Dry Cough Formula

👩‍⚕️ For the Everyday Reader: What is Dry Cough Formula?

 

Dry Cough Formula—known in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as Bai He Gu Jin Tang (Lily Preserve Metal Formula)—is a centuries-old herbal prescription used to treat persistent, dry, irritating coughs 🤧. These coughs often come after a viral infection, chronic illness, or environmental stress that damages the body’s natural moisture system.

This formula helps to:

• 💧Moisten dry lungs and throat

• 🔥 Reduce lingering inflammation

• 🫁 Support respiratory and immune function

• 🧘‍♀️ Calm the nervous system

 

It’s especially useful in:

• Post-infection dry cough

• Chronic bronchitis and COPD

• Asthmatic breathing with dryness

• Blood-streaked sputum from lung irritation

• Spontaneous pneumothorax recovery

 

💡In short: Dry Cough Formula supports healing when the lungs are “burnt out”—dry, irritated, and struggling to recover.

 

🧑‍⚕️ For the TCM Practitioner: Clinical Profile of Dry Cough Formula

 

Bai He Gu Jin Tang is classically prescribed for patterns of:

• Lung and Kidney Yin deficiency with deficient heat

• Residual heat damage after febrile disease

• Lung dryness causing dry throat, dry cough, or blood-streaked sputum

 

Formula Actions:

• Nourish Lung and Kidney Yin

• Clear deficiency fire and drain residual heat

• Transform phlegm

• Generate fluids and soothe the throat

• Harmonize the upper burner and calm the Heart

 

Key Clinical Signs:

• Thin, rapid pulse

• Red, dry tongue with scant or no coat

• Restlessness, night sweats, dry throat, and dry lips

• Cough worse at night or upon exertion

 

🔬 Scientific Overview: Herbal Pharmacology & Modern Research

 

Let’s take a deeper dive into the pharmacological actions of the formula and current evidence-based research.

 

🌱 Core Ingredients and Their Modern Functions

🌸 Bai He (Lilium lancifolium) – 22.2%

• 🌬️ Moistens the lungs

• 🔥 Reduces inflammation

• 😌 Calms the mind

• 🧪 Contains saponins with mild sedative effects

 

🌒 Shu Di Huang (Rehmannia glutinosa, prepared) – 16.6%

• 🧬 Tonifies Kidney Yin and Blood

• 🛡️ Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects【1】

 

🩸 Sheng Di Huang (Rehmannia glutinosa, raw) – 11.0%

• ❄️ Cools the blood

• 🔥 Clears internal heat

• 🧠 Supports immune modulation

 

❄️ Xi Yang Shen (Panax quinquefolius, American Ginseng) – 8.3%

• ⚡ Qi tonic with a cooling nature

• 💨 Supports energy without causing internal heat【2】

 

💧 Mai Men Dong (Ophiopogon japonicus) – 8.3%

• 🫁 Moistens lungs and stomach

• 🧯 Clears heat and soothes tissues

• 🛡️ Protects lung tissue from damage【3】

 

🧊 Xuan Shen (Scrophularia ningpoensis) – 5.6%

• 🩸 Cools the blood

• 💦 Nourishes Yin

• 🔬 Reduces systemic inflammation【4】

 

🌰 Chuan Bei Mu (Fritillaria cirrhosa) – 5.6%

• 🤧 Antitussive (stops cough)

• 🫧 Expectorant – clears phlegm

• 💦 Moistens dryness

• ✅ Effective for chronic dry cough【5】

 

💉 Dang Gui (Angelica sinensis) – 5.6%

• 🔄 Regulates and nourishes blood

• 🔥 Anti-inflammatory

• ✨ Mild antispasmodic

 

🍑 Bai Shao (Paeonia lactiflora) – 5.6%

• 🌿 Anti-inflammatory

• 🧬 Immune-modulating

• 💪 Soothes muscle spasms【6】

 

🎤 Jie Geng (Platycodon grandiflorus) – 5.6%

• 🫁 Opens and clears the lungs

• 🧽 Expels phlegm

• 🗣️ Targets the throat and upper respiratory tract

 

🍬 Gan Cao (Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Licorice Root) – 5.6%

• 🎯 Harmonizes the formula

• 🔥 Anti-inflammatory

• 🛡️ Mucosal protector【7】

 

🧪 Clinical Research Highlights

✅ 1. Dry Cough in Pregnancy

• A 2020 clinical observation (n=31) found 87% of pregnant women experienced full or partial relief from persistent dry cough after two weeks of modified Bai He Gu Jin Tang【8】.

✅ 2. Adjunct to Tuberculosis Treatment

• Combined therapy with conventional TB drugs and the formula significantly improved lung function, kidney function, and inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-6, TNF-α) vs. TB drugs alone【9】.

✅ 3. Supportive Care in Lung Cancer

• Patients receiving the formula alongside chemotherapy reported:

  • Better sleep 😴

  • Less chest pain 💢

  • Higher quality of life scores (EORTC QLQ-C30 & LC-13)【10】.

✅ 4. COVID-19 Cytokine Storm Prevention

• A 2021 systems biology analysis ranked Lily Preserve Metal Formula among the top three TCM formulas to regulate immune pathways in cytokine storms (via JAK-STAT, NF-κB, and TLR pathways)【11】.

✅ 5. Spontaneous Pneumothorax Recovery

• In a 1986 study, 93.3% of patients treated with the formula recovered faster and had shorter hospital stays compared to Western treatment alone【12】.

 

🔬 Mechanism of Action: A Biomedical Look

 

🫁 Lung Repair & Hydration

• Rehmannia, Lily, and Ophiopogon restore epithelial moisture via mucin production and tissue repair.

• Fritillaria and Scrophularia reduce airway inflammation and soothe irritation.

 

🧬 Anti-Inflammatory & Immunomodulation

• Studies demonstrate downregulation of IL-6, TNF-α, and NF-κB, helping to prevent chronic inflammation or cytokine flare-ups.

• Supports adaptive immunity without overstimulation—a key benefit in post-viral recovery and immunocompromised states.

 

❤️‍🩹 Cardiorespiratory Harmony

• American Ginseng and Licorice help protect heart and kidney function during systemic inflammation.

• Peony and Angelica promote healthy blood flow and prevent dryness-induced blood heat—a contributor to dry cough with blood streaks.

 

🔗 When to Use (and Not to Use) Dry Cough Formula

✅ Ideal For:

• Lingering dry cough after viral illness

• Blood-streaked sputum or throat irritation

• Asthma with Yin deficiency

• COPD, spontaneous pneumothorax, or lung cancer recovery

• Post-COVID fatigue and cough

• Yin-deficiency insomnia

 

❌ Avoid In:

• Acute infections with fever and yellow phlegm

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🔬 Practical Tips for Use

• Dosage: 2 tablets, 3 times daily (or as directed by a practitioner)

• Duration: 2–6 weeks depending on recovery stage

• Combination Therapy:

  • Add Ginseng & Astragalus Formula for poor digestion

  • Add Zizyphus Formula for post-viral insomnia

  • Add Restore the Lung Formula for sticky phlegm and Qi deficiency

 

🌟 Conclusion

Dry Cough Formula (Bai He Gu Jin Tang) is more than just a traditional remedy—it is a scientifically supported, multifaceted herbal treatment that addresses chronic dry cough from the root cause: Yin deficiency, inflammation, and immune dysregulation.

✅ Moisturizes the lungs
✅ Calms inflammation
✅ Enhances immunity
✅ Supports post-illness recovery

If you’re recovering from illness, dealing with persistent dry throat and cough, or simply need to restore your inner balance, this formula offers a safe, effective, and time-honored solution backed by modern science 🌿🧬.

 

📚 References

1. Chen JK, Chen TT. Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology (2004)

2. Bensky D et al. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica (2004)

3. Ge HB, Zhu J. J Int Med Res, 2020

4. Hu D, Yang Q, Liu J. J New Chin Med, 2007

5. Wang MX, Kuang YX, Liu L. Sichuan Med J, 2012

6. Qiao LS et al. Signal Transduct Target Ther, 2021

7. Zhen RC. Chin J Integr Tradit West Med, 1986

8. Fu LY et al. Trad Med & Mod Med, 2020