Is it reliable to take Western medicine while drinking Chinese medicine?

This is the 4648th article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

When seeing this title, 99 out of 100 patients will give the same answer, and the remaining one will answer "I don't know..." Indeed, this is a more complicated question. Some people say "Chinese medicine is for conditioning, and Western medicine is for curing diseases. A two-pronged approach will have a great effect!" Some people seriously point out that "Western medicine and Chinese medicine should be separated. They cannot be taken together, or they will be poisoned!"

With this question in mind, we went to the hospital. We found that the problem was that most patients were "ignorant and fearless" about the toxic side effects of Chinese patent medicines. Many patients even strongly requested doctors to prescribe some Chinese patent medicines. The phenomenon of "a one-day trip to the hospital to see a doctor, with large and small bags like a tourist" was quite common.

Through the investigation of outpatient medication consultation clinics, we found that the most common and most difficult questions to answer are: "Pharmacist, can I take my Chinese medicine and Western medicine together?" "Pharmacist, do all Chinese and Western medicines need to be taken separately? I have 5 kinds of Western medicine and 8 kinds of Chinese medicine. How can I take them 10 minutes apart? I don't do anything else all day, just look at the clock and take medicine."

So, can Chinese medicine or Chinese patent medicine be taken together with Western medicine?

Let’s first understand the ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine before answering this question.

First of all, some Chinese medicines contain tannins, such as gallnut, pomegranate peel, knotweed, cibotium barometz, and rhubarb.

There are also some Chinese medicines containing calcium, magnesium, bismuth and iron. Common ones include gypsum, cuttlebone, corrugated seeds and Chinese patent medicines such as Fangfeng Pills, Zhuifeng Pills and Niuhuang Jiedu Pills. When they are taken together with tetracycline, minocycline, levofloxacin and isoniazid, they can form complexes that are not easily absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract, reducing the antibacterial efficacy.

Secondly, some Chinese medicines containing organic acids, such as hawthorn, ebony, cornus, and schisandra, can acidify urine.

Some drugs are more dangerous when used together. For example, Scutellaria baicalensis, Amomum villosum, Aucklandia lappa, and Tangerine peel have an inhibitory effect on gastrointestinal motility. These drugs combined with digoxin can slow down gastric emptying and gastrointestinal motility, increase digoxin absorption, increase blood drug concentration, and easily cause poisoning.

So, is there a relatively safe combination of drugs? Of course there is.

for example

Anshenbu Nao Liquid can be used in combination with common western medicines without any interaction.

Xiangsha Yangwei Pills can be used together with common western medicines without any interaction.

Ginkgo extract can be used together with aspirin, digoxin, omeprazole, warfarin, etc. without any interaction.

After saying so much, do you have a basic understanding of whether Chinese and Western medicine can be used together? Yes, to put it simply, it is to combine the actual situation and make specific analysis.

Some patients may be unhappy with this: "You said nothing." It doesn't matter, let's talk about something that can be used in practice:

Finally, drug interactions are very complex and involve individual differences. This article cannot cover all aspects of whether Chinese and Western medicines can be used together. Here, we would like to remind all patients that if abnormal reactions occur during combined use, such as rashes, increased breathing and heart rate, and aggravation of existing conditions, you must seek medical attention in a timely manner.

Text: Lu Yuqian, Taizhou Central Hospital

Reviewed by: Wang Jianping, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University