It seems that there are often such and such questions when taking medicine, and I still don't know how to take medicine even though I read the instructions.
The drug label says "take on an empty stomach", but what exactly is an empty stomach? Do you have to be hungry to growl? If I eat and then take medicine, will it have any effect?
A fever reducer doesn't work if you eat it, can you take one more tablet? Can I change to other fever reducers?
Today, we will answer these questions one by one for you, so that you can use medicine effectively and correctly~
The more fever reducers I take, the faster the fever will go down?
Recently, the temperature has been volatile, respiratory diseases are high, cough and fever are very common, and many people's first reaction after fever is to take fever-reducing medicine, hoping to get better soon.
Regarding fever and fever reduction, you should know the following knowledge points:
Fever (fever)
Refers to an increase in body temperature that is beyond the normal range. Usually an oral temperature ≥of 37.3°C or an axillary temperature of ≥37°C is defined as fever. This is only a reference value, as each person's basal body temperature is different. Especially for the baby, in addition to looking at the number on the body temperature, it is also necessary to observe whether the baby has abnormal performance, such as whether there is discomfort, how emotional, whether there is strength, etc.
Fever is not a disease, but a symptom. The first step in dealing with fever is to identify the cause of the fever. Until the cause is identified, it is not recommended to treat fever without authorization.
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Medications commonly used to reduce fever
Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, aspirin, anandamide, nimesulide, etc., the latter three of which are generally not used in children.
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How to use fever-reducing medications
Acetaminophen plus ibuprofen is not recommended for antipyretic, nor is acetaminophen and ibuprofen alternately used for antipyretic. Although combination or alternation may be more effective, this approach does not improve comfort, and it is unclear whether this reduction in body temperature is clinically significant.
In addition, there is less information on the safety of combined or alternate use. Because acetaminophen and ibuprofen are taken at different doses, they are prone to dosing errors, so they are not routinely recommended to be used in combination or alternately.
Generally, the efficacy can be observed within 60 minutes of medication, and the peak of efficacy is reached in 3~4 hours. If the body temperature is still high 3~4 hours after taking acetaminophen, and the discomfort is still not improved, acetaminophen can be directly replaced with ibuprofen.
If the body temperature is still high after taking ibuprofen for 3~4 hours, and the discomfort symptoms are not improved, ibuprofen can also be directly replaced with acetaminophen, which may be related to the fact that some fevers are only more effective against a certain antipyretic.
It should be noted that the replacement of acetaminophen with ibuprofen or ibuprofen with acetaminophen is only a simple drug replacement, not an alternation.
Drug substitution versus drug alternation
Tylenol (acetaminophen) and ibuprofen are used as examples:
Medication substitution: After switching from Tylenol to ibuprofen, if it is effective, use ibuprofen all the time, and no longer use Tylenolin.
Alternate: Tylenol followed by ibuprofen, then Tylenolin, then ibuprofen, and so on.
Many cold medicines such as Tylenol, white and black, etc. contain acetaminophen, and the instructions should be read carefully before using antipyretics (usually acetaminophen or ibuprofen) to avoid overdose, as severe cases may lead to fatal diseases such as liver necrosis.
If you have a persistent fever or develop new symptoms, you should seek medical attention.
The more medicine you take, the faster it gets better?
This is the idea that many people have, thinking that the effect of the drug is directly proportional to the dose, so they take a large amount of medicine as soon as they are sick, or they increase the amount of medicine on their own when they feel that the disease is serious, thinking that this will speed up the recovery.
Actually, the correct view is as follows:
●Sometimes it's the right thing to do, but more often it's not the right thing to do. You must take the appropriate amount of medication in strict accordance with the doctor's instructions or instructions, and do not increase or decrease it at will.
●There is not a simple proportional relationship between the dose and effect of the drug, but there is an appropriate range. If the dosage is below this range, the effect will be insufficient to achieve the intended therapeutic purpose; If the dosage is higher than this range, the effect of the drug will be too strong or unchanged, but the adverse effects will increase, even life-threatening.
Taking amlodipine, a commonly used antihypertensive drug for hypertensive patients, as an example, usually take 1~2 tablets (5~10mg) per day, if the blood pressure rises due to climate and other reasons, the appropriate practice is not to increase the dosage to 3~4 tablets (15~20mg) by yourself, but to consult a physician to change the medication or combine other types of antihypertensive drugs.
●Many factors can affect the efficacy of drugs, such as gender, age, and weight, but the most important of these is the impact of liver and kidney function impairment. If the patient has poor liver and kidney function, remember to carefully read the drug instructions before taking the medicine, and consult a physician and pharmacist if necessary.
Is it good to take the medicine on an empty stomach?
Some people believe that taking the medicine on an empty stomach can speed up the absorption of the drug, thus improving the effect of the drug, just like eating when you are hungry, and its satisfaction is greater than when you are full. Actually, sometimes it's right, but sometimes it's not.
On this issue, it should be looked at like this:
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The definition of fasting varies in each setting
For example, there is a difference between fasting for laboratory tests, gastroscopy and medication, and specific instructions need to be followed. Taking medicine on an empty stomach generally means taking the medicine 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal.
Many drug instructions also indicate "take before meals", "take during meals" or "take after meals", "take before meals" refers to taking 15~30 minutes before meals, "take during meals" refers to taking medicine at the same time as meals, and "take after meals" generally refers to taking medicine about 15~30 minutes after meals.
Of course, this "meal" or "rice" does not simply refer to lunch and dinner, but also after a full meal of snacks, fruits, etc.
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It should be judged according to the nature of the drug
Whether to take the drug on an empty stomach should be judged according to the nature of the drug.
According to the literature, about 20% of the drugs should be taken before meals, such as aspirin enteric-coated tablets commonly used in cardiovascular diseases, which should be taken before meals, which will cause the drug to stay in the stomach for too long and affect the absorption of the drug, which will affect the efficacy; About 20% of the drugs should be taken after meals, such as ferrous sulfate tablets for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia, which can reduce the irritation of the gastrointestinal tract by taking them after meals; There are also medications that need to be taken with meals, such as the hypoglycemic drug acarbose, which can be taken with meals to better control blood sugar after meals.
However, about 60% of drugs do not indicate before or after meals in the label, and these drugs are usually used before or after meals; If you have gastrointestinal upset, it is usually recommended to take it after meals, although it is safest to consult a pharmacist or physician.
Source: CCTV News client