補心丹 · tiān wáng bǔ xīn dān
For insomnia, palpitations, and anxiety when Heart yin and blood are running dry
Tonify the Middle & Augment Qi
補中益氣湯 · bǔ zhōng yì qì tāng
TCM's foundational formula for low energy that comes from the digestion being run-down for a long time.
Warm the Menses
溫經湯 · wēn jīng tāng
A TCM formula for cold in the uterus with irregular periods, lower belly chill, and a mix of cold and heat signs.
Where it comes from
Dang Gui (Angelica sinensis) is one of the most-used women's herbs in TCM, with cultivation centered in Gansu province. The Chinese name Dāng Guī roughly translates to 'should return,' a romantic reference from a Tang Dynasty poem about a husband's hoped-for return. It's the lead herb in Si Wu Tang (Four Substance Decoction), the foundational blood-tonic formula prescribed worldwide for menstrual irregularities. One systematic review covers safety in pregnancy.