The best time to take Chinese medicine twice a day

When should I take Chinese medicine twice a day? Traditional Chinese medicine is a medical treasure that has been widely spread in our country to this day. Sometimes we choose to see a Chinese doctor and take Chinese medicine. So what is the best time to take Chinese medicine twice a day? Now let me tell you.

Time to take Chinese medicine twice a day

1. Different types of Chinese herbal decoctions have different times of taking.

Generally speaking, for liver, kidney, and gastrointestinal diseases, medicines should be taken before meals; for dizziness and throat diseases, medicines should be taken after meals; laxatives, tonics, and dog anthelmintics should be taken on an empty stomach; tranquilizers and sleeping aids should be taken before going to bed. These are all approximate regulations on the time of taking medicine based on the different medical conditions and the characteristics of the drug's efficacy. However, when using drugs in practice, doctors will adjust the use of drugs according to the patient's physical changes, and the prescription of drugs will not be limited to a certain type of drugs. In addition, patients take medicine for a long time, "all medicines are poisonous", it is inevitable to cause damage to the gastric mucosa, so we suggest that people who need to drink herbal decoctions for a long time should take the medicine 30-60 minutes after a meal to reduce the direct irritation of the medicine to the gastric mucosa. Modern Chinese medicine believes that, under normal circumstances, taking medicine should be done around meal times. Chinese medicine should not be taken from thirty minutes before meals to one hour after meals to prevent food from affecting the digestion and absorption of medicines by the digestive tract.

2. There are three types of medicines that are generally strictly managed for fasting use

First of all, when treating gastric ulcer and gastric mucosal erosion, Chinese medicinal materials such as cuttlebone and white hyacinth are often used to inhibit the secretion of gastric acid and form a protective film in the gastric cavity. This kind of medicine should be taken on an empty stomach before meals. Secondly, some laxatives, such as coptis chinensis, which moisturizes the intestines and promotes bowel movements, should also be taken on an empty stomach. Finally, it is recommended that tonic medicines be taken on an empty stomach.

3. The characteristics and efficacy of the drug should be fully considered

The actual time to take the medicine should also take into full consideration the characteristics and efficacy of the medicine. Tranquilizers should be taken about 1 hour before going to bed; dog anthelmintics should also be used before going to bed, and the night time can be used to fully eliminate the worms, and the worms can be excreted from the body the next day. Medicines for the treatment of dengue fever should be taken 2 hours before the onset of the disease, which is helpful in killing malarial parasites and controlling the onset of malaria symptoms.

What are the taboos of taking Chinese medicine?

1. Avoid foods that may affect the full effect of the medicine. For example, cold foods, strong tea, spicy foods, high-calorie foods, radishes, and fishy ingredients. Some of these foods will reduce the efficacy of medicine, some will reduce digestion and absorption, and some will even cause harmful effects. Therefore, when taking Chinese herbal medicine, you must follow the doctor's instructions and do a good job of avoiding certain foods.

2. It is not suitable to take Chinese herbal medicine excessively or for a long time in pursuit of perfect and rapid effects. For example, Cassia seed tea has the effect of lowering blood lipids, but long-term use of Cassia seed tea may cause diarrhea. Long-term consumption of wheat straw, which nourishes the spleen, replenishes qi and blood and clears away heat and reduces internal heat, can cause high blood pressure. The folk proverb "All medicines are poisonous to some extent" is based on this truth.

3. People with special physical conditions should take Chinese herbal medicines with caution. For example, people with weak spleen and stomach may experience gastrointestinal discomfort and intestinal rumbling after taking Chinese medicinal materials containing wild chrysanthemum. It is best to first consult a Chinese medicine practitioner or do a self-examination to understand your own physical condition. If you have a relatively typical physical condition, you should know the corresponding taboos before taking the medicine.

The proper way to boil Chinese medicine

1. Soaking before decocting Chinese medicine: The medicine must be soaked before decocting. This is because the Chinese medicines from plants are mostly dry products. Soaking in water can make the Chinese medicines loose, and the tissue cells will swell and restore their natural state, which is convenient for the extraction of ingredients when decocting the Chinese medicine. Generally, the soaking time for medicines mainly composed of flowers, leaves and stems is 1-1.5 hours. The soaking time for medicines mainly composed of roots, seeds, underground stems and fruits is 2-3 hours.

2. Frequency of frying: It is better to fry it several times than to fry it for a long time at one time. According to practical experience, about 80% of the ingredients in the medicine can be extracted by decocting it twice, so the frequency of decocting Chinese medicine should be 2 or 3 times.

3. The temperature of decocting Chinese medicine: The temperature of decocting Chinese medicine is called "doneness" in traditional Chinese medicine, which is generally referred to as "slow fire" or "gentle fire". The so-called slow fire is a weak fire, the temperature rises slowly, and the water evaporates slowly. The so-called low heat is a strong fire, the temperature rises quickly and the water evaporates quickly. If the Chinese medicine is over-cooked, the water will evaporate quickly, which will affect the extraction of ingredients and make the bottom of the dish sticky easily. On the contrary, if the medicine is not cooked enough, the actual effect of the decocted medicine will be poor. Generally, it is better to simmer the food before it boils, and then change to a low heat after it boils, maintaining it in a slightly boiling state, which can slow down the evaporation of water and facilitate the frying of ingredients.