Do I have to take Chinese medicine continuously?

Once the body needs Chinese medicine to slowly regulate the body, everyone should know that Chinese medicine means slow, so when taking Chinese medicine to regulate the body, it is often necessary to take Chinese medicine for a long time. However, since most Chinese medicinal materials are bitter, the taste of the boiled Chinese medicine is not particularly good, so many people feel uncomfortable when drinking Chinese medicine. So does it mean that Chinese medicine must be taken continuously to be effective for the body?

How long does it usually take to take Chinese medicine?

Experts say that because everyone's physique is different and their ability to absorb drugs is different, it is difficult to determine this time. It depends on the severity of your illness. If it is mild, you don’t need to drink it for too long. If it is severe, you need to drink it.

Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes treatment based on syndrome differentiation. The prescription will be changed accordingly based on the effect of the medicine you take. Generally, three courses of treatment are required, with one course lasting seven days. Each dose of the medicine should be taken once in the morning and once in the evening to achieve a satisfactory therapeutic effect. If the disease is not cured, continue to take treatment intermittently; if the disease is cured, stop taking the medicine immediately!

In addition, since Chinese medicine conditioning takes a relatively long time, you should be careful to avoid spicy, greasy, and irritating foods during the conditioning period. At the same time, you should pay attention to the combination of work and rest, strengthen nutrition, and actively participate in physical exercise.

When is the best time to take Chinese medicine?

Time to drink Chinese medicine

1. Take before meals

Generally, take the medicine 30 to 60 minutes before meals. If the disease is located in the lower part of the body, the medicine should be taken before meals so that the medicinal properties can be easily delivered to the lower part of the body, such as liver and kidney deficiency or diseases below the waist. For the treatment of intestinal diseases, it is also advisable to take medicine before meals, because when the stomach is empty, the liquid medicine can directly contact the gastrointestinal mucosa and pass through the stomach into the intestine more quickly, so that more of it can be absorbed and exert its effect, without being diluted by food in the stomach and affecting its efficacy.

2. Take after meals

Generally, take the medicine 15 to 30 minutes after a meal. If the disease is located in the upper part of the body, the medicine should be taken after meals. For treating diseases of the heart, lungs, chest, diaphragm, and stomach, taking the medicine after meals can allow the medicinal properties to move upward.

3. Take on an empty stomach

Decoctions with tonic effects should be taken on an empty stomach in the morning to facilitate full absorption. Drugs used to deworm or treat limb blood vessel diseases should also be taken on an empty stomach, so that the drugs can enter the intestines quickly and maintain a high concentration to quickly exert their effects. The same applies to decoctions with laxative effects to enhance their efficacy.

4. Take before bed

It is usually taken 15 to 30 minutes before bedtime. Medicines that nourish the heart and spleen, calm the mind, and promote sleep, as well as those that treat stagnation, chest and diaphragm diseases, etc.

In order to ensure the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine and enable it to better play its therapeutic role, it is necessary to understand the contraindications of taking traditional Chinese medicine. Let’s take a look at the precautions when taking Chinese medicine.

Precautions for taking Chinese medicine

1. It is best to take Chinese medicine 30-60 minutes after a meal. It can avoid the stimulation of gastric mucosa by Chinese herbal ingredients.

2. It is best not to drink tea, coffee, milk or soy milk about one hour before and after taking Chinese medicine, so as to avoid chemical reactions between the Chinese medicine ingredients and the tannins, caffeine and proteins in the tea, which may affect the efficacy. You can drink water.

3. If you feel uncomfortable or have diarrhea after taking Chinese medicine, please contact us in time. Please stop taking the medicine if you have a cold or cough.

4. If you feel the taste is bitter, you can add some sugar before taking it.

Generally, Chinese medicine should be taken warm. After decocting, let it sit for a while and take it when it is neither hot nor cold, such as mild tonic medicines. All medicines for colds and flu should be taken while hot to achieve the purpose of sweating; the same applies to medicines for dispelling cold and activating blood circulation, so as to dispel cold and promote blood circulation.

Warm reminder: Chinese medicine focuses on internal regulation in treating diseases, and the effect is relatively slow. Everyone must persevere. In addition, when taking Chinese medicine, you also need to pay attention to dietary taboos, especially avoid eating spicy foods, seafood, and other irritating foods. Therefore, it is best for everyone to eat light foods, eat more green vegetables and coarse grains, etc.