Luo Bu Ma Ye罗布麻葉
Folium Apocyni VenetiDogbane Leaf
- Category
- Herbs that extinguish internal Wind
- Nature
- cool
- Taste
- sweet, bitter
- Channels entered
- Liver
- Dosage
- 3–15 g
Actions & indications
- Calms Liver Yang, clears Liver Fire and extinguishes Wind
- Liver Yang Rising or Liver Fire with dizziness, headaches, vertigo, irritability, restlessness and insomnia
- Hypertension
- Clears Heat and facilitates urination
- Edema and urinary difficulty with Heat
- Nourishes the Heart and Calms the *Shen*
- Insomnia, palpitations, generalized nervous conditions
- Post-concussion syndrome
- Enhances Health in the middle-aged and elderly
Contraindications
- Avoid prolonged use and excessive dosing, to prevent toxicity.
- Do not combine the leaves with the root.
- Contraindicated during pregnancy.
Combinations
Dizziness and vertigo caused by ascendant Liver Yang.
Dizziness and vertigo from Liver Fire, and hypertension.
- Che Qian Zi
- Zhu Ling
- Ze Xie
Edema accompanied by scanty urination.
Notes
- This herb may be taken alone, either decocted or infused.
- It acts strongly on edema and urinary difficulty associated with Heat, and can be used by itself for this.
- Taking the leaves can produce vomiting, diarrhea, epigastric discomfort, dry mouth, abdominal distention, weakness, wheezing, or pain in the region of the Liver.
- Extended use may lead to hypokalemia.
- Luo Bu Ma Ye and Rz. Gastrodiae Tian Ma both calm the Liver. Tian Ma, sweet and neutral, extinguishes Wind and stops spasm, and also dispels Wind and opens the collaterals to relieve pain, treating Wind-Damp Bi and limb numbness. Luo Bu Ma Ye, sweet, bitter, and cool, calms the Liver and lowers blood pressure while clearing Heat and promoting urination — used for hypertension and for Damp-Heat with urinary difficulty.
- One source credits it with relieving cough and easing the severity of asthma attacks, taken as a tea or decoction for coughs, fever, and Wind-Heat colds.