Therapeutic Actions
1. Use for treating yin defi ciency with rising yang
2. Treats night sweats, aft ernoon fever, and sensation of heat with a red tongue and fast pulse
3. Can also be used for hot fl ashes, including menopausal heat symptoms, chemotherapy and radiation related heat symptoms, AIDS related night sweats and other heat symptoms
 

Therapeutic Effects

• Nourishes kidney yin
• Clears heat
• Subdues deficiency fire
• Stops sweating

Formula Rationale
New Great Yin is based on the formula Da Bu Yin. Th e main ingredient is rehmannia root (shu di huang) a sweet, bitter and cold herb that nourishes yin and produces fl uids and clears heat. It is used traditionally in many formulas to strengthen kidney yin and for bleeding problems such as hematuria, epistaxis and uterine bleeding. Lycium bark (di gu pi) cools the blood and drains kidney fi re. It is used in formulas for night sweats, sweating, chronic low-grade fever, irritability, and thirst. According to Formulas and Strategies by Dan Bensky, lycium bark is very eff ective at treating sensations of heat from yin deficiency, sweating, and the sensation of heat being deep in the body or originating from the bones. In addition, it directs lung fire downward to stop cough, thirst, and restless irritability. Lycium bark is traditionally used in formulas for hot flashes (fl ushing), night sweats, and for bleeding associated with heat.

Phellodendron cortex (huang bai) is a bitter and cold herb that eliminates damp heat, subdues fire and clears heat caused by yin deficiency. Anemarrhena root (zhi mu) is a bitter, cold herb that purges fire in the lung and stomach and replenishes yin. It has been traditionally used for tuberculosis, chronic low fevers and back pain.

Note: Health Concerns New Great Yin is now a vegetarian formula. We have removed tortoise
shell from the formula.

Clinical Notes
1. Th is is an excellent formula for the treatment of defi cient yin fi re related problems, especially those related to menopausal syndromes and chronic conditions. Th e symptoms that may be treated include night sweats and hot fl ashes. Other symptoms are fi ve heart heat including feverish palms and feet, as well as low grade tidal aft ernoon or night fevers and palpitations. Insomnia and anxiety, and bleeding related to defi cient yin syndromes might also be treated using Great Yin. Fevers and sweating related to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and chemotherapy induced ovarian failure may also be treated using this formula.

2. See Health Concerns Newsletters: Vol. 7 No. 4 Commonly Asked Practitioner Questions: Gynecology Issues (Gaeddert); Vol. 11 No. 2 Commonly Asked Practitioner Questions: Gynecology Issues, Part 2 (Gaeddert); Vol. 4 No. 2 Pre & Postmenstrual Syndromes (Fratkin); Vol. 4 No. 4 Damp Heat Dysmenorrhea & Unlocking Formula (Flaws)

Additional Formulas
• Use Nine Flavor Tea to nourish yin without clearing heat
• For menopause also consider Th ree Immortals
• For lung yin defi ciency with heat, consider Tremella and American Ginseng
• Add Coptis Purge Fire for additional heat clearing

Rehmannia (cooked) root - shu di huang
Lycium bark - di gu pi
Phellodendron cortex - huang bai
Anemarrhena root - zhi mu