What are the safety considerations for Lycium and Chrysanthemum Rehmanni?

Considered inappropriate during a common cold, fever, or active digestive upset in TCM framing, the formula is "tonifying" and may "trap" external pathogens. Sudden loss of vision, eye pain, flashes of light, or a curtain-like shadow across the visual field are not appropriate for self-treatment, these require urgent ophthalmologic evaluation. Long-term daily use is common in China but not well studied in Western pharmacology; periodic breaks are often recommended. Pregnant or breastfeeding people should consult a qualified practitioner before use.

Lycium and Chrysanthemum Rehmanni

← Back to list

A "liver-kidney yin tonic for the eyes" variation of Liuwei Dihuang Wan, best understood as the six-ingredient base with lycium fruit and chrysanthemum flower added to address dryness and fatigue of the eyes.

Cultural reference - how this formula has been discussed in Chinese medical tradition. Not medical advice.

Background & origin

Finalized in the Qing dynasty text "Medical Levels" (《医级》) as the "liver-and-kidney, eye-targeted" companion of Liuwei Dihuang Wan. In Japan, Kokiku-jiogan (杞菊地黄丸) is sold primarily by Kotaro as an OTC remedy for eye fatigue and blurred vision, especially among middle-aged office workers. In Korea it appears as Guguk-jihwang-hwan (구국지황환) in the Kyungdong hanbang line.

From the source text

This page is cultural documentation, not medical advice.

From the source text · 《医级》卷 X·杞菊地黄丸条

Classical text

据《医级》：杞菊地黄丸，治肝肾阴虚，头晕目眩，目涩羞明；六味地黄丸加枸杞子、菊花。

Modern Chinese rendering

本方用于"肝肾阴虚、目失所养"系列证候：肝肾之阴不足所致的头晕目眩、眼干眼涩、羞明畏光、迎风流泪、视物昏花、耳鸣、咽干。方以六味地黄丸（熟地黄、山茱萸、山药、牡丹皮、茯苓、泽泻）"三补三泻"滋补肝肾之阴为底；加入枸杞子滋补肝肾、益精明目；菊花清肝明目、疏散风热。整体上，是清代"六味地黄丸系列"中"明目专方"代表方，临床用于"肝肾阴虚兼目疾"证候。

Editorial translation

This formula is used for "liver-kidney yin deficiency with loss of nourishment of the eyes" patterns: yin-insufficiency of liver and kidney causing dizziness, dry and gritty eyes, photophobia, tearing on exposure to wind, blurred vision, tinnitus, and dry throat. The Qǐ Jú Dì Huáng Wán uses Liù Wèi Dì Huáng Wán (Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill: Shú Dì Huáng, Shān Zhū Yú, Shān Yào, Mǔ Dān Pí, Fú Líng, Zé Xiè) in its "three-tonify + three-drain" structure to nourish liver-kidney yin as the base; Gǒu Qǐ Zǐ tonifies liver-kidney and brightens the eyes; Jú Huā clears the liver and brightens the eyes, disperses wind-heat. It is, in short, the Qing-dynasty representative formula for the "eye-targeting" variant of the "Six-Ingredient Rehmannia" line of the "liver-kidney yin deficiency with eye disorders" register.

In tradition

In TCM tradition, associated with the "liver-kidney yin deficiency" pattern when it manifests in the eyes: dry, gritty, or tired eyes (especially after long screen time), blurred vision, sensitivity to light, dizziness, and, in older adults, early cataract-type visual changes. It is also discussed in the context of mild, persistent headache, tinnitus, and chronic dry-eye sensation. In Chinese pharmacies it is one of the most common everyday "screen-time" remedies.

Formula composition

Monarch1

Rehmannia root, cooked (Shú Dì Huáng / 熟地黄)

Minister2

Cornus fruit (Shān Zhū Yú / 山茱萸)
Chinese yam (Shān Yào / 山药)

Assistant5

Moutan tree bark (Mǔ Dān Pí / 牡丹皮)
Poria (Fú Líng / 茯苓)
Alisma rhizome (Zé Xiè / 泽泻)
Lycium fruit (Gǒu Qǐ Zǐ / 枸杞子)
Chrysanthemum flower (Jú Huā / 菊花)

International availability

Japan (Kampo)

Tsumura & Co.ツムラOTC杞菊地黄丸Kikukochio-gan

Korea (Hanbang)

Kyungdong경동OTC구국지황환Guguk-jihwang-hwan

Taiwan & Hong Kong

順天堂OTC杞菊地黃丸Qi Ju Di Huang Wan

Cautions & context

Considered inappropriate during a common cold, fever, or active digestive upset in TCM framing, the formula is "tonifying" and may "trap" external pathogens.
Sudden loss of vision, eye pain, flashes of light, or a curtain-like shadow across the visual field are not appropriate for self-treatment, these require urgent ophthalmologic evaluation.
Long-term daily use is common in China but not well studied in Western pharmacology; periodic breaks are often recommended.
Pregnant or breastfeeding people should consult a qualified practitioner before use.

Related formulas

Related concerns

Concern · stress

Stress & Mood

Everyday tension, low mood, irritability, the sense of being "wound up but tired". The cluster of complaints that brings many Chinese adults to the family 中成药 drawer before they ever see a doctor.

Editorial note

Compiled from "Medical Levels" (1777).

Last reviewed: July 18, 2026

Three layers of evidence

Classical source

≈ 200 years · "Medical Levels" (1777)

Pharmacopoeia indication

"Nourish the kidney and the liver. Used for liver-kidney yin deficiency: dizziness, tinnitus, photophobia, tearing on exposure to wind, and blurred vision."

Modern research status

No systematic review on Qiju Dihuang Wan was identified in the PubMed database as of 2026-06-28.

No systematic review identified on PubMed

Read our editorial method →

References

References reviewed on July 18, 2026 · PubMed search on 2026-07-18

01
ClassicalDǒng Xīyuán (董西园), 《医级》 (Yī Jí / Medical Levels), mid-Qing dynasty, compiled 1743 (Qianlong 8th year), the canonical "Six-Ingredient Rehmannia + Lycium + Chrysanthemum" entry, the Qing-dynasty canonical "liver-kidney yin + eye-tonifying" variant of the Liuwei Dihuang Wan line; editorial adaptation, pending scholarly verification of exact chapter / verse wording against the 1743 first-edition.
02
TextbookDuān Fùjīn (段富津) et al. (eds.), 《方剂学》 (Fāngjìxué / Science of Formulas), 2nd edition, Shanghai Scientific and Technical Publishers, 2011, the standard modern university-level formula textbook in mainland China, with Qǐ Jú Dì Huáng Wán analysed in the "tonifying formulas" (补益剂) chapter as a representative "liver-kidney yin + eye-brightening" formula and the canonical entry for the "liver-kidney yin deficiency with eye disorders" register.
03
TextbookBensky, D., Clavey, S., Stöger, E., Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica and Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 3rd edition, Eastland Press, 2004, the standard English-language reference for Chinese herbal formulas, the standard Western reference for Qǐ Jú Dì Huáng Wán as the "eye-brightening" variant of Liuwei Dihuang Wan; mirrored in Japanese Kampo as Kokiku-jiogan (杞菊地黄丸) sold by Kotaro (小太郎) for eye fatigue presentations, and in Korean hanbang as 구국지황환 (Guguk-jihwang-hwan) in Kyungdong (경동) product line.
04
PharmacopoeiaPharmacopoeia Commission of the PRC, 《中华人民共和国药典》 2020 edition, vol. 1 (Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó Yàodiǎn, Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China, 2020 ed., vol. 1), China Medical Science Press, 2020, the official national monograph for Qǐ Jú Dì Huáng Wán (丸 / 浓缩丸), "functional indication" reads "nourish the kidney and the liver, used for liver-kidney yin deficiency: dizziness, tinnitus, photophobia, tearing on exposure to wind, and blurred vision".

Important Notice

The information on PCMWiki is for general educational and cultural reference only. It is not medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, nor as a substitute for professional care.

Throughout this site, phrases such as "traditionally used for" or "in TCM tradition, often associated with" describe how a formula has been discussed within the Chinese medical tradition over centuries. They are cultural and historical descriptions, not claims that the product is effective, safe, or appropriate for any particular condition.

If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking prescription medication, managing a chronic condition, or considering any of these remedies for a child, please consult a qualified healthcare practitioner familiar with both Chinese and Western medicine before use. Stop use and seek care if you notice any unexpected reaction.

Last reviewed: July 18, 2026.