Huang Qi Wu Wu Tang

Purported Benefits, Side Effects & More
Huang Qi Wu Wu Tang

Common Names

  • Huang Qi Gui Zhi Wu Wu Tang
  • Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu decoction
  • Gui Zhi Wu Wu Tang
  • Astragalus and Cinnamon Twig Five-Substance Decoction
  • Gōgi Keishi Gobutsu Tō
  • Hwanggi gyejiomul‑tang
  • Hwanggi Gyeji Omul‑tang

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For Patients & Caregivers

Tell your healthcare providers about any dietary supplements you’re taking, such as herbs, vitamins, minerals, and natural or home remedies. This will help them manage your care and keep you safe.

Huang Qi Wu Wu Tang (HWT) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula. It’s made up of five different herbs.

HWT is used to treat:

  • Neuropathy (nerve damage that can cause pain, tingling, or numbness) related to diabetes or due to cancer treatments

Talk with your healthcare provider before taking herbal formulas. They can interact with some medications and affect how they work. For more information, read the “What else do I need to know?” section below.

Side effects of HWT may include:

  • Dry mouth
  • Constipation (difficult or infrequent bowel movements)
  • Bitter sensation in the mouth

For Healthcare Professionals

Huang Qi Wu Wu Tang (HWT) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula consisting of five different herbs: Huang Qi (Astragali Radix), Gui Zhi (Cinnamomi Ramulus), Shao Yao (Radix Paeoniae Alba), Sheng Jiang (Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens), and Da Zao (Fructus Jujubae). Documented in the classic text Jin Gui Yao Lue (Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber), HWT has been historically used to treat numbness and sensory loss. 

Limited data suggest benefits of HWT, used alone or combined with conventional agents, in controlling symptoms of diabetic neuropathy including pain, numbness, tingling and nerve conduction (1) (2) (3) (4) (5). Modified HWT formulations were also found useful in managing symptoms as well as improving sleep and quality of life (6) (7). 

In oncology settings, HWT was shown to reduce the incidence and duration of acute oxaliplatin-related neurotoxicity (8) (9) (10). Improvements were also reported with use of topical HWT limb-immersion packs in patients with paclitaxel-related sensory and motor neuropathy (11).

Overall, available findings suggest potential benefits of HWT for diabetic and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. However, the current evidence base is limited by small sample sizes and heterogeneity. Larger, high-quality trials are needed to confirm efficacy, define optimal formulations and routes of administration, and determine long-term safety. 

  • Diabetic neuropathy
  • Chemotherapy‑induced peripheral neuropathy

HWT’s therapeutic effects are attributed to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, analgesic, and myelin-regenerative properties. 

Preclinical studies indicate that HWT reduces oxidative stress via Nrf2 and Bcl2 pathways (12). In oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic pain models, this formula was found to mitigate hyperalgesia, protect dorsal root ganglion and peripheral nerve cells, and promote myelin regeneration, with these effects mediated via downregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF‑α, IL‑1β, IL‑6), suppression of MAPK/NF‑κB signaling, upregulation of myelin proteins (MPZ, PMP22), and modulation of taurine, β-alanine, and neuroactive ligand-receptor pathways (13) (14). HWT also protected against paclitaxel-induced neuropathy by inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB inflammation and activating PI3K/Akt-Nrf2 signaling, while active components such as quercetin, kaempferol, and beta-sitosterol may also modulate AKT1, IL1B, and IL6 via PI3K/Akt and MAPK pathways (15) (16).

None known.

Dry mouth, constipation, and bitter sensation of mouth have been reported  (6).

None known.

  1. Tong Y, Hou H. Effects of Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Tang on diabetic peripheral neuropathy. J Altern Complement Med. 2006;12(6):506–509.
  2. Pang B, Zhao TY, Zhao LH, Wan F, Ye R, Zhou Q, Tian F, Tong XL. Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu decoction for treating diabetic peripheral neuropathy: A meta-analysis of 16 randomized controlled trials. Neural Regen Res. 2016;11(8):1347–1358.
  3. Hu DY, Wang HY. Clinical study of modified Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu decoction in treating diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Zhongguo Zhongyiyao Yuancheng Xiandai Jiaoyu. 2012;10:74-75.
  4. Wang XF, Luan ZM. Clinical observation of 108 cases treated with modified Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu decoction for diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Heilongjiang Yiyao Zazhi. 2011;24:795-796.
  5. Zhang HY, Ji SX, Chen Q. Treatment of chronic diabetic complications with Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu decoction. Liaoning Zhongyi Zazhi. 2015;42:1116-1117.
  6. Tsai CI, Li TC, Chang MH, Lin SY, Lee IT, Lee CH, Wang TY, Su YC. Chinese medicinal formula (MHGWT) for relieving diabetic neuropathic pain: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:767498.
  7. Zheng Y, Yang F, Han L, et al. Efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of moderate-severe painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy: A retrospective study. J Diabetes Res. 2019;2019:4035861.
  8. Li Y, Cui HJ, Huang JC, Wu XQ. Clinical study of Jiawei Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Decoction in preventing and treating peripheral neuro-sensory toxicity caused by oxaliplatin. Chin J Integr Med. 2006;12(1):19-23.
  9. Yu J, Chen S, Wei G, et al. Efficacy and safety of Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu decoction for oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neurotoxicity: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Altern Ther Health Med. 2024;30(1):446–453.
  10. Yang XR, Zhang XY, Xia YJ, et al. Study on the efficacy and safety of the Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu decoction in the prevention and treatment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: Meta-analysis of 32 randomized controlled trials. J Pain Res. 2024;17:2605–2628.
  11. Chai Y, Zhao F, Ye P, et al. A Prospective, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study Assessing the Efficacy of Chinese Herbal Medicine (Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Decoction) in the Treatment of Albumin-Bound Paclitaxel-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy. J Clin Med. 2023;12(2):505.
  12. Yang X, Yao W, Li Q, et al. Mechanism of Tang Luo Ning effect on attenuating of oxidative stress in sciatic nerve of STZ-induced diabetic rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 2015;174:1–10.
  13. Li M, Li Z, Ma X, et al. Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Decoction can prevent and treat oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic pain by TNFα/IL-1β/IL-6/MAPK/NF-κB pathway. Aging (Albany NY). 2022;14(12):5013–5022.
  14. Yang X, Zhu H, Li Z, et al. Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu decoction alleviates oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy by adjusting myelin regeneration. Phytomedicine. 2025;145:157039.
  15. Lv Z, Shen J, Gao X, et al. Herbal formula Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu decoction attenuates paclitaxel-related neurotoxicity via inhibition of inflammation and oxidative stress. Chin Med. 2021;16(1):76.
  16. Fan W, Lan S, Yang Y, Liang J. Network pharmacology prediction and molecular docking-based strategy to discover the potential pharmacological mechanism of Huang-Qi-Gui-Zhi-Wu-Wu decoction against deep vein thrombosis. J Orthop Surg Res. 2023;18(1):475. 
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