"Ask" Health丨What is the difference between taking medicine "on an empty stomach, before meals, and after meals"? Pay attention to the timing of taking medicine
When taking medicines in daily life, have you ever noticed the "fasting, before meals, and after meals" instructions in the drug instructions? Will the time of taking the medicine affect the absorption of the medicine? At the National Health Commission press conference held yesterday, relevant experts answered this question.
Pay attention to the timing of taking medicine. You should distinguish between fasting before and after meals.
Zhao Rongsheng, chief pharmacist of Peking University Third Hospital:
Taking on an empty stomach refers to 1 hour before a meal or 2 hours after a meal. At this time, there is less food in the stomach, which is conducive to rapid and full absorption of some drugs, reaching effective blood drug concentrations and playing a therapeutic role, such as some acid-suppressing drugs and antibacterial drugs.
Taking before meals means 15 to 30 minutes before meals. At this time, there is only a small amount of food in the stomach, which can allow the medicine to have an effect on the stomach wall in advance and reduce the interference of food on the absorption of medicines, such as some gastric medicines.
Taking after meals refers to 30 minutes to 1 hour after meals. It is suitable for some drugs that are highly irritating to the gastric mucosa. Food can play a certain buffering role and reduce stomach pain and discomfort, such as some antipyretic analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs.
In addition, twice a day can usually be taken once in the morning and once in the evening. Strictly speaking, three times a day should be taken as evenly spaced as possible. If you accidentally miss taking the medicine, you should handle it flexibly according to the time. If it is not long before the scheduled medication time, you can take it in time; if it is close to the next normal medication time, skip the missed dose and take the next normal dose as originally planned. Do not take a double dose.
Mood swings can easily disturb the gastrointestinal tract. Recurrent episodes require prompt medical treatment.
Many people are prone to gastrointestinal discomfort symptoms such as stomach pain and diarrhea when they are anxious or stressed, and they are also more sensitive to normal stimuli such as food and gas. How should you deal with these symptoms? At the press conference, experts also gave tips.
Zong Ye, Chief Physician, Beijing Friendship Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University:
First, when symptoms occur, relax yourself. You can relieve your anxiety by taking a walk, listening to music, or chatting with friends. Eat light, easy-to-digest foods and avoid spicy, stimulating, and high-fat foods.
Second, if symptoms recur, you should look for the trigger. At this time, it is recommended to make a small note in your life. If you find a pattern, we should avoid it.
Experts remind that if the disease recurs for a long time, irritable bowel syndrome should be considered. When the symptoms are obvious, you should go to the gastroenterology department for treatment; if you also have obvious anxiety, depression and other emotional problems, it is recommended to cooperate with professional psychological treatment.
Drinking porridge may not nourish the stomach. It is not advisable to take acid-suppressing drugs by yourself.
In addition, in daily life, many people take acid-suppressing drugs to relieve symptoms such as acid reflux and heartburn, or drink porridge to nourish their stomach. Experts say there are misunderstandings in both methods.
Zong Ye, Chief Physician of Beijing Friendship Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University: "Drinking porridge to nourish the stomach" is not suitable for everyone. For people with recurring acid reflux and heartburn, drinking porridge may induce corresponding symptoms, so this is not a universal way to nourish the stomach.
Experts say that acid reflux and heartburn are not necessarily “too much stomach acid.” Acid-suppressing drugs should be used according to the condition and should not be taken on your own.
Zong Ye: What is commonly used is an acid-suppressing drug, which is a powerful proton pump inhibitor such as omeprazole. This type of medicine has a strong effect on inhibiting gastric acid and can significantly relieve our stomach symptoms, so it may be commonly used by everyone. However, this type of medicine must be used under the guidance of a doctor. First of all, if acid reflux and heartburn occur repeatedly, we should see a doctor to find out whether the symptoms are caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease. If you need to take this type of medicine for a long time, you must be alert to the potential threat of malabsorption of nutrients such as calcium and vitamin B12, gastrointestinal infection, and even lung infection.
(CCTV News Client)
