You Gui Wan
Specifically for Hypothyroidism
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Why it works for Hypothyroidism:
TCM rationale (pattern-based): In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), many hypothyroid presentations map to Kidney Yang deficiency (sometimes Spleen-Kidney Yang deficiency). You Gui Wan is the classic Yang-tonifying formula for this pattern—its key actions are to warm and tonify Kidney Yang and replenish essence. Ingredients typically include prepared aconite (Zhi Fu Zi), cinnamon bark (Rou Gui), deer antler gelatin (Lu Jiao Jiao), rehmannia (Shu Di Huang), dodder seed (Tu Si Zi), eucommia (Du Zhong), goji (Gou Qi Zi), yam (Shan Yao), cornelian cherry (Shan Zhu Yu) and angelica (Dang Gui). TCM Wiki
Biomedical signals (adjunct to LT4): A 2022 meta-analysis of 9 RCTs (n=936) found that You Gui Wan + levothyroxine (LT4) improved clinical response, lowered TSH, raised FT4/FT3, and reported fewer adverse reactions than LT4 alone. The authors, however, stressed the trials’ low quality and heterogeneity, so conclusions are tentative pending higher-quality RCTs. F6 Publishing
Possible mechanisms (early/preclinical): Reviews and preclinical work suggest You Gui Wan and its constituents may modulate endocrine and mitochondrial pathways; you’ll also see network-pharmacology/mechanistic hypotheses. These are not direct proof in humans with hypothyroidism but offer plausible biological context. F6 Publishing
How to use for Hypothyroidism:
Who it’s for (pattern fit): Best when a practitioner diagnoses Kidney Yang deficiency (e.g., cold intolerance, fatigue, low back/knee soreness, edema, loose stools). If your presentation is “heat,” damp-heat, or predominantly Yin deficiency with heat signs, this formula is not appropriate. TCM Wiki
Form & typical adult dosing (traditional guidance):
- Pills (honey pills): 9–15 g per dose, 2–3×/day (classic preparation notes). Sacred Lotus
- Modern patent tablets/granules: follow the product’s standardized instructions; for example, one common manufacturer recommends 6 tablets, 2–3×/day (5:1 extract), adjusting to body weight and response. ActiveHerb
- Granules (5:1): dose per label; brands list full ingredient panels (e.g., 100 g bottle of 5:1 granules). Treasure of the East
- Doses vary by brand/concentration; your practitioner calibrates to your case.
If you also take levothyroxine: Take LT4 on an empty stomach, 30–60 min before food, and separate it from other meds/supplements by ~4 hours to protect absorption. (There’s no specific human data for You Gui Wan timing with LT4; applying the standard LT4-separation rule is prudent.) FDA Access Data
Monitoring: Keep regular thyroid labs (TSH, FT4 ± FT3) with your prescribing clinician when starting/stopping or changing dose of You Gui Wan, because your LT4 requirement may change if symptoms/absorption shift. (General LT4 monitoring guidance.) nhs.uk
Scientific Evidence for Hypothyroidism:
Systematic review & meta-analysis (2022, World Journal of Clinical Cases):
- 9 RCTs, You Gui Wan + LT4 vs LT4 alone. Outcomes favored the combo: higher overall response (RR≈1.20), lower TSH, higher FT3/FT4, and fewer adverse effects. Authors caution about low trial quality, heterogeneity, and small samples; call for high-quality RCTs. (Open-access PDF) F6 Publishing
- Indexed summaries: Europe PMC / Unbound Medicine entries. Europe PMC
Related/adjacent evidence:
- A randomized study in pregnant patients with subclinical hypothyroidism compared LT4 vs LT4 + You Gui Pill (journal of clinical medicine practice; abstract in English). Useful but population-specific; not generalizable without obstetric/endocrine oversight. jcmp.yzu.edu.cn
- Network-pharmacology and preclinical data on You Gui Pill components and endocrine/mitochondrial targets (mechanistic—not clinical efficacy). Thieme
Specific Warnings for Hypothyroidism:
Aconite (Zhi Fu Zi) toxicity risk: You Gui Wan contains processed aconite, which carries serious cardiotoxic and neurotoxic risks if misused or improperly processed (arrhythmias, numbness/paresthesias, GI/neurologic symptoms). Use only professionally prepared products; do not self-decoct raw aconite. BioMed Central
Contraindications (TCM): Not for Yin deficiency with heat, damp-heat patterns, or exterior (acute) conditions; avoid in presentations with “effulgent fire/heat” signs. innerpath.com.au
Pregnancy & breastfeeding: Avoid aconite-containing formulas in pregnancy/breastfeeding unless prescribed and closely supervised by a qualified practitioner; several references list aconite as contraindicated here. ccmlondon.com
Interactions & timing with LT4: Because LT4 absorption is easily impaired, separate other meds/supplements (including herbs) by ~4 hours and keep labs monitored when adding/removing herbal formulas. FDA Access Data
Product quality matters: Use GMP-certified suppliers; ingredient lists for reputable granule/patent products are published. (Examples for reference.) Treasure of the East
General cinnamon safety (Rou Gui): Generally safe at herbal doses but long-term/high intake can pose hepatic risk depending on coumarin content; monitor if you have liver disease or take hepatotoxic drugs. Frontiers
General Information (All Ailments)
What it is
You Gui Wan is a classical Chinese herbal formula from the school of tonification. It is traditionally used for patterns described as Kidney Yang Deficiency with Jing/Fertility depletion — often when a person appears cold, fatigued, depleted, and weak at the constitutional level. It is a “warming and restoring” formula, not a quick symptom reliever.
The core actions are to warm Kidney Yang, replenish Essence (Jing), strengthen the lower back and reproductive axis, and support constitutional vitality.
How it works (TCM mechanisms)
You Gui Wan works by:
• Warming the Mingmen fire
— helps reverse coldness, slowed metabolism, low libido, cold limbs, fatigue
• Rebuilding Jing (essence)
— addresses depletion from chronic illness, overwork, aging, or reproductive loss
• Supporting marrow and reproduction
— classically linked to memory, bones, fertility, hormonal vigor
• Anchoring long-term recovery instead of just stimulating
— it builds the “bank account” rather than just spending what’s left
From a Western physiology framing, clinicians often correlate its effects with modulating HPA axis tone, improving microcirculation, and influencing metabolic and reproductive endocrine function in deficient presentations (not hyper/hot ones).
Why it’s important (clinical relevance)
You Gui Wan is important because it is used in conditions where the person is not just symptomatic, but constitutionally depleted. In TCM, this depletion is seen as upstream of many chronic, recurring, or never-fully-resolved health problems. It becomes relevant when patterns include some combination of:
• persistent low vitality despite rest
• cold intolerance, low libido, impotence, infertility
• spinal/low back weakness, bone weakness with aging
• loose stools with cold, clear urine, fatigue on waking
• post-illness or post-birth depletion
• signs of aging with cold-type decline (not heat-type)
It is used when the goal is rebuilding capacity and reserve, not merely patching symptoms.
Considerations
1) Pattern-specific — not for everyone
This is a hot/warming formula. It can aggravate people with heat signs, inflammation, or thick/yellow tongue coat. Wrong pattern = worse outcome.
2) Time horizon is slow and cumulative
Effects are tonifying; meaningful changes are evaluated over weeks to months, not days.
3) Pregnancy, IVF, and hormone-related cases require supervision
Because it influences reproductive and metabolic axis, dosing and timing with cycles or ART should be guided.
4) May interact with Western conditions
Use caution or active MD coordination in people with hyperthyroidism, hypertension with heat/agitation, active infections, autoimmune flares, or severe inflammatory states — You Gui Wan is generally not given during febrile/acute inflammatory phases.
5) Formula variations matter
There are related formulas (You Gui Yin; Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan; Zuo Gui Wan) chosen based on degree of cold vs deficiency vs fluids, not interchangeably.
6) Quality and sourcing
Because this is a classic “slow repletion” formula, adulteration or low potency materially changes outcomes; professional-grade sourcing is not a trivial detail.
Helps with these conditions
You Gui Wan is most effective for general wellness support with emerging research . The effectiveness varies by condition based on clinical evidence and user experiences.
Detailed Information by Condition
Erectile Dysfunction
TCM rationale. In traditional theory, many cases of ED map to Kidney Yang deficiency (low libido, cold limbs, low back/knee soreness, fatigue). You Gu...
Hypothyroidism
TCM rationale (pattern-based): In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), many hypothyroid presentations map to Kidney Yang deficiency (sometimes Spleen-K...
Fertility Support (Female)
Pattern it targets: In TCM, You Gui Wan warms and tonifies Kidney yang and replenishes Essence (jing)—patterns often implicated in anovulation, luteal...
Low Testosterone
TCM rationale (Kidney-Yang deficiency): In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), many symptoms that overlap with hypogonadism—fatigue, cold intolerance,...
Low Sperm Count
TCM rationale (pattern-based): You Gui Wan warms and tonifies Kidney Yang and replenishes essence (jing)—the classic TCM pattern linked to male subfer...
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