Common Names
- Warm the Gallbladder decoction
- Wendan decoction
- Poria and Bamboo Combination
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.
What is it?
Wen Dan Tang (WDT) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula. It’s made up of eight different herbs.
What are the potential uses and benefits?
WDT is used to:
- Treat insomnia (trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early)
- Treat depression (strong feelings of sadness)
- Treat anxiety (strong feelings of worry or fear)
Talk with your healthcare providers 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.
What are the side effects?
Side effects have not been reported.
What else do I need to know?
- WDT may increase the drowsiness effects of some prescription medications so talk with your healthcare provider before taking it.
For Healthcare Professionals
Clinical Summary
Wen Dan Tang (WDT) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula with a history of use as a treatment for insomnia as well as depression and anxiety. Described in the 12th century Treatise on Diseases, Patterns, and Prescriptions Related to Unification of the Three Etiologies, WDT consists of eight herbs: Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Makino (Ban Xia), Bambusa tuldoides Munro (Zhu Ru), Citrus aurantium L. (Zhi Shi), Citrus reticulata Blanco (Chen Pi), Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch (Gan Cao), Poriae sclerotium cocos albae (Fu Ling), Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Sheng Jiang), and Ziziphus jujuba Mil (Da Zao).
Wen Dan Tang has been reported to be among the commonly prescribed herbal medicines for treating insomnia (1) (2). A systematic review and meta-analysis (79 studies, 7886 participants) found TCM formulations that included WDT to be more effective than benzodiazepines for improving global sleep quality. Benefits were also seen when WDT was combined with psychotherapy compared to psychotherapy alone (3).
Additionally, a large survey conducted in Taiwan revealed WDT to be commonly prescribed during later stages of dementia (4), and a modified WDT formula was found useful for managing depressive symptoms (5). Wen dan tang may also have short-term benefits in patients with schizophrenia (6) and in those with digestive reflux disorders (7).
Large, methodologically robust clinical trials are needed to generate definitive data on the long-term effects of WDT as well as its efficacy in diverse populations.
Purported Uses and Benefits
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Anxiety
Mechanism of Action
The bioactive constituents of WDT including flavonoids, phenols, alkaloids, triterpenoid organic acids, polysaccharides, and phosphodiesterase inhibitors have been shown to exert neuroprotective, anti-mutagenic, antioxidant, antiemetic, antithrombotic, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory effects in preclinical studies (8).
Wen Dan Tang significantly decreased insomnia-related anxiety and prevented Ghrelin (a brain-gut peptide that induces anxiety, contributing to the effects of insomnia) levels from falling, after sleep deprivation, in murine models. Additionally, study authors found elevated expression of Ghrelin receptor mRNA, suggesting WDT reduces anxiety via regulating Ghrelin-Ghrelin receptors (9). Treatment with WDT may also regulate sleep deprivation-induced negative emotions via modulating orexin-A and leptin expression (10).
In addition, Pinellia ternate, a component of WDT, reduced sleep latency and prolonged sleep time in pentobarbital-administered mice, likely modulated via the GABAergic system (11).
Adverse Reactions
Side effects have not been reported.