When it comes to relieving cough, many people will think of licorice tablets for the first time. Indeed, licorice tablets are one of the most famous antitussive drugs so far, and they are also called "cough medicine" by many people. Many people trust licorice tablets, no matter what disease causes cough, they will choose to buy licorice tablets, but is this really correct?
Gancao tablet is a traditional Chinese medicine. Long-term use has no effect on the body?
The main reason for the above practice is that everyone thinks that licorice is a Chinese medicine formula and will not cause harm to the body.
But in fact, most licorice tablets purchased in the market are not directly made from "licorice", but a compound preparation, which also contains opium powder, licorice extract powder, camphor, sodium benzoate and star anise oil.
Glycyrrhizin is the main component of licorice tablets. The molecular structure of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch is very similar to a hormone called aldosterone produced by human adrenal cortex, which is similar to estrogen. Long-term use or taking more than a certain dose is likely to cause a disease called "pseudo aldosteronism".
In addition, there are two components in licorice tablets that can cause harm to human body.
One is called opium powder, which may not be familiar to everyone, but when it comes to opium, everyone is familiar with it. Opium powder, also known as "opium", belongs to psychotropic drugs, and it is easy to be addictive after long-term use. Once the drug is stopped, patients will have frequent withdrawal reactions such as yawning, runny nose and cold sweat, which often takes three or four months to completely get rid of.
Another ingredient is sodium benzoate, which is a preservative and contains slight toxicity. Sodium benzoate is very lipophilic, which easily penetrates the cell membrane, interferes with the permeability of the cell membrane, inhibits the absorption of amino acids by cells, reduces the activity of enzymes in the body, and threatens human health.
Therefore, licorice tablets are not recommended to be taken for a long time or in large quantities.
Taking licorice tablets should also pay attention to:
1. Compound licorice tablets are best taken, not swallowed.
Compound licorice tablet is a cough medicine with mucosal protection. Taking it can better cover the effective components on the throat mucosa, thus reducing the stimulation of other substances in the medicine to nerve endings and better relieving cough. On the contrary, swallowing will not only affect the medicinal properties, but also cause adverse reactions such as bad breath, nausea and constipation.
2. It is not recommended for pregnant women and lactating women.
Opioid powder of compound licorice tablets will be transmitted to the fetus in the abdomen through umbilical cord, or to the lactating child through breastfeeding, which will affect the growth and development of the child.
3. People with defective renal function or urinary system diseases should use it with caution!
After taking compound licorice tablets, it will affect the timely excretion of urine to a certain extent, so people with renal function defects or urinary system diseases must take them under the guidance of doctors.
Finally, I would like to remind you that although compound licorice tablets have antitussive effect, not all causes of cough are applicable. Before taking them, it is best to consult a professional doctor in detail according to your own specific situation.
# Compound licorice tablets # # Traditional Chinese medicine # # Zhike # # Traditional Chinese medicine #