It's important to remember that herbal formulas are meant to treat patterns, not "diseases" as understood in Western Medicine. According to Chinese Medicine patterns, which are disruptions to the body as a system, are the underlying root cause for diseases and conditions.

As such Gan Cao Gan Jiang Tang is mostly used to treat the pattern "Lung Yang Deficiency" which we describe below.

But before we delve into Lung Yang Deficiency here is an overview of the Western conditions it is commonly associated with:

Enuresis Excessive drooling Allergic rhinitis Hayfever Epistaxis Abnormal uterine bleeding Peptic ulcers Chronic gastritis Emphysema

Again it wouldn't be correct to say "Gan Cao Gan Jiang Tang treats enuresis" for instance. Rather, Gan Cao Gan Jiang Tang is used to treat Lung Yang Deficiency, which is sometimes the root cause behind enuresis.

Now let's look at Lung Yang Deficiency, a pattern that TCM practitioners commonly treat with Gan Cao Gan Jiang Tang.

The Lungs is a so-called "Zang" Organ. Learn more about the Lungs in Chinese Medicine

Lung Yang Deficiency

Pulse type(s): Slow (Chi), Slowed-down (Huan), Wiry (Xian)

Symptoms: Fatigue Wheezing No thirst Cold limbs Weak voice Poor appetite Pale complexion Frequent urination Shortness of breath Spontaneous sweating Frequent Colds or Flu Coughing with copious clear thin sputum

Gan Cao Gan Jiang Tang is sometimes prescribed by TCM practitioners to treat Lung Yang Deficiency. This pattern leads to symptoms such as coughing with copious clear thin sputum, cold limbs, spontaneous sweating and frequent colds or flu. Patients with Lung Yang Deficiency typically exhibit slow (Chi), slowed-down (Huan) or wiry (Xian) pulses.

The general symptom of Lung Yang Deficiency is coughing and wheezing with profuse sputum, but the sputum is thin and watery. There is also Cold characters such as cold limbs and back, feeling of cold and easy to get cold or flu. It is because the lacking of Yang fails to warm the body. 

If this... read more about Lung Yang Deficiency