Lysimachia Decoction (Daily Stone-Expelling Tea)
Ingredients
- Lysimachia (jinqiancao) 30 g (standard daily tea dose)
Principle
Jinqiancao is sweet-bland and slightly cold; enters liver, gallbladder, kidney, and bladder. It **drains damp, promotes urination, clears heat-toxin, and reduces jaundice**. It clears lower-jiao damp-heat and may relax ureter smooth muscle and increase urine output to help **move small stones downward**. Research suggests diuresis without major electrolyte upset and some inhibition of calcium oxalate crystal formation. **Adjunct expulsion—not stone dissolution.**
Effects & uses
For **damp-heat in the lower jiao** with **stone stranguria**, painful urination, hematuria, or flank colic; conservative adjunct for **small urate stones** (syndrome differentiation required). **Large calcium-rich stones need standard care such as surgery**; colic or hydronephrosis requires prompt medical attention.
Method
- Rinse 30 g jinqiancao quickly to remove dust.
- Add to a clay pot or herbal kettle with about 500 ml water.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer 10–15 minutes on low heat.
- Strain; a little rock sugar may be added for taste.
How to use
- Drink frequently as a tea substitute, one dose per day.
- Do not drink continuously long-term; use about 1–2 weeks then pause, or follow a clinician’s course.
Caution
**A separate 200 g plus sugar “Lysimachia drink” appears in *Chinese Nutritional Diet Therapy* as a high-dose medicinal-diet formula—physician-guided only, not for daily copying.** Avoid if spleen–stomach are cold (chills, loose stools). Long-term or excessive use may deplete fluids and weaken digestion. Use cautiously if pregnant or allergic. This is a medicinal herb, not a daily supplement; short-term, pattern-based use only. Not a substitute for standard stone treatment.
Source
China Medical Information Platform (NATA reviewed): 30 g tea (Practical Integrated TCM–Western Clinical Manual, Wang Lixia); 200 g formula (Chinese Nutritional Diet Therapy, Li Peihong); adverse-effect notes (Hua Guodong); Health Times commentary (Liu Daming); Guangxi Botanical Garden pharmacology summaries. To be manually verified.