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Wet & Productive Coughs




Cold and flu season has officially begun for us with the kids back in school. We were cordially welcomed back with an illness by the end of the second week. If you find yourself in a similar boat, here are my go-to herbs and foods for a lingering productive cough with fatigue and shortness of breath. (Looking at you covid!)


🌿 Tea - astragalus, licorice

A tea of astragalus and licorice is a palatable and easy combination for immunity and the Lungs. Astragalus membranaceous has a sweet and bland taste and is known for its ability to augment the immune system. It is wonderful for certain acute illnesses characterized by fatigue, no fever, weakness, shortness of breath and possibly wheezing. It shines best as a preventative tonic when not sick or shortly after an acute illness has passed. It is becoming more commonly known and can be found at many heath food stores. For more information, check out this article on astragalus here. The other herb in this simple tea is licorice (glycyrrhizae, gan cao). Licorice has a very syrupy sweet taste and has antiviral and antitussive (inhibits coughing) properties. It is also soothing to the digestive tract. Licorice raises blood pressure so it is contraindicated for folks with high blood pressure. If licorice is contraindicated for you, consider thyme (thymus vulgaris) which is also antiviral and antitussive but much less sweet and more spicy and acrid. Adding honey is a great way to smooth out thyme’s acrid profile while coating the esophagus and soothing spasmodic coughing.


To make, simply combine a quarter cup or small handful of astragalus with 1 tbsp licorice and 4 cups of water. Simmer gently for 10-20 minutes. You can also soak the roots in water for an hour before boiling to get the most out of your herbs. Strain and drink 1 cup 2-3x/day.


🌿 Sautéed pears - pears, fresh ginger, cinnamon

Pears are considered a Lung Qi and Yin tonic in TCM, and lightly cooking them increases their tonifying properties. Simply slice some pears and place in an oiled pan (I prefer butter) on low heat. Add powdered ginger or grated fresh ginger along with some cinnamon to taste. Once lightly browned flip the slices to cook on the other side. My kids love this recipe and it feels like we’re indulging in a warm delicious pie while strengthening and soothing the Lungs.


🌿 Wet Cough Tincture - made by yours truly with astragalus, cordyceps, lily bulb, osha, elecampane, magnolia bark, citrus peel, echinacea, burdock, ginger, licorice, passionflower.

The herbs in this tincture are best used when there are other signs of Phlegm present as well as the productive cough - possibly congestion, sinus infection, nausea, fluid in the ears or an ear infection. This formula is suitable for kids when used as a glycerite instead of a tincture. This Wet Cough tincture is formulated with some flexibility and can be used during the peak of an acute illness (still actively sick) or just after being sick and still recovering. This a well rounded formula with multiple actions and includes:


Herbs with strong antiviral and antitussive actions

Osha (ligusticum porter)

Licorice (glycyrrhizae)


Herbs that Transform Phlegm (clear mucus from the lungs and digestive tract)

Elecampane (inula helenium)

Magnolia bark (magnoliae officinali)

Citrus peel (citri reticulatae)

Ginger (zingiber)


Herbs that support lymphatic drainage

Echinacea (echinacea purpurea) also stimulates the immune system and is indicated for bacterial infections

Burdock (arctium lappa) also supports the Liver’s role in illness recovery


Herbs for Tonifying the Lungs

Astragalus (astragalus membranaceous)

Cordyceps (cordyceps)


Herbs for moistening the Lungs and counteracting the acrid herbs

Lily bulb (bulbus lilii, bai he)


Herbs for antispadmodic action

Passionflower (passiflora incarnate)

In the recovery process, I have found including an antispasmodic herb to assist with reflexive coughing is helpful. Passionflower is also soothing and calming for the nervous system.


If a client contacts me regarding an acute illness rampaging through their family, I will usually add more herbs to this Wet Cough formula for certain acute presentations. For example, an illness presenting with more signs of phlegm and congestion I might add pinellia (ban xia) and bai zhi (angelica dahurica). For fevers, adding shi gao (gypsum) and boneset (eupatorium perfolatium) is appropriate. For significantly pronounced fatigue and shortness of breath with excessive sweating, feelings of coldness and possibly heavy limbs either red or american ginseng (ren shen/xi yang shen) may be appropriate. And almost always in acute illness, there are more herbs to address Toxic Heat or Damp Heat (viral or bacterial infections) which can be addressed with herbs such as isatis (ban lan gen), fructus forsythiae (lian qiao), lonicera (jin yin hua) or goldenseal (hydrastis canadensis). If you would like to try this tincture or glycerite, please reach out to me here.


This tincture is not intended for dry coughs with no mucus or congestion, as the acrid and drying herbs would further dry and irritate the lungs. As always, if you’d like some help finding herbs that are right for your situation, reach out to me or another qualified clinical herbalist for guidance.


Happy fall!

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