While others go about their daily outings and activities full of energy, you feel dizzy and heavy-headed after just a few steps, as if your head is wrapped in a wet cotton ball; nausea and retching can only be relieved by pinching the Hegu point (LI4). Without doing heavy work, your limbs feel as heavy as if bound with lead — don’t mistakenly treat this as hypoglycemia or cervical spondylosis. It’s a signal that phlegm-dampness is wreaking havoc inside the body. Today, we share the Qing Dynasty's time-honored formula, Banxia Baizhu Tianma Tang (Pinellia, Atractylodes Macrocephala, and Gastrodia Decoction), specifically crafted for individuals with abundant phlegm-dampness and spleen-stomach weakness. It regulates the spleen and resolves phlegm simultaneously, helping you eliminate damp turbidity from the root.

"Medical Insights" (Yi Xue Xin Wu) clearly records that this formula treats "headache due to phlegm syncope, excessive phlegm in the chest and diaphragm, dizziness that worsens with movement, nausea and vomiting, with a white greasy tongue coating." To use it effectively, first understand the source of phlegm-dampness. Traditional Chinese Medicine states, "The spleen is the source of phlegm production." The spleen and stomach are the body's "dampness processors." Long-term consumption of greasy, sweet foods; indulgence in cold drinks; prolonged sitting without activity; or staying up late with anxiety can all impair spleen-stomach function. Once the spleen and stomach become deficient, water-dampness metabolism becomes disordered, condensing into sticky, stubborn phlegm-dampness that blocks the body and causes discomfort.

The harm of phlegm-dampness is very direct: on the one hand, it blocks the "clear yang qi" that nourishes the head, leading to dizziness and heaviness in the head due to insufficient nourishment; on the other hand, it obstructs the downward movement of stomach qi, causing nausea and vomiting when stomach qi rebels upward. When moving, the phlegm-dampness becomes agitated, intensifying the discomfort.

This formula is ingeniously composed: Pinellia (Ban Xia) dries dampness and dissolves phlegm, subdues rebellious qi, and stops vomiting, precisely clearing away sticky and greasy damp-turbidity; Gastrodia (Tian Ma) specifically targets dizziness and vertigo, known as the "wind-calming herb," and can quickly relieve dizziness.

Atractylodes (Bai Zhu) strengthens the spleen and dries dampness, while Poria (Fu Ling) promotes diuresis and leaches out dampness, cutting off the production of phlegm-dampness at its root; Tangerine Peel (Ju Hong) regulates qi and dissolves phlegm, unblocking qi movement to aid in the dissipation of phlegm-dampness. Licorice (Gan Cao), Ginger (Sheng Jiang), and Jujube (Da Zao) harmonize the properties of the formula, with ginger dispelling cold and jujube tonifying the spleen, ensuring the entire formula is gentle and not harmful to the body.

It is important to remind everyone that medication must be used according to the specific symptoms. If taken blindly without matching the symptoms, it may instead exacerbate physical discomfort. Only by correctly identifying one's condition can the root of the problem be fundamentally resolved.