People should use Lianhua Qingwen and ibuprofen with caution!

Recently, star drugs such as ibuprofen and Lianhua Qingwen have been out of stock in many pharmacies. Doctors remind that it is not advisable to follow the trend of hoarding drugs, or even take drugs to prevent COVID-19 without any symptoms. In fact, not everyone can take these two drugs. What are the contraindications for taking drugs at home when infected with COVID-19?

Ibuprofen: Four groups of people should use it with caution. Ibuprofen is a commonly used antipyretic drug, but not everyone can take it. Yan Xuelian, chief pharmacist of the pharmacy department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, said that the following four groups of people should use ibuprofen with caution:

Patients with severe coronary heart disease or history of heart failure ;

Patients with a history of severe peptic ulcer or bleeding ;

Patients who need to use antiplatelet drugs and anticoagulants in combination for chronic disease treatment;

Patients with severe renal impairment .

She said that these people can choose acetaminophen instead of ibuprofen , but the daily dose of acetaminophen should be controlled within two grams to ensure safety, especially during combined treatment with compound cold medicines.

Lianhua Qingwen: Use with caution in these patients

For which groups of people is Lianhua Qingwen suitable?

Chen Shuhe, director of the Pharmacy Department of Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine (affiliated hospital of Hubei University of Chinese Medicine), pointed out that in the routine treatment of novel coronavirus pneumonia, Lianhua Qingwen can be used for fever, muscle aches, nasal congestion, runny nose, cough, headache, dry throat and sore throat caused by mild and common types of the disease, but it is not suitable for preventive use. Lianhua Qingwen is mainly used to treat influenza, which is a syndrome of heat toxin attacking the lungs, which is often called "wind-heat cold" , and is not suitable for "wind-cold cold".

The main clinical manifestations of wind-heat cold are nasal congestion, sneezing, runny nose, fever or high fever, slight aversion to wind, dry mouth due to sweating, sore throat, and cough with thick sputum. The common symptoms of wind-cold cold are sneezing, runny nose, aversion to cold, no fever or mild fever, no sweating, body aches, and cough with thin white sputum. If relevant symptoms occur, symptomatic medication is required.

In addition, people with underlying diseases should pay attention that Lianhua Qingwen mainly contains traditional Chinese medicines such as honeysuckle, ephedra, bitter almonds, and rhubarb. Patients with underlying diseases such as hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes should use it with caution . Children, pregnant women, breastfeeding women, the elderly and weak, and patients with weak spleen and stomach should use the medicine under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.

Ye Qing, a member of the TCM expert group and chief TCM physician at Chengdu Public Health Clinical Medical Center, said in an interview that Lianhua Qingwen, which is very popular now, is not suitable for people with poor stomachs or diarrhea because it has a strong heat-clearing effect. Because it contains ephedra, it is not suitable for some hypertensive patients because they are worried that it will cause high blood pressure.

These Chinese patent medicines can also prevent and treat

"Since Lianhua Qingwen is well-known, many people are worried that they will be infected with the virus. When preparing medicine, they first think of buying Lianhua Qingwen." Chen Shuhe reminded that Chinese patent medicines with the functions of dispelling wind and heat, dispelling dampness and detoxification can be selected, such as: honeysuckle oral liquid, Shufeng Jiedu capsules (granules), Huoxiang Zhengqi capsules (or pills, water, oral liquid), Jinye Baidu granules, Jingfang granules, etc., can all be used as home medicines. The above-mentioned medicines with similar effects do not need to be stored repeatedly. Just choose one and keep a week's supply. There is no need to stock up too much. This is to avoid the risk of drug overdose and mixed use of drugs.

Some clinically proven Chinese medicine prescriptions can also achieve the same preventive and therapeutic effects as Lianhua Qingwen Capsules. If necessary, you can also go to the hospital to ask a doctor to prescribe a preventive and therapeutic prescription, which must be taken under the guidance of a pharmacist or doctor.

Ye Qing emphasized that if you have underlying diseases or special circumstances, you should consult a doctor for specific medication. "Ordinary people can choose Chinese patent medicine for symptomatic treatment, but Chinese patent medicine for symptomatic treatment is not tailored to everyone's condition. Everyone has individual differences. If you have more symptoms, it is recommended to consult a doctor for a prescription."