Chinese: Dang Gui Shao Yao San
English: Tangkuei and Peony Powder
Source: Jinguiyaolue (Essentials from the Golden Cabinet)
Pulse: soft, slippery, fine
Tongue: pale pink, swollen, white coat
Indications: This herbal formula has been used for patients with following health conditions and symptoms:
- Irregular menstruation
- Dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation)
- Chilled feeling
- Dysuria (painful or difficult urination)
- Edema
- Abdominal cramps
- Threatened miscarriage
- Fatigue
- Anemia
There are many other health conditions that may respond well to this herbal formula, in particular patients exhibiting indicative traditional diagnostic signs and symptoms.
Herbs in This Formula
Byakujutsu (Atractylodis macrocephalae Rhizoma) 4g
Takusha (Alismatis Rhizoma), 4g
Bukuryo (Sclerotium Poriae Cocos), 4g
Senkyu (Chuanxiong Rhizoma) 3g
Toki (Angelicae sinensis Radix) 3g
Note: Suggested dosages of each herb in Kampo formulas are often smaller than those of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Individual dosages of herbs may be adjusted depending on each patient’s condition, constitutional patterns, quality of the herbs, and other factors involved.
Abdominal pattern (fukusho) of Tokishakuyakusan (from Fukusho Kiran, 1800)
Basic and Clinical Research on Tokishakuyakusan (Dang Gui Shao Yao San) – Updated on Mar 30, 2011
Goto, H., et al. A Chinese Herbal Medicine, Tokishakuyakusan, Reduces the Worsening of Impairments and Independence After Stroke: A 1-year Randomized, Controlled Trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med (2009).
Chung, M.H., Suzuki, S., Nishihara, T. & Hattori, M. Estrogenic effects of a Kampo formula, Tokishakuyakusan, in parous ovariectomized rats. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin 31, 1145-1149 (2008).
Takei, H., et al. The herbal medicine Tokishakuyakusan increases fetal blood glucose concentrations and growth hormone levels and improves intrauterine growth retardation induced by N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester. Journal of pharmacological sciences 104, 319-328 (2007).
Ito, M., Ohbayashi, M., Furukawa, M. & Okoyama, S. Neuroprotective effects of TJ-23 (Tokishakuyakusan) on adult rat motoneurons following peripheral facial nerve axotomy. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 136, 225-230 (2007).
Akase, T., et al. Efficacy of Tokishakuyakusan on the anemia in the iron-deficient pregnant rats. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin 30, 1523-1528 (2007).
Takamatsu K. Study of the usefulness of Kampo therapy for climacteric disorders – a randomized trial of three major Kampo medicines for treatment of gynecological disease. Sanfujinka Kampo Kenkyu no Ayumi (Recent Progress of Kampo Medicine in Obstetrics and Gynecology) 23: 35-42 (2006).
Shen, A.Y., et al. Antioxidant and antiplatelet effects of dang-gui-shao-yao-san on human blood cells. The American journal of Chinese medicine 33, 747-758 (2005).
Takamatsu K. HRT and Kampo medicine. Nippon Konenki Igakkai Zasshi (The Journal of the Japan Menopause Society) 12:155-7 (2004).
Akase T, Akase T, Onodera S, et al. A comparative study of the usefulness of tokishakuyakusan and an oral iron preparation in the treatment of hypochromic anemia in cases of uterine myoma. Yakugaku Zasshi (Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan) 123: 817-24 (2003).
Takamatsu K, Musha C, Okano H, et al. Study of usefulness of Kampo therapy for climacteric disorders. Sanfujinka Kampo Kenkyu no Ayumi (Recent Progress of Kampo Medicine in Obstetrics and Gynecology) 19: 111-6 (2002).
Usuki, S. & Kotani, E. Tokishakuyakusan directly attenuates PACAP’s luteolytic action on luteal function in the rat ovary. The American journal of Chinese medicine 30, 521-531 (2002).
Usuki, S., Higa, T.N. & Soreya, K. The improvement of luteal insufficiency in fecund women by tokishakuyakusan treatment. The American journal of Chinese medicine 30, 327-338 (2002).
Kotani N, Oyama T, Sakai I, et al. Analgesic effect of a herbal medicine for treatment of primary dysmenorrhea – a double-blind study. The American Journal of Chinese Medicine 25: 205-12 (1997).
Fujii S, Fukushi Y, Yamaguchi E, et al. A study of the addition of tokishakuyakusan during in-vitro fertilization cycles. Sanfujinka Kampo Kenkyu no Ayumi (Recent Progress of Kampo Medicine in Obstetrics and Gynecology) 14: 121-5 (1997).
Hsu, H.Y. & Lin, C.C. A preliminary study on the radioprotection of mouse hematopoiesis by dang-gui-shao-yao-san. Journal of ethnopharmacology 55, 43-48 (1996).
Usuki, S., et al. Tokishakuyakusan effect on DNA polymerase alpha activity in relationship to DNA synthesis before and/or after the LH/FSH surge in rats. The American journal of Chinese medicine 23, 231-242 (1995).
Yasui T, Irahara M, Aono T. Studies on treatment with the combination clomiphene citrate and Toki-shakuyaku-san. Nippon Funin Gakkai Zasshi (Japanese Journal of Fertility and Sterility) 40: 83-91 (1995).
Usuki, S., Usuki, Y., Tanaka, J. & Kawakura, Y. Effects of tokishakuyakusan, keishibukuryogan, shakuyakukanzoto and unkeito on ovarian endothelin, renin and angiotensin II in pregnant mare’s serum gonadotropin-treated immature rats. The American journal of Chinese medicine 20, 175-179 (1992).
Usuki, S., Tanaka, J., Kawakura, Y. & Usuki, Y. A proposal of ovarian ERAANPS (endothelin-renin-angiotensin-atrial natriuretic peptide system) and effects of tokishakuyakusan, keishibukuryogan, shakuyakukanzoto and unkeito on the ERAANPS. The American journal of Chinese medicine 20, 65-74 (1992).
Usuki, S. Effects of Tokishakuyakusan, Keishibukuryogan and Unkeito on DNA polymerase alpha activity in PMS-treated immature rat uterus incubated in vitro. The American journal of Chinese medicine 20, 265-268 (1992).
Usuki, S. Effects of tokishakuyakusan, keishibukuryogan and unkeito on DNA polymerase alpha activity in uteri of pregnant mare’s serum gonadotropin-treated immature rats. The American journal of Chinese medicine 20, 75-82 (1992).
Mizuno M, Sato K, Mori T, et al. Clinical evaluation of TSUMURA Tokishakuyakusan and ritodrine hydrochloride combination therapy in the management of threatened premature delivery. Sanka to Fujinka (Obstetrics and Gynecology) 59: 469-80 (1992).
Usuki, S. Effect of tokishakuyakusan on corpus luteum endothelin. The American journal of Chinese medicine 19, 251-258 (1991).
Usuki, S. Tokishakuyakusan stimulates progesterone and estradiol-17 beta production by rat granulosa cells and progesterone, testosterone and estradiol-17 beta by the residual portion of the follicle in vitro. The American journal of Chinese medicine 19, 155-161 (1991).
Usuki, S. The direct luteotropic effect of tokishakuyakusan in rats. The American journal of Chinese medicine 19, 163-169 (1991).
Usuki, S. Effects of herbal components of tokishakuyakusan on progesterone secretion by corpus luteum in vitro. The American journal of Chinese medicine 19, 57-60 (1991).
Usuki, S. Blended effects of herbal components of tokishakuyakusan on somatomedin C/insulin-like growth factor 1 level in rat corpus luteum. The American journal of Chinese medicine 19, 61-64 (1991).
Usuki, S. Effects of hachimijiogan, tokishakuyakusan, keishibukuryogan, ninjinto and unkeito on estrogen and progesterone secretion in preovulatory follicles incubated in vitro. The American journal of Chinese medicine 19, 65-71 (1991).
Usuki, S. Endothelin-1 levels are not influenced by tokishakuyakusan and keishibukuryogan treatment in women. The American journal of Chinese medicine 18, 139-147 (1990).
Usuki, S. Effects of tokishakuyakusan and keishibukuryogan on steroidogenesis by rat preovulatory follicles in vivo. The American journal of Chinese medicine 18, 149-156 (1990).
Usuki, S. Tokishakuyakusan stimulates cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate accumulation and progestin production by corpora lutea. The American journal of Chinese medicine 16, 21-28 (1988).
Usuki, S. Hachimijiogan and Tokishakuyakusan enhance deoxyribonucleic acid alpha-nucleotidyltransferase activity in relationship to DNA synthesis by ovarian follicles via a cyclic AMP system. The American journal of Chinese medicine 16, 37-46 (1988).
Usuki, S. Effects of Tokishakuyakusan and its components on rat corpus luteum function in vitro. The American journal of Chinese medicine 16, 11-19 (1988).
Usuki, S. Blended effects of herbal components of tokishakuyakusan on rat corpus luteum function in vivo. The American journal of Chinese medicine 16, 107-116 (1988).
Usuki, S. Effects of hachimijiogan, tokishakuyakusan and keishibukuryogan on progesterone secretions by corpus luteum. The American journal of Chinese medicine 15, 109-115 (1987).
Usuki, S. Effects of hachimijiogan, tokishakuyakusan and keishibukuryogan on the corpus luteum function and weights of various organs in vivo. The American journal of Chinese medicine 15, 99-108 (1987).
Usuki, S. Effects of hachimijiogan, tokishakuyakusan and keishibukuryogan on estrogen and progesterone secretions by rat preovulatory follicles. The American journal of Chinese medicine 14, 161-170 (1986).
Iwama, H., Amagaya, S. & Ogihara, Y. Effects of kampohozai (Chinese traditional medicines) on the immune responses; I. In vivo studies of hochuekkito, juzendaihoto and tokishakuyakusan using sheep red blood cell as antigen in mice. Planta medica, 247-250 (1986).