What Are the Benefits and Functions of Shiwei Tablets?

Urological diseases are diverse and can easily occur. When suffering from urological diseases, we can choose to treat them with Western medicine or traditional Chinese medicine. Shiwei Tablets, which have the functions of clearing heat and drying dampness, promoting urination and relieving stranguria, can be used to treat various urological diseases. Before using Shiwei Tablets, it is essential to fully understand their effects to ensure correct medication. So, what are the effects and functions of Shiwei Tablets?

1. Antitussive and Antiasthmatic Effects: Shiwei extracts (decoction) and isomangiferin have significant antitussive effects (induced by sulfur dioxide), but not as pronounced as codeine. Oral administration of extracts from Lushan Shiwei in mice also exhibited antitussive effects, but they were also less effective than codeine.

2. Antibacterial Effects: 100% Shiwei decoction has inhibitory effects on Staphylococcus aureus and Proteus vulgaris using the plate hole method.

3. Diuretic and Relieving Stranguria Effects: Shiwei is bitter, sweet, and cold in nature. Its bitter taste can reduce dampness and dryness, its sweet taste can ease urgency and relieve pain, and its cold nature can clear heat and purge fire. It enters the lung and bladder meridians, clearing heat in the lungs and promoting urination in the bladder. It opens the water source to unblock the waterways, thus having diuretic and relieving stranguria effects. It is suitable for symptoms such as painful and difficult urination, abdominal discomfort, red or cloudy urine, and sand-like particles in the urine. It also has the function of clearing heat and stopping bleeding, making it particularly suitable for blood in the urine. According to the "Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing," Shiwei is the main medicine for clearing heat and promoting urination, as described in the "Qian Jin Fang" formula, which combines Shiwei with Danggui and other herbs to treat various urinary diseases.

4. Clearing Lung Heat and Resolving Phlegm: Shiwei enters the lung meridian, clearing heat in the lungs. Its bitter taste can descend adverse qi and dry dampness, resolving phlegm. Therefore, it has the function of clearing lung heat, resolving phlegm, and relieving cough. It is suitable for use in cases of cough with abundant phlegm due to lung heat.

5. Clearing Heat and Purging Fire: Shiwei is bitter and cold, clearing heat and purging fire. It also enters the liver meridian, where the liver stores blood. Therefore, it is good at clearing blood heat and has the function of cooling the blood and stopping bleeding. It is suitable for symptoms such as excessive and continuous bleeding, bright or purple blood, thick consistency, dry mouth, irritability, red tongue, and rapid pulse, as well as vomiting blood and nosebleeds. Folk remedies often use Shiwei alone, either decocted in water or taken with alcohol, to treat these conditions, as described in the "Compendium of Materia Medica."

6. Diuretic and Relieving Stranguria Effects: ① Shiwei is often used in combination with other herbs such as Cheqianzi, Huashi, Mutong, and Qumai to treat urinary infections with painful urination or bloody urine. ② It is also commonly used in combination with Haijinsha, Qiancaocao, Dongkuizi, and Huashi to treat blood in the urine due to kidney stones.