What is Gui Zhi Gan Cao Long Gu Mu Li Tang?

Gui Zhi Gan Cao Long Gu Mu Li Tang is a four-part Chinese herbal formula. The name means Cinnamon Twig, Licorice, Dragon Bone, and Oyster Shell Decoction. A decoction is a strong tea made by boiling the herbs.

It is counted as one drug, not four separate supplements. Chinese medicine herbalists give it for a pounding or racing heart, fright, poor sleep, and night sweats. It is often chosen when a person feels jumpy, easy to startle, and drained after illness or shock.

The short verdict: the traditional record is old and clear, but good human trial data is almost absent. Traditional use is not proof that a remedy works, and that point holds for everything said below.

How does Gui Zhi Gan Cao Long Gu Mu Li Tang work?

No one has shown how this mix acts on the heart or the mind in people. The honest answer is that the whole formula has barely been studied.

In Chinese medicine terms, it is said to calm a scattered spirit and hold in the body's warmth. That is a traditional model, not a lab finding.

What we do know comes from the single herbs. Licorice root makes the body hold on to salt and water. Dragon bone and oyster shell are mostly chalk, and there is no clear proof that swallowed chalk calms nerves.

Warm fluid, rest, and belief may explain part of any calm that people feel.

What forms does Gui Zhi Gan Cao Long Gu Mu Li Tang come in?

Most people take it as a tea brewed from raw herbs. A bag of cut herbs is boiled for about 30 to 40 minutes, then strained and drunk warm.

Other common forms are granules that melt in hot water, small teapills, and capsules. Granules are the usual choice in clinics today because they are quick to make.

The mix is sold as one product. Buying the four herbs alone and guessing the amounts is not the same thing.

Where it comes from:

The formula comes from the Shang Han Lun, a Chinese medical text credited to Zhang Zhongjing from around 200 CE.

It is a build-up of an older two-herb mix, Gui Zhi Gan Cao Tang, with fossil bone and oyster shell added. The old text gives it for people left restless and full of fright after being treated the wrong way, such as being made to sweat too much.

It has stayed in steady use in China, Japan, and Korea ever since, and it is taught in most Chinese medicine schools today.

What does Gui Zhi Gan Cao Long Gu Mu Li Tang help with?

• Palpitations (a pounding, racing or fluttering heartbeat): This is the classic use, and the old texts describe it clearly. There is no good human trial that we can point to showing it steadies the heartbeat. A new or changed heartbeat needs a doctor first, because some causes are serious.
• Anxiety and panic feelings: Herbalists use it for people who feel jumpy, tense, and easily frightened. Support for this is traditional and based on case notes, not on controlled trials. It is not a substitute for care from a mental health professional.
• Trouble falling or staying asleep: Traditionally used when worry and a racing heart keep you awake. Evidence here is limited to practice reports and small studies in Chinese that we cannot verify. Sleep habits and light exposure still matter more than any tea.
• Night sweats: The formula is given for sweating at night with a weak, cold feeling. This use is well recorded in Chinese texts. Ongoing night sweats can signal infection, thyroid trouble, or other illness, so get checked.
• Feeling easily startled or jumpy: The dragon bone and oyster shell are said to weigh down and settle the mind. This is a traditional idea, not a proven drug action.
• Tiredness after a shock or long illness: The old text describes it for people drained by heavy sweating or wrong treatment. Human trial support is absent.
• Nocturnal emission (semen released during sleep): A long-standing traditional use in men with tiredness and night sweats. No modern trial backs it up.

Which foods are rich in Gui Zhi Gan Cao Long Gu Mu Li Tang?

1. Licorice sweets and licorice root tea: the same compound as in the formula, so they add to the load
2. Cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon: related to the cinnamon twig used here, though not the same part
3. Oysters and other shellfish: the shell, not the meat, is the herb, but the allergy risk is shared

Practical Tips:

Skip real licorice sweets and licorice tea while you are on this formula.

What are the side effects of Gui Zhi Gan Cao Long Gu Mu Li Tang?

• Puffy ankles, hands or face from held fluid
• A rise in blood pressure
• Low potassium, which can cause muscle weakness, cramps or an odd heartbeat
• Headache
• Feeling sick, loose stools or a sore stomach
• Feeling hot, flushed or sweaty
• Rash, itching or swelling from an allergy
• A strong allergic reaction in people allergic to shellfish, because of the oyster shell

Good to know:

Most short courses at normal amounts pass without trouble. Mild stomach upset is the most common complaint.

The real concern is the licorice. Taken daily for weeks, licorice can make the body hold salt and water, push blood pressure up, and drop potassium. Low potassium can upset the heart's rhythm, and in rare cases this has needed hospital care.

Risk rises with higher amounts, longer use, and in older people. It also rises if you already take water pills or steroid tablets.

The oyster shell is a shellfish product, so a shellfish allergy can lead to a serious reaction. The fossil bone is a mineral, and badly sourced mineral products can carry lead or other heavy metals.

How much Gui Zhi Gan Cao Long Gu Mu Li Tang should you take?

• Recommended daily: No safe daily amount has been set by trials. Amounts below are what Chinese medicine herbalists typically use, and they should be set for you by a trained person. Raw herb tea, per day: Gui Zhi 6 to 12 g, Zhi Gan Cao 6 to 12 g, Long Gu 15 to 30 g, Mu Li 15 to 30 g. The minerals are boiled first for about 20 minutes. Granules and teapills: follow the label, which usually works out to 3 to 9 g of granules a day, split into two or three doses.
• Best time of day: Usually split into two doses, morning and early evening. If sleep is the main problem, herbalists often shift the second dose to an hour or two before bed.
• With or without food: Take it between meals if your stomach is fine with it. If it makes you feel sick or gives you a sore stomach, take it with a little food instead.
• Time to effect: People who respond often notice calmer sleep within a few days to two weeks. If you feel nothing after two weeks, it is unlikely to help you.
• How long to take it: Short courses are the norm. Many herbalists use it for one to four weeks, then check whether it is still needed. Daily use past four to six weeks raises the risk from licorice. If you carry on that long, ask a doctor to check your blood pressure and your potassium level. Stop and reassess if nothing has changed after two weeks.