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Minor Bupleurum

小柴胡湯 · xiǎo chái hú tāng

A foundational TCM formula for symptoms that come and go in waves. Alternating chills and fever, bad mood, sticky digestion.

What it's for

From the ancient Discussion of Cold Damage, this is the textbook formula for what TCM calls a half-exterior, half-interior pattern: alternating chills and feeling hot, a bitter taste, no appetite, nausea, and a heavy mood. Practitioners reach for it for the in-between feeling that comes with low-grade lingering illness, hormonal swings, or chronic stress that bounces between extremes. Also widely used in Japanese Kampo practice.

This formula is for you if…

  1. Hot then cold, cycling on and off

    alternating fever and chills, neither one settling

  2. Stuck under the ribs, hard to take a full breath

    fullness in the chest and sides, sighing a lot

  3. Queasy, off food, low mood

    nausea, bitter taste, no appetite, mild despondency

Best fit if at least 2 of these sound like you. The cycling between hot and cold is the key signal.

You might also notice

  • Dry throat
  • Dizziness
  • Heartburn or vomiting
  • Thin white tongue coating

Not your match if…

  • Your illness is on the surface only, with strong chills, body aches, and no internal signs
  • Your illness has moved deep, with high fever, strong thirst, and constipation
  • Your fever-chill cycling is from being run-down, not a stuck infection

What's in it

How to take it

Minor Bupleurum is sold ready-made as Minor Bupleurum Teapills (小柴胡丸).

Standard dose: 8 pills, 3 times a day.

We're working on a Field Guide–recommended source for this formula. In the meantime, look for Plum Flower brand at a TCM pharmacy or specialty retailer.

Talk to a qualified TCM practitioner before taking this regularly, especially if you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or take medication.

Safety

  • Designed for the lesser-yang pattern with alternating heat-and-cold and bitter taste. It's not the right pick for early-stage acute colds or for deep deficiency without the alternating quality.
  • Pinellia must be properly processed. Raw pinellia is toxic. Only use products from a reputable TCM source.
  • In Japan, long-term use of this formula has been linked to rare cases of interstitial pneumonia, particularly when combined with interferon. Talk to a clinician if you take immune-modulating medications.
  • Talk to a qualified TCM practitioner before using this regularly, especially if you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or take medication.

Interactions

  • Documented interaction with interferon (rare lung-injury cases reported). Talk to a clinician before combining with any immune-modulating drugs.