What is Ding Xiang Shi Di Tang?

Ding Xiang Shi Di Tang is an old Chinese herbal mix. People take it for hiccups that will not stop. It is also used for burping and for a sick, queasy feeling when the stomach feels cold.

It is handled as a single drug (TCM formula). Its English name is Clove and Persimmon Calyx Decoction. It blends four herbs: clove flower buds, the leafy cap of the persimmon fruit, ginseng root and fresh ginger.

Chinese doctors have used it for about 800 years. Long use is not proof that a remedy works. We found no solid human trials of this formula, so the evidence grade here is insufficient.

How does Ding Xiang Shi Di Tang work?

The old idea behind it is simple. Warm a cold stomach, then send its energy back down instead of up.

Clove and ginger are seen as warming herbs. The persimmon cap is used to stop the upward jerk that makes you hiccup. Ginseng is added when a person is weak and worn out.

Modern science does not back up this model. Lab and animal work hints that clove oil and ginger may calm gut muscle. That is a long way from proof in people, and no one has shown how the whole formula acts in the body.

What forms does Ding Xiang Shi Di Tang come in?

Most often it is made as a tea. The raw herbs are boiled in water for 20 to 30 minutes, strained, then drunk warm.

You can also buy it as granules that melt in hot water. Pills, capsules and tea bags are sold too. Clove essential oil is not the same thing, and you must never swallow it in place of the herb.

Where it comes from:

The formula comes from Ji Sheng Fang, a Chinese medical book from 1253. The author was Yan Yong-he, a doctor of the Song dynasty. It is still taught in Chinese medicine schools today and appears in modern formula books.

What does Ding Xiang Shi Di Tang help with?

• Hiccups that keep coming back: This is the main traditional use, and the formula was built for it. Chinese texts have described it this way for centuries. We could not find a good human trial that tests it against a dummy treatment, so we cannot say it works better than nothing. Hiccups lasting more than two days need a doctor, because they can point to a nerve, stomach or brain problem.
• Burping and belching: Tradition uses the same formula here, on the idea that stomach energy is moving the wrong way. There is no human trial evidence for this use. Frequent belching with pain, weight loss or trouble swallowing should be checked by a doctor.
• Nausea with a cold, heavy stomach: Ginger on its own has some human trial support for nausea, but that is the single herb, not this formula. No trial has tested this four-herb mix for nausea. Tradition picks it only when the person feels cold and tired, not when there is fever or burning.
• Vomiting linked to a weak, cold stomach: Traditional texts list vomiting alongside hiccups for this formula. The evidence is tradition alone. Vomiting that lasts, or that comes with blood or severe pain, is a reason to seek care, not to self-treat.
• Hiccups after surgery or during cancer care: Chinese hospitals have used this formula in this setting, and small reports exist. We could not identify a published trial we are confident enough to cite by number. If you are in cancer care, ask your care team first, because herbs can clash with your drugs.

Which foods are rich in Ding Xiang Shi Di Tang?

1. Cloves: the same flower bud used in the formula, in far smaller kitchen amounts
2. Fresh ginger: the same root, used as a cooking spice and tea
3. Persimmon fruit: the fruit whose leafy cap is used, though the cap is not eaten as food

Practical Tips:

Kitchen amounts of clove and ginger are much smaller than herbal doses and are not a substitute for the formula.

What are the side effects of Ding Xiang Shi Di Tang?

• Heartburn or a burning feeling in the stomach
• Dry mouth and thirst
• Feeling hot or flushed
• Headache
• Trouble sleeping or feeling jittery, mainly from the ginseng
• Loose stools or stomach upset
• Raised blood pressure in some people, from the ginseng
• Allergic rash or itching, which is uncommon
• Easier bruising or bleeding if you take it with blood thinners

Good to know:

Most people who use it for a few days report no trouble. The reported effects are usually mild and fade when you stop.

Two risks deserve more care. Clove can slow blood clotting, so bruising and bleeding are more likely if you already take a blood thinner. Swallowed clove essential oil, which is far stronger than the herb, has caused serious liver damage, and children have been badly harmed by it.

How much Ding Xiang Shi Di Tang should you take?

• Recommended daily: No dose has been set by human trials. What follows is the traditional range, not a proven amount. As a tea, a common daily mix is about 3 to 6 g clove buds, 9 to 12 g persimmon cap, 3 to 6 g ginseng root and a few slices of fresh ginger. This is boiled in water and split into two or three warm drinks across the day. Granules, pills and capsules vary a lot by brand. Follow the label, and have a trained herbalist match the amount to you.
• Best time of day: Take it warm, spread through the day, often two or three times. Many people take a dose as soon as hiccups start.
• With or without food: Usually taken warm between meals, or shortly after eating if it upsets your stomach.
• Time to effect: Tradition expects hiccups to settle within hours to a day or two. There is no trial data to confirm this. If nothing changes in three days, see a doctor.
• How long to take it: Tradition uses it as a short-term fix, not a daily habit. Most courses run a few days. Stop and rethink if hiccups or nausea have not eased within three days. Do not take it for weeks on end without a check-up.