Bao Ji Wan - Po Chai Pills - TCM Herbal Formula

Chinese Name: Bao Ji Wan
English Name: Po Chai Pills

Formula Category


Clinical Usage and Indications

Empirical formula for food poisioning.  Also useful for overeating, excessive drinking - over indulgence in general.  Symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, belching, reflux, nausea, vomiting, aversion to food, possibly diarrhea.

Related TCM Diagnostic Patterns


Staff Clinician Notes:

There are no staff notes at this time.

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Cautions and Contraindications:

None at this time.  As always consult with an acupuncturist/herbalist before use.

Related Western Medical Conditions:


Individual Chinese Herbs In This Formula:


  • Bai Ji Li
  • Herb Functions
    • Calms the liver, anchors the yang - headache, vertigo due to liver yang rising.
    • Expels wind-heat, brightens the eyes - red, painful, swelling of the eye.
    • Promotes the smooth flow of qi - chest/flank pain and distention, insufficient lactation.
    • Expels wind - stops itching.

  • Bai Zhi
  • Herb Functions
    • Expels wind-cold, dampness
    • Opens nasal passages, sinus congestion (particularly with green discharge), alleviates pain (especially in the head region)
    • Resolve wind-cold symptoms especially with headaches (yangming - ST), supraorbital pain, congestion
    • Useful for swollen gums and toothache

  • Contraindications
    • Avoid in Yin/Blood deficiency
    • Avoid in Heat in the Blood

  • Bo He
  • Herb Functions
    • Expels wind heat particularly from the head region - fever, headaches, red eyes, cough, sore throat.
    • Vents rashes - accelerates the activity of rashes towards the surface to quicken healing.
    • Resolves LV Qi Stagnation - emotional issues, PMS, menstrual issues, pressure in chest or sides of body.

  • Contraindications
    • May contribute to insufficient lactation in nursing mothers
    • Avoid excessive sweating/use in weak patients or those who sweat easily
    • May injure yin, use caution in yin deficiency patients

  • Cang Zhu
  • Herb Functions
    • Strongly dries dampness, strengthens spleen - low appetite, diarrhea, epigastric distention, fatigue, vomiting, greasy tongue coat.
    • Expels wind-damp-cold (bi-syndrome) in extremities.
    • Clears damp-heat from lower burner (combine with clear-heat herbs, however, as this has a warm nature (for example, Er Miao San) - vaginal discharge, swollen and sore joints.
    • Induces sweating, release the exterior.
    • Improves vision.

  • Fu Ling
  • Herb Functions
    • Promotes urination, drains dampness, transforms phlegm - urinary difficulty, diarrhea, edema, headache, dizziness, greasy tongue coat.
    • Strengthens the spleen, harmonizes the middle jiao - diarrhea, loss of appetite.
    • Quiets the heart and calms the spirit - palpitations, insomnia, forgetfulness.

  • Contraindications
    • Avoid Vinegar While Using This Herb.

  • Ge Gen
  • Herb Functions
    • Releases muscles, clears heat - exterior disease in subcutaneous region and muscles (governed by spleen and stomach) - fever, headache, stiffness in the back and the neck.
    • Nourishes fluids, alleviates thirst - stomach heat, externally-contracted heat.
    • Vents measles - accelerates rash at early stages.
    • Alleviates diarrhea - diarrhea or dysenterial disorders due to heat; may be used for spleen deficiency diarrhea if combined with other herbs.
    • Alleviates symptoms of hypertension - headaches, dizziness, tinnitus.

  • Gou Teng
  • Herb Functions
    • Extinguishes wind and alleviates spasms - spasms, muscle tremors, seizures.
    • Drains liver heat and pacifies liver yang - headaches, irritability, red eyes, dizziness.
    • Releases the exterior - fever, headaches, red eyes.

  • Gu Ya
  • Herb Functions
    • Reduces food stagnation, strengthens spleen.
    • Stagnation caused by starchy food.

  • Hou Po
  • Herb Functions
    • Promotes movement of Qi, transforms dampness, resolves stagnation - dampness in spleen/stomach, food stagnation, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal distention (*important herb for this).
    • Warms and transforms phlegm and directs rebellious lung Qi downward - wheezing, phlegm with coughing, stifling sensation in the chest.

  • Contraindications
    • Avoid During Pregnancy

  • Huo Xiang
  • Herb Functions
    • Aromatically transforms turbid dampness - abdominal distention, nausea, vomiting.
    • Harmonizes middle burner, stops vomiting due to dampness.
    • Releases the exterior (wind-damp-cold, summer heat), stomach flu.

  • Ju Hua
  • Herb Functions
    • Disperses wind, clears heat (bitter, cold) - headache, fever.
    • Clears liver and the eyes (sweet, cold) - wind-heat in the liver channel manifesting with red, painful, dry eyes or excessive tearing, or yin deficiency of the kidneys and liver with floaters, blurry vision, or dizziness.

  • Contraindications
    • Avoid in qi deficiency with poor appetite/diarrhea.

  • Mu Xiang
  • Herb Functions
    • Promotes the movement of Qi, alleviates pain - stagnant qi of the stomach and/or spleen causing lack of appetite, abdominal pain, distention, nausea; liver or gallbladder qi stagnation causing flank pain, distention.
    • Regulates stagnated Qi in the intestines - diarrhea, abdominal pain (common herb to treat tenesmus).
    • Strengthens the spleen and prevents stagnation, used with tonifying herbs to reduce side effects.

  • Shen Qu
  • Herb Functions
    • Reduces food stagnation, strengthens stomach - stomach cold with food stagnation or accumulation, with epigastric and abdominal fullness or distention, lack of appetite, borborygmus, and diarrhea.
    • Aids in mineral digestion and absorption.

  • Tian Hua Fen
  • Herb Functions
    • Clears and drains lung heat, transforms phlegm, moistens lung dryness.
    • Drains heat, generates fluid (fluids injured) - thirst, irritability, wasting and thirsting disorder, cough, thick sputum.
    • Relieves toxicity, expels pus - toxic hot carbuncles, breast abscess.

  • Contraindications
    • Avoid during Pregnancy.

  • Tian Ma
  • Herb Functions
    • Calms the liver, extinguishes liver wind from either heat or cold patterns - spasms, tremors, headache, epilepsy, numbness, dizziness, wind-stroke, childhood convulsion, can be used for problems due to heat or blood deficiency.
    • Extinguishes wind, alleviates pain - headache, dizziness, migraine headaches that occur with wind-phlegm patterns, hemiplegia, dizziness, numbness.
    • Disperse painful obstruction due to wind phlegm - numbness and pain of the lower back and extremities.

  • Yi Yi Ren
  • Herb Functions
    • Promotes urination, drains dampness - edema, difficult urination, damp leg qi.
    • Strengthens the spleen, stops diarrhea.
    • Clears heat and expels pus - carbuncles, lung or intestinal abscesses.
    • Expels wind-damp, relieves joint and muscle pain.
    • Clears damp-heat - any damp-heat disorder at any level with greasy tongue coating and digestive problems.