Gou Teng钩藤

Ramulus cum Uncis UncariaeUncaria Vine

Also known asGambir

Usual doses

Extinguishes Wind and alleviates spasms: Liver Heat Transforming into Wind with tremors, seizures and eclampsia
Drains Liver Heat and pacifies Liver *Yang*: Liver Fire and Liver Yang Rising with headaches, irritability, red eyes and dizziness
Recently used for hypertension
Releases the Exterior: Exterior Wind-Heat with fever, headaches and red eyes

This herb counteracts caffeine's stimulant effect, though it does not enhance the sedative action of barbiturates.

- Tian Ma
- Quan Xie
Convulsions from Liver Wind, including childhood convulsions with jaw clenching and tremors.
Eclampsia caused by Liver Wind.
High fever accompanied by convulsions or muscular tetany.
- Tian Ma
- Quan Xie
- Ling Yang Jiao
- Ren Shen
High fever with convulsions or muscular tetany occurring alongside Qi Deficiency.
- Ling Yang Jiao
- Quan Xie
Seizures linked to high fever.
- Tian Zhu Huang
- Huang Lian
- Chan Tui
Seizures.
- Long Chi
- Shi Gao
- Zhi Zi
Seizures in children.
Dizziness and vertigo caused by Liver Wind.
Dizziness and vertigo arising from Liver Wind.
- Ju Hua
- Shi Jue Ming
- Sang Ye
- Shi Gao
- Fu Shen
Severe Liver Yang Rising presenting with facial flushing, irritability, and a wiry pulse.
- Tian Ma
- Bai Ji Li
Hypertension.
- Xia Ku Cao
- Huang Qin
Liver Fire causing headache and dizziness, or hypertension with headache and a sensation of distention in the head.
Hypertension arising from Liver Yang Rising.
External Wind-Heat presenting with headache and red, painful eyes, or rashes that fail to fully surface.
- Quan Xie
Seizures, convulsions, spasms, tics, and hemiplegia from Wind-Stroke, limb numbness and pain, and stubborn migraines or trigeminal neuralgia due to Liver Wind or Liver Yang Rising.
- Tian Ma
For calming the Liver and extinguishing Wind.
- Quan Xie
- Wu Gong
- Tian Zhu Huang
- Ju Hua
- Dan Nan Xing
Liver Wind.
High fever occurring with Liver Yang Rising.

This herb is a primary choice for treating headaches due to hypertension.
Some sources note that it settles fright.
This herb and Cornu Saigae Tataricae Ling Yang Jiao both calm the Liver and extinguish Liver Wind, and are frequently paired to treat tremors and convulsions from high fever. Ling Yang Jiao acts strongly at the Blood level to relieve toxicity, whereas Gou Teng works at the Qi level, clearing and draining Heat to address Wind-Heat conditions.
Do not decoct this herb for more than 20 minutes, or it will lose its blood-pressure-lowering properties.
Gou Teng and Rz. Gastrodiae Tian Ma are similar in action, both treating dizziness, vertigo, and headache, and are commonly combined. Gou Teng, sweet and cold, addresses Heat-induced Wind, while Tian Ma, sweet, warm, and dry, treats Wind-Cold accompanied by Phlegm-Dampness.
Gou Teng and Flos Chrysanthemi Ju Hua both calm the Liver and disperse pathogenic Wind, used for Wind-Fire rising along the Liver channel causing headache and dizziness, or for externally contracted disease producing headache and red eyes. Gou Teng is primarily aimed at extinguishing Wind and stopping seizures, while Ju Hua disperses Wind and drains Heat.