What is Di Tan Tang?

Di Tan Tang is a herb mix used in Chinese medicine. The name means Scour Phlegm Decoction. It is sold and studied as one product, not as a single herb, and it blends about ten herbs.

Chinese medicine uses it for a pattern called wind-phlegm. The signs are a thick, greasy tongue coat, a slippery pulse, and foggy or odd thinking. Healers have long given it after a stroke, and for fits (seizures) and confusion.

Here is the honest verdict. The mix has a long written record of use, but almost no human trials back it up. Long use is not proof that a remedy works.

How does Di Tan Tang work?

No one has shown how Di Tan Tang works in the body. In Chinese medicine terms, it is said to break up thick phlegm and calm wind, so the mind clears.

In plain terms, the herbs are thought to settle the gut, loosen mucus and ease spasm. Lab and animal work hints that some of the herbs may calm swelling. That work does not tell us what happens in a person.

Treat any talk of a mechanism as an idea, not a proven fact.

What forms does Di Tan Tang come in?

Most people take it as a decoction. That means the raw herbs are boiled in water and the warm liquid is drunk.

It also comes as granules that you stir into hot water. Some shops sell it as pills or as a dried powder.

The amount of each herb varies a lot between makers. A trained herbalist will change the mix to suit you, so it is rarely the same twice.

Where it comes from:

Di Tan Tang grew out of older phlegm formulas of the Song period, around the 1200s. Printed versions show up in Chinese formula books from the Ming period, the 1400s on.

It has stayed in use ever since. It is still taught in Chinese medicine schools today, mostly for stroke aftercare, fits and cloudy thinking. Its standing rests on that long written record.

What does Di Tan Tang help with?

• Stroke aftercare, in traditional use: This is the classic use. Herbalists give it for slurred speech, a heavy body and cloudy thinking after a stroke. No good human trial in English shows that it helps, and it must never replace stroke care from a hospital.
• Fits (seizures), in traditional use: Old texts list it for fits linked to phlegm. There is no trial evidence that it stops or reduces fits. Never cut or stop your seizure drugs to try it.
• Confusion and foggy thinking: Herbalists use it when thinking seems dulled by what they call phlegm. Evidence here is limited to tradition and small reports. New or fast-moving confusion needs a doctor, not a herb.
• Dizziness (a spinning feeling): Traditional use covers dizziness with nausea and a greasy tongue coat. No human trial supports this. Dizziness has many causes, some serious, so get it checked.
• Cough with thick, sticky phlegm: Several herbs in the mix have a long record for wet, rattling coughs. Human trials of this whole formula for cough are lacking. A cough lasting more than three weeks needs a doctor.
• Agitation and jumbled speech: Chinese texts describe use for restless, muddled states. This is tradition only, with no trial data to support it. Mental health symptoms need proper care.

Which foods are rich in Di Tan Tang?

1. Licorice sweets and licorice tea: they add to the licorice already in the mix
2. Salty foods: they add to the swelling and blood pressure risk from licorice

Practical Tips:

This is a medicine, not a food. Watch your licorice and salt intake while you take it.

What are the side effects of Di Tan Tang?

• Upset stomach or nausea
• Loose stools
• Dry mouth or a scratchy throat
• Burning or numb feeling in the mouth if the herbs were poorly cured
• Puffy ankles, hands or face, from the licorice
• Rising blood pressure, from the licorice
• Low potassium (low levels of a salt your heart needs), causing cramps, weakness or a thumping heartbeat
• Trouble sleeping or feeling wired, from the ginseng
• Low blood sugar in people on diabetes drugs
• Rash or itching from an allergy to one of the herbs

Good to know:

Most people who take this under proper care do fine. The common complaints are mild: an upset stomach, loose stools or a dry mouth.

The bigger risks come from two parts of the mix. Licorice can hold salt and water in you, push blood pressure up and drop your potassium. Low potassium can upset your heart rhythm.

Pinellia and arisaema are harsh unless they are cured well. Badly prepared herbs can burn the mouth and throat. Stop and get help at once if your lips, tongue or throat swell.

How much Di Tan Tang should you take?

• Recommended daily: No dose has been set by research. Do not self-dose this one. In clinic, a day's decoction is often made from about 30 to 60 g of dried herbs. That is boiled and split into two warm drinks. Granules are often given at about 3 to 9 g a day, split in two. The mix holds cured pinellia and arisaema, which are unsafe raw. Get it from a trained herbalist and a source you trust.
• Best time of day: Usually twice a day, morning and late afternoon, taken warm. The mix holds ginseng, which can keep some people awake, so avoid a late-night dose.
• With or without food: It is taken warm between meals, about an hour before or two hours after eating. If it upsets your stomach, take it with a little food instead.
• Time to effect: If it is going to help, herbalists expect some change within one to three weeks. Nothing about this formula is fast or certain.
• How long to take it: This is meant for short runs, not for daily life. Two to four weeks is a common course, then your herbalist checks you again. Longer runs raise the licorice risks, such as puffy ankles, high blood pressure and low potassium (low levels of a salt your heart needs). If you see no change after about three weeks, stop and rethink.