The correct dosage of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) decoctions is extremely important. As stated in the Tang Ye Ben Cao: “For diseases above, frequent and small doses are preferred; for those below, large and infrequent doses are acceptable; small doses nourish the upper, while large doses strongly supplement the lower.” To this day, the terms for dosage are expressed as fen fu (divided doses), duan fu (single doses), and pin fu (frequent doses).
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Fen Fu (Divided Doses) |
For common ailments, this method is generally used, which involves taking one dose (贴) per day, divided into two preparations, each yielding 200-250 milliliters of decoction. The two preparations are mixed evenly and taken in two doses, totaling 400-500 milliliters per day to ensure consistent efficacy.
For the elderly, weak, or those with chronic illnesses, due to a deficiency in vital energy, the dosage can be reduced to about 150 milliliters per time; for chronic disease management, one dose every other day may be sufficient; patients with vomiting should start with a small dose and gradually increase.
As for children, the specific proportions are as follows: newborns generally receive about one-sixth of the adult dosage, with a slight increase for herbs with mild properties; infants receive one-third to one-half of the adult dosage; young children may receive two-thirds or close to the adult dosage; school-age children can take the adult dosage.
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Duan Fu (Single Doses) |
In cases of acute illness, where the condition is severe, rapid treatment is advisable. A single dose of decoction can be taken at once, allowing for a strong and immediate effect. If the condition is critical, follow the physician’s advice. In some cases, two to three doses may be taken in a day, continuously, to maintain the medicinal effect, achieving the goal of quickly alleviating the disease, such as with the emergency formula Du Shen Tang (Ginseng Decoction).
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Pin Fu (Frequent Doses) |
This involves taking small amounts multiple times, without strict timing. It is often used for throat and oral conditions, such as with Ban Lan Gen (Isatis Root) tea.
Additionally, when taking TCM, patients should consider their actual condition and are not required to finish all the decoction prepared. The ancients had the saying, “Stop when the disease is treated; there is no need to finish the entire dose.”This means to take medicine according to symptoms; once the condition is resolved, there is no need to continue taking the dispersing and exterior-releasing herbs.For example, after an exterior pathogen is expelled, commonly used dispersing and exterior-releasing herbs are taken, and once sweating occurs and the exterior is resolved, the body’s defensive and nutritive Qi is harmonized, and the external evil is expelled, the treatment goal is achieved, and there is no need to continue taking the dispersing and exterior-releasing herbs.
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Prescriptions should be used under the guidance of a physician.
Edited by: Jie Geng
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