Hello everyone! I’m the author behind these health-focused articles. If you’ve been plagued by a lingering cough this winter, you’re not alone. The key to relieving it lies in choosing the right remedy—and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers a smart, personalized approach called "treatment based on syndrome differentiation." (I absolutely adore TCM culture for its holistic wisdom, though I’ll admit I’m not a fan of the bitter taste of most TCM herbal medicines!)
In TCM, coughs are not a one-size-fits-all condition. To get the best results, you need to select a remedy that matches the root cause and specific symptoms of your cough. Let’s break down the six common types of winter coughs and the recommended TCM patent medicines (ready-to-take herbal formulations) for each:
1. Wind-Dryness Cough
Symptoms: Dry cough with little to no phlegm; if phlegm is present, it is thick, sticky, and hard to cough up. You may also experience a dry throat, dry nose and lips, or even streaks of blood in the phlegm.
Recommended Remedies: Formulas that clear lung dryness and dispel external wind. Try:
Lingyang Qingfei Wan (Antelope Lung-Clearing Pill)
Xingsu Erchen Wan (Apricot Kernel & Perilla Twin-Chen Pill)
2. Wind-Cold Cough
Symptoms: A deep, harsh cough with thin, white phlegm. Accompanied by a stuffy or runny nose (clear discharge), headache, mild fever with chills, no sweating, and body aches.
Recommended Remedies: Warming formulas that resolve cold phlegm and stop coughing. Try:
Xingren Zhike Tangjiang (Apricot Kernel Cough Syrup)
Shedan Chenpi Koufuye (Snake Gallbladder & Tangerine Peel Oral Liquid)
Guilong Kechuanning (Cassia Twig & Dragon Bone Cough & Asthma Relief)
Xiaoqinglong Keli (Minor Blue Dragon Granules)
Tongxuan Lifei Koufuye (Free Flow Lung Opening Oral Liquid)
3. Phlegm-Dampness Cough
Symptoms: A heavy, muffled cough with abundant, thick, sticky phlegm (white or grayish in color). The cough worsens after eating sweet or greasy foods. You may also feel chest congestion, loss of appetite, fatigue, and loose stools.
Recommended Remedies: Formulas that regulate the lungs, strengthen the spleen, and resolve phlegm. Try:
Banxia Lu (Pinellia Tincture)
Juhong Tanke Chongji (Red Tangerine Peel Phlegm-Cough Granules/Oral Liquid/Ointment)
Erchen Wan (Twin-Chen Pill)
4. Chronic Cough with Yin Deficiency
Symptoms: A long-lasting dry cough with a short, weak sound, or phlegm streaked with blood. Accompanied by flushed cheeks and low-grade fever in the afternoon, night sweats, and general tiredness.
Recommended Remedies: Nourishing formulas that replenish lung yin, clear stubborn phlegm, promote body fluids, and descend rebellious qi. Try:
Milian Chuanbei Pipa Gao (Honeyed Fritillaria & Loquat Ointment)
Baihe Gujin Wan (Lily Bulb Decoction for Consolidating the Golden)
Qiuli Gao (Autumn Pear Ointment)
Yangyin Qingfei Gao (Nourish Yin & Clear Lung Ointment)
5. Lung Qi Deficiency Cough
Symptoms: A weak, soft cough with thin, watery phlegm. You may also experience spontaneous sweating and a fear of wind, often resulting from a prolonged, unresolved cough.
Recommended Remedies: Tonifying formulas that replenish qi, secure the exterior, strengthen the spleen, and tonify the kidneys. Try:
Guben Kechuan Pian (Root-Strengthening Cough & Asthma Tablet)
6. Wind-Heat Cough
Symptoms: A frequent, harsh cough with thick, yellow, sticky phlegm that is difficult to cough up. Accompanied by a sore throat, mild fever with a fear of wind, runny nose (yellow/green discharge), thirst, and headache.
Recommended Remedies: Cooling formulas that clear heat, resolve phlegm, and stop coughing. Try:
Jizhi Tangjiang (Acute Bronchitis Syrup)
Luohanguo Zhike Chongji (Monk Fruit Cough Granules)
Shedan Chuanbei Lu (Snake Gallbladder & Fritillaria Tincture/Liquid)
Chuanbei Pipa Lu (Fritillaria & Loquat Tincture)
Zhenkening Tangjiang (Cough Suppression Syrup)
Niuhuang Shedan Chuanbei Ye (Bezoar, Snake Gallbladder & Fritillaria Liquid)
Qutan Ling (Phlegm-Resolving Elixir)
Xianzhuli Koufuye (Fresh Bamboo Sap Oral Liquid)
Important Notes for Safe Use
TCM patent medicines are only suitable for mild, early-stage cases of the cough types listed above.
Except for coughs due to yin deficiency (which may be taken for a longer period under a clear Western medical diagnosis), do not take any of these formulas for more than one week.
If your symptoms worsen or change, seek medical attention immediately.
Exercise extra caution when giving these medicines to children.
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