川芎茶调散

• Occipital headache predominant (Taiyang): Increase the dose of Qiang Huo (notopterygium rhizome) and add Man Jing Zi (vitex fruit).
• Frontal headache predominant (Yangming): Increase the dose of Bai Zhi (angelica dahurica root).
• Bilateral (temporal) headache predominant (Shaoyang): Add Chai Hu (bupleurum root).
• Vertex headache predominant (Jueyin): Add Gao Ben (ligusticum sinense rhizome).

5. Cautions and clinical notes

• Contraindications:
  • Not suitable for headache due to qi deficiency, blood deficiency, or Liver-Kidney yin deficiency with Liver yang rising.
  • The herbs in this formula are mostly acrid, warm, fragrant, and drying in nature; it should not be taken for a prolonged period, to avoid damaging yin and consuming qi.

6. Granule conversion and dose

• Calculation of the total raw herb weight of the original formula:
  • Chuan Xiong (szechwan lovage rhizome) 12 g + Qiang Huo (notopterygium rhizome) 6 g + Bai Zhi (angelica dahurica root) 6 g + Xi Xin (asarum root) 3 g + Bo He (mint) 12 g + Jing Jie (schizonepeta) 6 g + Fang Feng (saposhnikovia root) 6 g + Gan Cao (licorice root) 6 g = 57 g.
• Conversion to 5:1 granules:
  • 57 g raw herbs ÷ 5 = 11.4 g granules.
• Recommended dose and method of administration:
  • One dose daily, divided into morning and evening administrations; dissolve the granules in a small amount of light tea (such as green tea), about 6 g per dose.
  • Or follow the practitioner's instructions. This formula is mainly used for headache due to external contraction of wind evil; discontinue once the disorder is resolved, and do not take it for a prolonged period. If the practitioner makes modifications, the conversion must be recalculated based on the adjusted total raw herb weight.