Recommended by holistic veterinarians, Herbsmith Rx San Qi Clear Lung is a Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) herbal formula designed to support the treatment and prevention of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) and epistaxis (nosebleed) in horses by clearing Lung Fire, cooling the Lung, and stopping bleeding. In TCVM, EIPH is understood as a pattern of Lung Fire and Lung Heat that overwhelms the Lung's blood vessels and causes them to rupture under the pressure of intense exercise; the Heat drives the Blood recklessly out of its vessels, producing the characteristic pulmonary bleeding and nosebleed of the EIPH horse. San Qi Clear Lung addresses this pattern through a twelve-herb strategy that combines the formula's chief herb San Qi (Notoginseng), the most important single herb in the TCVM materia medica for stopping bleeding while simultaneously invigorating Blood to prevent Blood stasis from forming, with an array of Lung Fire-clearing, Lung Yin-nourishing, and hemostatic herbs that cool the Lung, clear the Heat driving the bleeding, nourish the Lung Yin depleted by chronic Lung Fire, and consolidate the Lung's ability to hold Blood in its vessels. This formula is appropriate for performance horses with confirmed or suspected EIPH or recurrent epistaxis, used under veterinary supervision as part of a comprehensive EIPH management protocol. Available in traditional powder (500g, 900g, 1200g) and Flax Plus (30-day and 60-day supply); a six-tablespoon scoop is included with the Flax Plus format. Dosing varies by body weight and health condition; your authorizing veterinarian will provide specific guidance. EIPH is typically a long-standing condition, and treatment may be extended or repeated. Not for use in pregnant mares.
VETERINARY AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED: Submit Your Authorization Request or Request a TCVM Telemedicine Consultation
What It Supports
- EIPH and epistaxis management through Lung Fire clearance and hemostasis: Addresses the TCVM pattern underlying exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage: Lung Fire and Heat driving Blood recklessly out of the vessels; clears Lung Fire, cools the Lung, and stops bleeding through a multi-herb hemostatic strategy anchored by San Qi, the TCVM materia medica's most important hemostatic herb.
- Stopping bleeding without creating Blood stasis: San Qi's unique combination of stopping bleeding and simultaneously invigorating Blood to prevent stasis is central to this formula's strategy; this allows the formula to stop active pulmonary bleeding without the risk of creating Blood stasis and clotting complications that can arise when hemostatic herbs are used without concurrent Blood-moving action.
- Lung Yin nourishment to address the root of chronic Lung Fire: Nourishes Lung Yin through Bai He, Sheng Di Huang, Xuan Shen, Mai Men Dong, and Wu Wei Zi, addressing the Lung Yin deficiency that underlies chronic Lung Fire in the performance horse; without restoring the Yin that controls and cools Lung Yang, Lung Fire will recur after cessation of treatment.
- Prevention and long-term management of recurrent EIPH: Through its combined Fire-clearing, Yin-nourishing, and hemostatic strategy, it supports both the immediate management of active EIPH episodes and the longer-term prevention of recurrence by addressing the underlying Lung Heat and Yin deficiency pattern that predisposes the performance horse to repeated pulmonary hemorrhage.
TCVM Principles
- Primary action: Clear Lung Fire, cool the Lung, stop bleeding, nourish Lung Yin, invigorate Blood to prevent stasis, and consolidate the Lung's capacity to hold Blood in its vessels.
- Approach: In TCVM, exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage is understood as a Lung Fire and Lung Heat pattern. The Lung governs the blood vessels of the respiratory system; when Lung Fire is present, it heats the Blood and drives it recklessly out of its vessels, particularly under the increased circulatory pressure of intense exercise. The performance horse is particularly susceptible because repeated intense exercise generates and accumulates Lung Heat over time, and if that Heat is not cleared between training sessions, it eventually rises to the level of Lung Fire that ruptures vessels. Chronic Lung Fire also depletes Lung Yin, and the resulting Yin deficiency makes Heat easier to generate in the future, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of Heat generation, Yin depletion, and increasing EIPH susceptibility. San Qi Clear Lung breaks this cycle: San Qi stops the active bleeding without causing stasis; Huang Qin, Chuan Bei Mu, Huang Yao Zi, and Dan Shen clear Lung Fire and Heat and cool the blood; Bai He, Sheng Di Huang, Xuan Shen, and Wu Wei Zi nourish the Lung Yin depleted by chronic Fire; Jie Geng directs the formula to the Lung; and Dang Shen and Gan Cao support the Spleen and Qi to ensure the Lung has the constitutional support needed for long-term recovery. EIPH is typically a long-standing condition; treatment may be extended or repeated under veterinary guidance. Not for use in pregnant mares.
Available Forms
- 500g Traditional Powder: Mix into grain twice daily for the first 20 days, then once daily. If the horse is reluctant to eat herbs, begin with small amounts in grain to acquaint the horse with the taste, or consider the Flax Plus version.
- 900g Traditional Powder: Larger supply for extended treatment courses appropriate to the long-standing nature of EIPH.
- 1200g Traditional Powder: Bulk size for consistent long-term daily use in horses requiring extended or repeated treatment.
- Flax Plus - 30-Day Supply: Herbal formula blended with ground flaxseed for ease of administration; six-tablespoon scoop included. Administer one scoop twice daily for the first 20 days, then one scoop daily.
- Flax Plus - 60-Day Supply: Extended Flax Plus supply for continued long-term management of EIPH.
Ingredients
Active ingredients: San Qi (Panax notoginseng) - Notoginseng root; Bai He (Lilium lancifolium) - Lily bulb; Gan Cao (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) - Licorice root; Huang Qin (Scutellaria baicalensis) - Scutellaria root; Huang Yao Zi (Dioscorea bulbifera) - Air Potato; Chuan Bei Mu (Fritillaria cirrhosa) - Sichuan Fritillary bulb; Jie Geng (Platycodon grandiflorus) - Platycodon root; Dang Shen (Codonopsis pilosula) - Codonopsis root; Wu Wei Zi (Schisandra chinensis) - Schisandra fruit; Dan Shen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) - Salvia root; Sheng Di Huang (Rehmannia glutinosa) - Raw Rehmannia root; Xuan Shen (Scrophularia ningpoensis) - Scrophularia root.
Inactive ingredients (Flax Plus only): Ground Flax Seed. Traditional Powder contains no inactive ingredients.
VETERINARY AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED: Submit Your Authorization Request or Request a TCVM Telemedicine Consultation
Active Ingredient TCVM Actions
San Qi Clear Lung is a twelve-herb formula organized around four strategies: stopping bleeding through direct hemostasis, clearing Lung Fire and cooling the Lung to remove the Heat driving the bleeding, nourishing Lung Yin to address the root deficiency underlying chronic Lung Fire, and directing and supporting the formula's action in the Lung:
- San Qi (Panax notoginseng) - Notoginseng root: The chief herb and formula namesake; the most important single herb in the TCVM materia medica for stopping bleeding; uniquely combines hemostatic action with simultaneous Blood-invigorating action, stopping the bleeding without creating Blood stasis or clotting complications; specifically appropriate for EIPH because it stops bleeding at the pulmonary vessels while ensuring the stopped Blood does not stagnate and form the Blood stasis that would impair Lung function and create secondary complications; one of the most critical hemostatic herbs in all of TCVM, especially valued for internal bleeding.
- Bai He (Lilium lancifolium) - Lily bulb: Nourishes Lung Yin, clears Lung Heat, moistens the Lung, and calms the Shen; one of the formula's primary Lung Yin-nourishing herbs, addressing the Lung Yin deficiency that results from chronic Lung Fire and that perpetuates the cycle of Heat generation and EIPH recurrence; also gently clears residual Lung Heat and has a mild calming effect on the Shen, appropriate for the performance horse under training stress.
- Gan Cao (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) - Licorice root: Tonifies Spleen and Lung Qi, clears Heat, expels toxin, moderates and harmonizes the actions of the other herbs, and stops coughing; serves the dual function of harmonizing the formula's multiple and sometimes opposing actions (hemostatic, Heat-clearing, Yin-nourishing, and Qi-tonifying) and supporting the Spleen Qi production that provides the constitutional foundation for Lung health and recovery; also has mild anti-inflammatory and Heat-clearing properties that support the Lung Fire-clearing strategy.
- Huang Qin (Scutellaria baicalensis) - Scutellaria root: Clears Heat and dries Dampness, drains Lung Fire, cools the Blood, and stops bleeding; the formula's primary Lung Fire-draining herb; Huang Qin has a particular affinity for the Lung channel and is the classical herb for clearing Lung Heat and Lung Fire; its Blood-cooling action directly addresses the Heat-driven reckless movement of Blood that produces pulmonary hemorrhage in EIPH, working alongside San Qi from the Fire-clearing direction while San Qi works from the hemostatic direction.
- Huang Yao Zi (Dioscorea bulbifera) - Air Potato: Clears Heat, resolves toxin, cools the Blood, and stops bleeding; an important hemostatic and Heat-clearing herb with specific application to pulmonary and mucosal bleeding; works alongside San Qi and Huang Qin as the formula's secondary hemostatic herb, adding Blood-cooling and Heat-resolving properties that complement San Qi's direct hemostasis and Huang Qin's Lung Fire draining; particularly noted in TCVM clinical use for stopping bleeding from the respiratory tract.
- Chuan Bei Mu (Fritillaria cirrhosa) - Sichuan Fritillary bulb: Clears Lung Heat, transforms Hot Phlegm, moistens the Lung, and stops coughing; addresses the Hot Phlegm component that frequently accompanies Lung Fire in EIPH horses, clearing the accumulated Heat-generated Phlegm from the Lung that obstructs airway function; also moistens and nourishes the Lung to support the Yin-nourishing strategy alongside Bai He, Sheng Di Huang, and Xuan Shen.
- Jie Geng (Platycodon grandiflorus) - Platycodon root: Opens and directs Qi upward to the Lung, expels Phlegm, and serves as the formula's guide herb to the Lung channel; Jie Geng's primary function in this formula is as a directional herb: it opens the Lung Qi and directs the actions of all the other herbs upward into the Lung channel, ensuring the Fire-clearing, Yin-nourishing, and hemostatic herbs all effectively reach their target organ; also clears Phlegm from the Lung to support airway function.
- Dang Shen (Codonopsis pilosula) - Codonopsis root: Tonifies Spleen and Lung Qi, nourishes Blood, and supports the middle Jiao; provides the Qi and Blood tonification needed to support the Lung's recovery from repeated hemorrhage; the Lung depends on adequate Spleen Qi to produce the Qi it needs to govern the respiratory vessels and hold Blood in place; Dang Shen's Lung Qi-tonifying action addresses this constitutional support need, ensuring the Lung has the Qi strength to consolidate its vessel-holding function as the Fire is cleared and the Yin is restored.
- Wu Wei Zi (Schisandra chinensis) - Schisandra fruit: Tonifies Kidney and Lung Qi and Yin, astringes the Lung, consolidates Essence, and calms the Heart; in this formula, Wu Wei Zi's primary role is to astringe and consolidate the Lung, preventing the further leakage of Blood and Qi through the damaged pulmonary vessels; its Lung Yin-nourishing action supports the formula's Yin-replenishing strategy, and its Qi-consolidating astringent action directly supports the Lung's ability to hold Blood in its vessels after the Fire is cleared.
- Dan Shen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) - Salvia root: Invigorates Blood, clears Heat from the Heart and Blood level, cools the Blood, and prevents Blood stasis; works alongside San Qi to ensure that the Blood stopped by the formula's hemostatic herbs does not stagnate in the Lung; Dan Shen's Blood-invigorating and stasis-preventing action is essential in a hemostatic formula to prevent the secondary complication of Blood stasis in the Lung from stopped bleeding; also clears Heat from the Blood level, supporting the formula's strategy of cooling the Blood to stop Heat-driven hemorrhage.
- Sheng Di Huang (Rehmannia glutinosa) - Raw Rehmannia root: Clears Heat, cools the Blood, nourishes Yin, and generates fluids; one of the formula's primary Blood-cooling and Yin-nourishing herbs; raw (Sheng) Rehmannia has stronger Heat-clearing and Blood-cooling properties than prepared (Shu) Rehmannia, making it the appropriate form for this Lung Fire and Blood Heat pattern; cools the Blood directly to slow the reckless movement of Blood driven by Heat, and nourishes the Yin depleted by chronic Lung Fire.
- Xuan Shen (Scrophularia ningpoensis) - Scrophularia root: Nourishes Yin, clears Heat, cools the Blood, and softens hardness; the final member of the formula's Yin-nourishing and Blood-cooling combination alongside Bai He, Sheng Di Huang, and Wu Wei Zi; Xuan Shen's particular strength is addressing the Yin deficiency that generates chronic Heat from deficiency, preventing the pattern in which cleared Lung Fire recurs because the underlying Yin deficiency continues to generate new Heat; also cools the Blood to support the hemostatic strategy.
Potential Drug Interactions
Herbsmith Rx San Qi Clear Lung contains San Qi (Notoginseng), which has well-documented hemostatic and Blood-invigorating properties, Dan Shen (Salvia miltiorrhiza), which has documented anticoagulant and Blood-activating properties, and Sheng Di Huang and Xuan Shen, which are cooling Yin tonic herbs. Because this formula is used for pulmonary hemorrhage, which requires active veterinary management, all horses using San Qi Clear Lung should remain under regular veterinary supervision throughout the treatment period. Not for use in pregnant mares.
Medication categories warranting extra caution include anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications (San Qi and Dan Shen both affect Blood coagulation through different mechanisms; concurrent use with anticoagulants, antiplatelet agents, or NSAIDs used to manage EIPH requires close veterinary monitoring to avoid additive or opposing effects on hemostasis), medications used in the management of EIPH (concurrent use with furosemide or other pharmacological EIPH management should be coordinated with your veterinarian), and horses on multiple concurrent prescription medications. Your veterinarian can determine appropriateness based on your horse's condition, current medications, and laboratory results.
VETERINARY AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED: Submit Your Authorization Request or Request a TCVM Telemedicine Consultation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is EIPH, and how does TCVM understand its cause in performance horses?
Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) is the rupture of small blood vessels in the lung during intense exercise, causing bleeding into the airways. It is common in racehorses, eventers, and other high-performance horses and may present as visible nosebleed (epistaxis) or as subclinical bleeding detectable only by endoscopy. In Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, EIPH is understood as a pattern of Lung Fire and Lung Heat causing the Blood to move recklessly out of its vessels under the increased circulatory pressure of intense exercise. The Lung governs the respiratory blood vessels; when Lung Fire is present, it heats the Blood and drives it out of its channels, just as excess heat causes liquid to overflow a vessel. Repeated intense exercise accumulates Lung Heat over time, and chronic Lung Fire depletes Lung Yin, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of increasing EIPH susceptibility. San Qi Clear Lung addresses this pattern by clearing the Lung Fire, cooling the Blood, and stopping the bleeding while nourishing the Lung Yin needed to prevent recurrence.
How is San Qi Clear Lung administered, and what are the recommended doses for a 1,000 lb horse?
For the traditional powder, administer two tablespoons twice daily for the first 20 days, then two tablespoons once daily. For the Flax Plus format, administer one scoop (six-tablespoon scoop included) twice daily for the first 20 days, then one scoop daily. Mix into grain for easy administration. If the horse is reluctant to eat herbs, begin with small amounts in grain and gradually increase, or choose the Flax Plus version. Confirm dosing for horses of other weights with your authorizing veterinarian. EIPH is typically a long-standing condition, and treatment may be extended or repeated. Not for use in pregnant mares.
Why does the formula include both hemostatic herbs and Yin-nourishing herbs?
Stopping active pulmonary bleeding is only part of the formula's strategy. Without also addressing the underlying Lung Fire and the Lung Yin deficiency that sustains it, the bleeding will recur as soon as the horse returns to intense exercise. Lung Fire depletes Lung Yin over time; without adequate Lung Yin to cool and control Lung Yang, new Heat is easily generated with each training session, and the pulmonary vessels remain susceptible to Heat-driven hemorrhage. The Yin-nourishing herbs in San Qi Clear Lung, including Bai He, Sheng Di Huang, Xuan Shen, and Wu Wei Zi, rebuild Lung Yin to naturally control Lung Heat, gradually reducing the Fire-generating tendency that makes the performance horse prone to EIPH. The hemostatic herbs stop the immediate bleeding; the Yin-nourishing herbs treat the root cause of its recurrence.
Can San Qi Clear Lung be used alongside conventional EIPH management, and how long does treatment typically continue?
San Qi Clear Lung is intended for use under veterinary supervision as part of a comprehensive EIPH management protocol and can generally be coordinated with conventional EIPH management approaches under your veterinarian's guidance. Because EIPH is typically a long-standing condition, treatment with this formula may be extended or repeated; many horses require several months of consistent use to fully address the underlying Lung Fire and Yin deficiency pattern, with the loading dose maintained for the first 20 days before transitioning to the daily maintenance dose. Your authorizing veterinarian can guide the duration, monitor your horse's response through endoscopy or clinical assessment, and determine whether the formula should be used seasonally, year-round, or in conjunction with other management strategies based on your horse's specific condition and competition schedule.