Six Gentlemen
六君子湯 · liù jūn zǐ tāng
The qi tonic when poor appetite and fatigue are joined by nausea and a wet cough
What it's for
Six Gentlemen is Four Gentlemen plus two herbs for when the Spleen can no longer hold dampness at bay. The two additions are tangerine peel, which moves qi (your body's vital energy) and dries dampness in the middle burner, and pinellia, which dissolves accumulated phlegm and settles the Stomach's rebellious upward movement that drives nausea and vomiting. The result is the standard formula when low energy and poor appetite are packaged with nausea, epigastric bloating, or a cough with thin white phlegm. It is among the most commonly prescribed formulas in clinical practice for this combined picture.
Signs this formula is a fit
At least 2 of the 3 main signs below should sound like you. The pale tongue with deficiency signs is what separates this from a heat pattern.
Main signs
Deep fatigue with very poor appetite
food sounds unappealing, you fill up quickly, or you eat and feel nothing from it
Nausea or vomiting
stomach that rebels upward, not heat-related nausea
Cough with copious thin, white phlegm
phlegm is watery and easy to expectorate, not thick or yellow
Extra signs
- Focal distention or stifling sensation in the epigastrium or chest
- Loose or soft stools
- Pale, wan complexion
- Pale tongue with white, possibly slightly greasy coating
- Soft, slippery, or weak pulse
Signs it isn't
- Your nausea or vomiting is from heat: red tongue, bitter taste, yellow coating
- Your cough has thick, yellow, or green phlegm
- You feel hot, restless, and thirsty for cold drinks
What's in it
Safety
- Not recommended in pregnancy without practitioner supervision, because of the licorice root.
- Contains licorice. Avoid with high blood pressure, edema, low potassium, or heart, liver, or kidney disease.
- Not for prolonged daily use at high doses without practitioner supervision.
- Contains prepared pinellia (zhi ban xia). Raw pinellia is toxic, so buy from a reputable maker.
- Not for nausea or cough from heat or excess patterns; look for a pale tongue and deficiency signs.
- Long-term use can cause dry mouth, thirst, or irritability, a sign it is drying you out.
- Not suited to a dry, hacking cough with little sputum.
- Ginseng can raise blood pressure in some people; those with hypertension should monitor carefully.
- Ginseng may interact with blood thinners, MAOI antidepressants, and diabetes medication.
- Licorice root at high or long-term doses can interact with diuretics, digoxin, and corticosteroids.
How to take it
What to get
Six Gentlemen Teapills
Plum Flower200 ct
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Dose
Take 8 pills, 3 times a day. Other brands and forms use different doses, so follow the label on what you buy.
How long
Follow any time limit on the product label. If it gives none, ask a qualified TCM practitioner when to reassess. Do not keep taking it unchanged if nothing improves.