How long after taking Chinese medicine can I smoke?

Many people have the habit of smoking, mainly because of the high pressure of life and work. In this case, smoking can relieve stress. But in fact, smoking is harmful to health. It is best not to smoke, and you should not smoke after taking Chinese medicine. Otherwise, the efficacy of the medicine will be greatly affected, and it may even make the condition worse.

It is widely believed that traditional Chinese medicine has no toxic side effects. In fact, all "medicines" have certain side effects. Long-term use or excessive use of some toxic Chinese herbal medicines such as Tripterygium wilfordii, Stephania tetrandra, fish gall, Akebia trifoliata, Magnolia officinalis, Asarum, Aconitum kusnezoffii, Sophora flavescens, and Pharbitis chinensis traditionally cause nephrotoxic reactions. On September 28, 2012, clinical observations of 54 cases of renal injury caused by Chinese herbal medicine found that some patients had varying degrees of polyuria, increased nocturia, dehydration, thirst, nausea and vomiting, fatigue or edema, oliguria or anuria, mild proteinuria, tubular urine, hematuria, glucosuria, hypertension and other symptoms. Studies have shown that aristolochic acid contained in Akebia, Magnolia officinalis and Asarum can cause renal tubular disease.

Tripterygium wilfordii contains a variety of bioalkaloids, diterpenoid tricyclic chlorides and cellular alkylating agents, which are highly toxic and can cause multiple system diseases such as heart, liver, kidney and nervous system. Among them, nephrotoxicity can cause renal tubular degeneration or necrosis, toxic nephropathy, interstitial nephritis, renal papillary necrosis, and acute renal failure. Among 214 cases of Tripterygium wilfordii poisoning, 64 died, including 44 deaths from acute renal failure. . It was reported that 7 patients who took more than 60 grams of Akebia died of acute renal failure within 7-10 days.

The most common allergic reaction caused by Chinese patent medicines is allergic dermatitis, which is mostly characterized by local itching, burning, or large red macules, and may even be accompanied by fever, chest tightness, nausea and vomiting, and irritability. In severe cases, it can cause arrhythmia, and even lead to hemolytic reaction and anaphylactic shock and death. Therefore, the toxic side effects of Chinese patent medicines should not be underestimated.

It is generally emphasized that Chinese medicine should be taken with warm water. Taking medicine with drinks, tea, etc. may reduce the efficacy of the medicine. For example, the tannic acid contained in tea and the alkaline Chinese medicine will react chemically, producing precipitation, reducing the effective ingredients, lowering the potency of the medicine and affecting the efficacy. Of course there are exceptions, such as ginger cola (also known as ginger cola).

“The method of decocting medicine should be explained in depth, as the effectiveness of the medicine depends entirely on this.” Our predecessors have accumulated a lot of experience in decocting and taking medicine. Whether Chinese herbal medicine decoctions are taken properly or not is related to the efficacy of treatment. Having this knowledge will facilitate communication between doctors and patients and promote cooperation between them.