活血化瘀药 (Blood-Activating and Stasis-Resolving Herbs) primarily serve to activate blood circulation and resolve stasis, playing a crucial role in the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. They are indicated for chest obstruction due to blood stasis, presenting symptoms such as chest tightness, precordial stabbing pain, and localized pain; or for stroke caused by blood stasis, with symptoms including dizziness, headaches, dullness of spirit, slurred speech, cold extremities, and limb pain, along with a purplish tongue, dark or purplish spots on the tongue, and a knotted or intermittent pulse. Typical representative medicines include 消栓通络胶囊 (Xiao Shuan Tong Luo Capsules), 逐瘀通脉胶囊 (Zhu Yu Tong Mai Capsules), 复方丹参片 (Compound Danshen Tablets), 血塞通胶囊 (Xue Sai Tong Capsules), and 丹七片 (Dan Qi Tablets).
1. 消栓通络胶囊 (Xiao Shuan Tong Luo Capsules) is composed of 川芎 (Chuan Xiong), 丹参 (Dan Shen), 黄芪 (Huang Qi), 三七 (San Qi), 桂枝 (Gui Zhi), 郁金 (Yu Jin), 木香 (Mu Xiang), 泽泻 (Ze Xie), 槐花 (Hua Hua), 山楂 (Shan Zha), and 冰片 (Bing Pian). It activates blood circulation, resolves stasis, and warms the meridians. It is used for stroke during the recovery phase due to qi deficiency and blood stasis, with symptoms such as hemiplegia and slurred speech; also for mild to moderate cerebral infarction recovery and primary hyperlipidemia with the aforementioned symptoms. In this formula, 川芎 (Chuan Xiong) activates blood and moves qi, resolving stasis and alleviating pain, thus serving as the monarch herb. 丹参 (Dan Shen) activates blood circulation, resolves stasis, and alleviates pain; 黄芪 (Huang Qi) tonifies qi and promotes blood flow; 三七 (San Qi) activates blood circulation, resolves stasis, alleviates pain, and also tonifies qi and blood; 桂枝 (Gui Zhi) warms and unblocks the heart yang and warms the meridians. These four herbs work together to assist the monarch herb in activating blood circulation and resolving stasis while also warming and unblocking the meridians, thus serving as minister herbs.
郁金 (Yu Jin) invigorates blood and qi, effectively cooling blood and alleviating pain; 木香 (Mu Xiang) can ascend or descend, effectively moving qi and alleviating pain, regulating qi and blood; 泽泻 (Ze Xie) clears heat, promotes diuresis, and reduces turbidity; 槐花 (Hua Hua) clears the liver, cools the blood, and reduces lipids; 山楂 (Shan Zha) invigorates blood, resolves food stagnation, and reduces lipids. These five herbs work together to activate blood circulation, resolve stasis, and reduce lipids, assisting the monarch and minister herbs in activating blood circulation and unblocking the meridians; they also clear heat and cool the blood, complementing the warming and drying properties of the other herbs, thus serving as assistant herbs. 冰片 (Bing Pian) is aromatic and disperses, opening the orifices, alleviating pain, awakening the spirit, and guiding the other herbs directly to the affected area, thus serving as the envoy herb. The entire formula works synergistically to activate blood circulation, resolve stasis, and warm the meridians, making it effective for stroke caused by blood stasis, with symptoms such as dullness of spirit, slurred speech, cold extremities, and limb pain; it is also beneficial for ischemic stroke and hyperlipidemia with phlegm turbidity and blood stasis.
2. 逐瘀通脉胶囊 (Zhu Yu Tong Mai Capsules) consists of 水蛭 (Shui Zhi), 虻虫 (Meng Chong), 桃仁 (Tao Ren), and 大黄 (Da Huang). It breaks blood stasis and unblocks the meridians. It is indicated for dizziness due to blood stasis, presenting symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, dark red tongue, and a deep and rough pulse. In this formula, 水蛭 (Shui Zhi) breaks blood stasis and unblocks the meridians, thus serving as the monarch herb. 虻虫 (Meng Chong) breaks blood, unblocks the meridians, and resolves stasis, complementing 水蛭 (Shui Zhi) in its action, thus serving as the minister herb. 桃仁 (Tao Ren) breaks blood stasis and promotes bowel movements; 大黄 (Da Huang) resolves stasis, unblocks the meridians, and purges heat. These two herbs work together to enhance the action of the monarch and minister herbs in breaking blood stasis and unblocking the meridians while also purging heat and promoting bowel movements, thus serving as assistant herbs. The entire formula works to break blood stasis, resolve stasis, and unblock the meridians, making it effective for dizziness caused by blood stasis, with symptoms such as headaches, tinnitus, dark red tongue, and deep and rough pulse; it is also applicable for hypertension, cerebral infarction, and cerebral arteriosclerosis with the aforementioned symptoms.
3. 复方丹参片 (Compound Danshen Tablets) is composed of 丹参 (Dan Shen), 三七 (San Qi), and 冰片 (Bing Pian). It activates blood circulation, resolves stasis, and regulates qi to alleviate pain. It is used for chest obstruction due to qi stagnation and blood stasis, with symptoms such as chest tightness and precordial stabbing pain; it is also indicated for angina pectoris in coronary heart disease with the aforementioned symptoms. It is used for stage I (mild) and stage II (moderate) non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy caused by type 2 diabetes with symptoms such as blurred vision, dull complexion, and punctate hemorrhages in the fundus, along with a purplish or dark tongue and a rough or thin pulse. In this formula, 丹参 (Dan Shen) activates blood circulation, resolves stasis, and alleviates pain, thus serving as the monarch herb. 三七 (San Qi) activates blood circulation, resolves stasis, alleviates pain, and also tonifies qi and blood, thus serving as the minister herb. 冰片 (Bing Pian) opens the orifices, alleviates pain, awakens the spirit, and guides the medicine into the heart meridian, thus serving as the assistant and envoy herb. The entire formula works synergistically to activate blood circulation, resolve stasis, and regulate qi to alleviate pain, making it effective for chest obstruction due to qi stagnation and blood stasis, with symptoms such as chest tightness and precordial stabbing pain; it is also beneficial for angina pectoris in coronary heart disease with qi stagnation and blood stasis.
4. 血塞通胶囊 (Xue Sai Tong Capsules) is composed of total saponins from 三七 (San Qi). It activates blood circulation, resolves stasis, unblocks the meridians, inhibits platelet aggregation, and increases cerebral blood flow. It is indicated for cerebral obstruction, stroke with hemiplegia, and chest obstruction with heart pain; it is also applicable for sequelae of cerebrovascular diseases and angina pectoris in coronary heart disease with the aforementioned symptoms. 三七 (San Qi) possesses both protective and dispersive properties, activating blood circulation, resolving stasis, and alleviating pain while also tonifying qi and blood. Total saponins from 三七 (San Qi) are extracts with similar effects, effectively activating blood circulation and resolving stasis, thus making it effective for stroke with hemiplegia, impaired limb movement, facial droop, or chest obstruction with heart pain and chest tightness; it is also applicable for sequelae of stroke and angina pectoris in coronary heart disease with the aforementioned symptoms.
5. 丹七片 (Dan Qi Tablets) consists of 丹参 (Dan Shen) and 三七 (San Qi). It activates blood circulation, resolves stasis, and alleviates pain. It is indicated for chest obstruction and heart pain due to blood stasis, dizziness, headaches, and menstrual pain. In this formula, 丹参 (Dan Shen) activates blood circulation, resolves stasis, and alleviates pain, thus serving as the monarch herb. 三七 (San Qi) activates blood circulation, resolves stasis, alleviates pain, and also tonifies qi and blood, thus serving as the minister herb. The entire formula is simple yet effective, combining dispersive and tonifying actions, thus effectively treating chest obstruction and heart pain, dizziness, headaches, and menstrual pain caused by blood stasis.