Don't mix Chinese and Western medicine at will! Shouldn't health foods be taken with medicines? Pharmacist reveals "two major consequences": the worst fear is kidney failure
In recent years, COVID-19 has been raging. People are worried and may want to use health foods or Chinese herbal medicines to strengthen their bodies. However, if they do not understand the concept of “interaction”, especially those who have used drugs for chronic diseases for a long time, combined use may actually cause drug Increased side effects and even harm to the body. Pharmacist Chen Xihui of Guangtian General Hospital said that the combination of Western medicine with traditional Chinese medicine, health food or food may cause interactions, and called on the public to pay more attention when taking medicine.
Is the combination of Chinese and Western medicines risky? When anticoagulants meet “these medicinal materials”
Pharmacist Chen Xihui pointed out that many patients have high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia or hyperglycemia, and the “three high” problems increase the potential risk of vasoembolic diseases (such as ischemic stroke). Depending on the condition, “anticoagulation” may be required. Interventional treatment with “drugs” (such as Warfarin) to prevent blood coagulation in blood vessels from forming “thrombi”.
However, anticoagulants have hidden side effects of bleeding. If the patient happens to consume Chinese herbal medicines that “invigorate qi and activate blood circulation”, such as angelica root, salvia miltiorrhiza, safflower, etc., the chance of bleeding side effects will increase. When nosebleeds or gum bleeding occur, If you have unusual bleeding symptoms such as skin bruising, black stools, etc., you should seek medical treatment immediately.
“It is worth mentioning that the common Korean ginseng and American ginseng are different from salvia miltiorrhiza, which may cause the anticoagulant to be ineffective and raise concerns about vascular embolism!” Pharmacist Chen Xihui reminded that if you are taking anticoagulant and at the same time Patients who want to use the above-mentioned Chinese herbal medicines together must discuss it with their doctor in advance to assess whether the dosage needs to be adjusted.
In addition, patients with chronic diseases who take specific hypoglycemic drugs and happen to use medicinal herbs such as Korean ginseng and American ginseng will increase the blood sugar-lowering effect and easily lead to “hypoglycemia”. Therefore, if the patient experiences cold sweats, trembling, rapid heartbeat, dizziness and weakness, etc., it is recommended to promptly measure blood sugar values through a blood glucose machine at home, conduct emergency treatment for hypoglycemia, and seek medical treatment as soon as possible to clarify the problem.
Is it relatively safe to use health food combined with Chinese and Western medicine? Pharmacist refutes: The most serious risk is “acute renal failure”!
The “health foods” that people often eat are not medicines. Is it relatively safe to use them together with Chinese and Western medicines? Pharmacist Chen Xihui clarified that the dose of health food is often higher than the daily intake of food sources; take fish oil as an example, fish oil is rich in Omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, which has the function of promoting lipid metabolism, although it helps to prevent cardiovascular disease disease, but the risk of bleeding may also increase if fish oil is used with anticoagulants or antiplatelet drugs that prevent thrombosis.
In addition, “red yeast rice” is also one of the common health foods and can also be regarded as a type of traditional Chinese medicine. Pharmacist Chen Xihui explained that red yeast rice has a cholesterol-lowering effect. If mixed with blood-lipid-lowering drugs (such as statins), it may aggravate the side effects of “liver damage” and even lead to “rhabdomyolysis.” “For patients taking blood lipid-lowering drugs, doctors will arrange blood tests to test liver index at intervals of about 3-6 months to facilitate monitoring of liver function.”
Pharmacist Chen Xihui also pointed out that although rhabdomyolysis is relatively rare, the dual effects of red yeast rice yeast and hypolipidemic drugs increase the possibility of rhabdomyolysis. When it occurs, you will feel muscle soreness, general weakness, and dark brown urine, which can be severe. Some may even cause acute kidney failure. Therefore, if you are a patient with hyperlipidemia, it is not recommended to consume red yeast rice health foods alone to avoid serious consequences.
What you need to know before and after surgery! 2 Drugs may cause “massive blood loss” in patients
Interactions not only exist between drugs and drugs, and between drugs and health foods. Patients who plan to undergo surgery should also be extra cautious when using certain drugs. Pharmacist Chen Xihui said that the aforementioned anti-thrombotic drugs (anticoagulants or anti-platelet agents) function to smooth the blood flow in the body. However, if the person taking the drugs needs to undergo surgery and continues to use such drugs, the surgical process may be There is a risk of increased bleeding, but if you stop using it hastily, you may be in danger of developing thrombosis.
“If you know in advance that you are going to have surgery, the patient should proactively inform the doctor of your medication history. The doctor will adjust the antithrombotic drug treatment plan in advance according to the different drugs and the condition. Many hospitals are already able to schedule surgeries. During the operation, the system compares the medication records to further remind doctors to make an assessment of the best time to stop and resume different medications based on the risk of bleeding during the operation. "
How to avoid interactions? Pharmacist reveals “2 major points”
Finally, pharmacist Chen Xihui called on the public to take the initiative to communicate with the doctor about the relevant medication history and current types of medication when seeing a doctor in the clinic. “Years ago, the Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare has been advocating that ‘patients should be the masters of their own bodies’ regarding patient safety. What are your daily habits? When you get sick, do you see a Chinese or Western doctor first? Do you take health food? These Information can be provided to the doctor proactively during consultation.”
In addition, some hospitals’ online registration systems already have fields that allow patients to proactively provide their medication and allergy history. Pharmacist Chen Xihui also encourages patients to make good use of it and fill in detailed information on the website, such as whether they are currently using drugs or not. Prescription medicines, or medicines, health foods, and even Chinese medicines or herbal medicines purchased at pharmacies, not only help doctors clarify the patient’s medication situation, but also make the consultation process smoother and further ensure that patients are safe before and after medication. healthy. If the hospital or clinic where you visit does not have such a system, patients should also develop the habit of proactively informing the doctor of their medication records.
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