There are many things to pay attention to when drinking traditional Chinese medicine, because many people now choose to drink traditional Chinese medicine because they think western medicine will harm the body. However, there are also some taboos in traditional Chinese medicine that people need to abide by, otherwise the efficacy of the medicine may be compromised. Not good anymore. If you violate the taboo of drinking traditional Chinese medicine, it may backfire. So can I eat after taking Chinese medicine? What are the contraindications to drinking Chinese medicine?
1. Can I eat after drinking Chinese medicine?
When we see a doctor and prescribe medicine, the doctor will tell you to take the medicine before or after a meal. Some notes. So can we still eat after drinking Chinese medicine? Or does it mean that only certain Chinese medicines do this? Let’s take a look at the three types of Chinese medicines that cannot be eaten after drinking them:
1. Tonic Chinese medicines
Such as Siwu Decoction, Sijunzi Decoction, Shengmai Yin, etc., which can be taken on an empty stomach. Make the medicine fully absorbed and better play the role of replenishing qi and blood and regulating yin and yang.
2. Traditional Chinese medicine for treating intestinal diseases
For example, taking laxatives on an empty stomach can prevent the medicine from being blocked by food and quickly exert its efficacy.
3. Anthelmintic traditional Chinese medicines
For example, taking Lizhong'anzi Decoction, Wumei Pills, etc. on an empty stomach can maintain a high drug concentration in the intestines, making it easier for the drugs to repel and kill parasites. Insect bodies are quickly expelled.
Traditional Chinese medicine reminds us that in order to ensure the efficacy of the above three traditional Chinese medicines, please do not take them after meals. In addition, when taking the medicine on an empty stomach, it should be taken 1 hour before meals.
2. What are the taboos about drinking traditional Chinese medicine?
1. Food taboos that affect the effectiveness of the medicine. For example, raw and cold food, strong tea, spicy and greasy food, radish, and fishy food. Some of these types of foods will dissolve the power of the medicine and reduce its efficacy, some will reduce absorption, and some will have harmful effects. Therefore, when taking traditional Chinese medicine, you must follow the doctor's instructions and follow the relevant taboos.
2. It is not advisable to overdose or take traditional Chinese medicine for a long time in pursuit of quick effects. For example, cassia seeds have the effect of lowering blood lipids, but long-term use of cassia seeds may cause diarrhea. Long-term use of hay, which is beneficial to the spleen, replenishes qi, clears away heat and detoxifies, can cause an increase in blood pressure. The folk proverb "three parts of medicine is poison", this is the truth.
3. People with special physiques should be careful when taking traditional Chinese medicine. For example, people with spleen and stomach deficiency may experience symptoms such as stomach discomfort and bowel borborygmire after taking traditional Chinese medicine containing wild chrysanthemum. It is best to first understand your physical condition from a Chinese medicine practitioner or through self-testing. If you have a typical constitution, you should understand the corresponding contraindications before taking traditional Chinese medicine.
4. Pregnant women should be cautious when taking traditional Chinese medicine. Since Western medicine may cause fetal malformations and other reasons, many pregnant women prefer Chinese patent medicines. However, some Chinese patent medicines must be toxic. It should be remembered that pregnant women are not interested in heat-clearing, wind-removing and dampness-removing, digestive and food-guiding medicines, purgative medicines, qi-regulating medicines, resuscitation medicines, anthelmintic medicines, and dampness-removing medicines. should be treated with caution.
5. Precautions during the process of decoction and preparation of Chinese medicine. Most modern families use iron pots, stainless steel pots or non-stick pots. It is best not to use them to fry important things. Instead, choose a clay pot or casserole. Since decoction is a long-term process, the use of metal products can easily cause certain pharmaceutical ingredients and utensils to react, producing or releasing heavy metals that are harmful to the human body.
6. Avoid taking Chinese medicine decoction overnight. We generally take it in the form of boiled water to form a traditional Chinese medicine soup for oral administration. Traditional Chinese medicine decoctions have complex ingredients, including proteins, sugars, vitamins, and other ingredients such as volatile oils and amino acids. After leaving it overnight, not only will the efficacy of the medicine be reduced, but it may also cause bacteria to multiply, causing the medicine to go rancid. Therefore, when taking Chinese medicine, you should pay attention to decoction and take it on the same day. Do not take Chinese medicine decoction overnight.
7. Use folk Chinese medicine prescriptions with caution. In our country, many people are willing to listen to so-called magical and important folk remedies to treat some difficult diseases. Many of these folk remedies are spread among the people and are not recorded in medical pharmacopoeia. Some may be effective, but not all folk remedies are correct. When facing important folk remedies, you should consult a regular doctor to understand the effects of related drugs and compatibility before deciding whether to adopt them.
3. The best time to take Chinese medicine
The best time to take Chinese medicine 1: before going to bed
Generally speaking, take tranquilizers and therapeutic drugs before going to bed. The best time to take enuresis medicines is that traditional Chinese medicine believes that taking medicine before going to bed can make the medicine effective in time.
The best time to take Chinese medicine 2: before meals
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that taking medicine before meals can easily bring out the power of the medicine. From the location point of view, it is more suitable for treating diseases in the lower parts of the human body. Ge Hong, a famous medical scientist in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, said: "Internal deficiency without food will make the poison easy to spread." It is mostly used for syndromes such as stagnation, blood stasis, and water-dampness.
The third best time to take Chinese medicine: Take it as a meal
Dose it as a meal is generally suitable for patients with more acute conditions, that is, take it immediately after decoction, which is called a meal. It means emergency treatment. At present, general high fever diseases, infectious diseases, pediatric emergencies, etc. also use the sudden administration method.
Best time to take Chinese medicine 4: Take it day and night
For some acute and chronic diseases, medicine can be taken day and night so that the medicine can continue to have a therapeutic effect. For patients with chronic diseases, most people think that this method of taking medication is troublesome and difficult to do, but it must be done for urgent or severe cases. Just as it is said in "General Meanings of Medicine": "People in the world only take medicines during the day and often do not take them at night. As a result, the effectiveness of the medicine is inconsistent and the medicine cannot cure the disease. It is especially unsuitable in winter and night."
The best time to take Chinese medicine is five: after meals
It is suitable for diseases in the upper part of the human body. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that diseases of the upper part of the body, such as diseases of the ears, eyes, mouth, nose, and five sense organs, should be eaten first and then taken, so that the medicinal properties can linger on the upper part of the body. my country's first pharmacological monograph "Shen Nong's Materia Medica" says: "Those who are sick above the chest and diaphragm should eat first and then take medicine." Medications that tend to be nourishing should also be taken after meals. As experts say: "Take medicines for treating illnesses before eating, and medicines for health after eating."
4. Tips for drinking Chinese medicine
1. Yes Grasp the time of taking Chinese medicine
Chinese medicine is generally required to be taken before or after a meal, but whether it is before or after a meal, the time interval cannot be too short of the meal time. Many people take it on an empty stomach before meals or after meals with a full stomach. They are most likely to vomit, which not only affects eating, but also affects nutrition and drug absorption. Director Li Li of the Henan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine warned patients that when taking traditional Chinese medicine, they should adhere to the principle of "take medicine when the qi is eliminated, eat when the qi of the medicine is eliminated", and choose the "middle" between meals, that is, 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. , Take medicine at around 9 o'clock in the evening. At this time, it is both before and after meals. It does not affect eating and does not delay taking medicine. When the body obtains rich nutrition, it is more conducive to the recovery of the patient.
2. Control the amount of medicine taken
There is an old saying that "Chinese medicine fills the intestines", which means that the more Chinese medicine you take each time, the better. However, drinking a large amount of bitter medicinal liquid will stimulate the gastrointestinal tract and cause discomfort. The dosage of medicine should also vary from person to person. Through years of clinical practice, Director Li proposed one dose per day, three decoctions per dose, take the juice and mix it to about 750ml, and take it in three times, 250ml each time is the best.
3. Pay attention to how to take it.
When taking it, first prepare a cup of warm water, then hold your breath, drink the Chinese medicine continuously in one breath, then rinse your mouth with warm water, and finally You can chew gum to suppress the bitter taste. In order to get rid of the bitter taste, some patients like to add sugar to traditional Chinese medicine. This method is inappropriate