A cupboard supply
Long Dan Xie Gan Tang 6 Pack
6 bottles · 360 tablets · 6 a day, in short spells
Six bottles of Long Dan Xie Gan Tang. It's the gentian one, bitter as you like and cold with it. A two-month course? No, honestly not. Herbalists only ever used it in short spells, so treat this as a supply you dip into, with proper breaks. Why take it over weeks
- Regular price
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£132.30 - Regular price
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£147.00 - Sale price
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£132.30
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- 5:1 strength
- DaoDi herbs
- Vegan & gluten-free
- GMP certified
- Free UK delivery £40+
Why gentian is a short-spell formula
There aren't many formulas colder than Long Dan Xie Gan Tang. Its whole job, in the old thinking, was draining heat and damp out of the Liver channel. So how did herbalists use it? A bit like a fire extinguisher, really. Grab it, give it a short sharp go, hang it back up. Taking something this cold for weeks on end was thought to chill the digestion and wear a person down, so the tradition was a short stint followed by something gentler. That's why we don't suggest working through these six bottles back to back.
Think of the pack as a supply that lasts, used in short spells with real breaks, or shared between grown-ups at home who've already checked it suits them. Something keeps coming back? Or it just won't clear after a short spell? Then frankly that's a GP job, not a reason to crack open another bottle.
For short spells, with breaks in between
Using it in short spells
When you need it
A short spell
Three in the morning, three at night, and only for a short stint (that's how it was always done). Feeling chilly? Tummy gone loose, or gone off your food? Stop there.
In between
A proper break
Give it a rest. Herbalists tended to switch people to something milder after, and a practitioner can tell you what. The other bottles? Lids on, cool dry cupboard. Done.
If it carries on
Time for your GP
Hot and bothered again, and again? Something new with your eyes or ears, your skin, your waterworks? Don't reach for more. Have a word with your GP instead.
Pregnant or breastfeeding? Then give this one a miss, honestly. Same if you feel the cold easily or your digestion's on the weak side. The liquorice can push blood pressure up, mind, and dong quai and blood thinners like warfarin don't mix. On any medication at all? Have a word with your GP or pharmacist first, we'd rather you did.
Choosing between them
Liver formulas, from fierce to gentle
There were a few bupleurum-type Liver formulas to pick from, and it came down to how much heat and fullness the herbalist could see. Gentian? Right out at the fierce end.
This page
Long Dan Xie Gan Tang
Ten herbs, gentian in charge, cold and draining. Picture someone red in the face, red-eyed, bitter-mouthed and snappy. Short spells only, mind.
Moves stuck Qi
Chai Hu Shu Gan San
Bupleurum again, this time with tangerine peel and cyperus. All knotted and tight, sighing a lot? But not really hot? That's where this one came in.
See Chai Hu Shu Gan SanThe great harmoniser
Xiao Chai Hu Tang
Straight out of the Shang Han Lun. Stuck halfway, hot then cold, off your grub, a bitter taste. It balances instead of draining, and it's miles gentler.
See Xiao Chai Hu TangWhat's in the box
Six bottles of Long Dan Xie Gan Tang
Every bottle is the same: 60 tablets of the formula on our single bottle page, so 6 a day gives you 10 days a bottle.
| Long Dan Cao Gentiana scabra | 303mg |
| Huang Qin Scutellaria baicalensis | 471mg |
| Zhi Zi Gardenia jasminoides | 471mg |
| Ze Xie Alisma plantago-aquatica | 471mg |
| Zhu Ling Polyporus umbellatus | 303mg |
| Fu Ling Wolfiporia hoelen | 303mg |
| Di Huang Rehmannia glutinosa | 303mg |
| Dang Gui Angelica sinensis | 135mg |
| Chai Hu Bupleurum chinense | 303mg |
| Gan Cao Glycyrrhiza glabra | 303mg |
Also contains: Cassava starch, Hypromellose, Magnesium stearate, Polyethylene glycol, Talc.
Living with six bottles
The practical bits
Storing them
Somewhere cool and dry, out of direct sun. Leave the bottles you're not using sealed until you need them.
Best before
Every bottle carries its own best-before date on the label, so check the one you open next.
Delivery
Order before 3pm on a weekday and it goes out the same day from Essex. UK delivery is free on orders over £40.
Changed your mind?
Sealed, unopened bottles can be returned within 14 days of delivery. The details are in our refund policy.
Verified Loox reviews
What people say about Long Dan Xie Gan Tang
Item arrived quickly, everything as expected.
Yolanda K., verified buyerI got these to help reduce heat and to help with psoriasis.
Mark M., verified buyerQuick and easy ordering process! Taste fine and does the job perfectly would recommend!
Nathan M., verified buyerLong Dan Xie Gan Tang: your questions
Why does Long Dan Xie Gan Tang come up when people talk about red, sore eyes?
It's down to channel theory. The Liver channel's said to open into the eyes, so when heat seemed to flare up there, herbalists historically reached for this. That's the old way of seeing it, though. It isn't a treatment for any eye or ear condition. Eyes red and painful? Vision changed? Earache? Get to a GP or optician quickly, honestly, not a herbal supplement.
Was there anything herbalists told you to steer clear of on it?
Anything heating. Booze. Chilli. Fried stuff, and very rich food too. All of that was supposed to stoke Liver heat and damp, so you'd be told to ease off while you were on gentian. Lighter meals, vegetables and plenty of water fit the logic better. Some also mentioned temper and late nights, since a short fuse was very much part of this picture.
Who did herbalists traditionally give it to?
Robust adults who ran strongly hot and full, not the frail or run down. The textbook picture is someone flushed, irritable and bitter-mouthed, with energy to spare. Older people, children, anyone pale and tired, or anyone with a delicate stomach were usually steered towards something milder. It's very much a formula for a particular, rather fiery type.
What did herbalists move people on to afterwards?
Something gentler, chosen to fit what was left once the heat had died down, so a practitioner is the best guide. Jia Wei Xiao Yao San was a common follow-on where mild heat and tension lingered, and Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan where warmth seemed to come from dryness rather than excess. The point was to stop draining once the fire was out.
Why buy six bottles of a short-term formula?
Mainly so there's some in the cupboard when a short spell is called for, not to take it all in one go. The tablets are identical to the single bottle, six a day, ten days to a bottle. A household might share it between adults it suits, or keep it for occasional use over a longer period, always with breaks in between.
Long Dan Xie Gan Tang, six bottles at once
Back to the 6 pack