What does it mean to take medicine three times a day? Many people get it wrong!

Are you not taking your medicine? I mean, are you not taking the right medicine?

Everyone has taken medicine, and everyone has cold medicine and stomach medicine at home. The problem is——

Do you really know what "once/two/three times a day" means?

How long before meals does “eat before meals” mean?

For the same medicine, should I take sustained-release capsules or granules?

I forgot to take my medicine. Do you want to take one right away?

Dalang, come and learn how to take medicine!

What does "taking medicine on an empty stomach" mean? How do I know if my stomach is empty?

Fasting refers to 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal .

In other words, when taking medicine on an empty stomach, you need to ensure that at least 2 hours have passed since your last meal, and wait at least 1 hour after taking the medicine before having your next meal. Do not eat snacks within at least 3 hours.

Which meal does “take with meals” mean?

If there is no special instruction, you don't have to worry about which bite you take . It counts from the moment you start eating to the moment you finish eating.

The diabetes drug acarbose is a special case and should be taken with the first few bites of a meal.

How long before meals does "take before meals" mean? What about "take after meals"?

The definitions of before meals and after meals are not as clear as those of fasting. They generally refer to 30 minutes before meals and 15-30 minutes after meals (or refer to the instructions).

Once/twice/three times a day, is it evenly distributed over 24 hours?

If there are no special instructions and the medication is not related to meal times, it is generally distributed evenly to ensure a stable drug concentration in the body.

For example, three times a day means once every 8 hours, and once a day means once every 24 hours.

If the doctor and the instructions have no requirements, you can choose the time freely . For example, if you take the medicine once a day, you can take it at 7 o'clock in the morning or 8 o'clock in the evening.

It is important to choose a time that is not easy to forget and try to keep it consistent .

Does "morning service" mean taking it in the morning? What if I sleep in until noon? Similarly, if I take it before going to bed, does staying up until dawn also count as taking it before going to bed?

The morning and evening times for taking medication are relative to a person's circadian rhythm and lifestyle habits, not absolute times, so they should be determined based on personal sleep schedules .

However, to ensure stable drug efficacy, it is best to maintain a regular lifestyle and take the medicine at the same time every day .

If I don't have any water, can I swallow the pills dry?

It is best to take it with water and drink more , unless it is an orally disintegrating tablet that is specifically designed not to be taken with water.

Orally disintegrating tablets that can be taken without drinking water

Drinking enough water can ensure that the medicine is swallowed smoothly and reaches the stomach quickly without sticking to the throat or esophagus. If the medicine is retained in the esophagus, it will not only slow down the absorption, but also sometimes cause irritation to the esophagus, causing more side effects.

Do I have to drink water when taking medicine? Can I drink coffee, tea, juice or milk?

Some medicines can be taken with drinks, but some cannot.

It is troublesome to distinguish various situations, so the simplest method is to take a one-size-fits-all approach and take all medicines with just water .

Drinks and medicines sometimes start to "fight" in the stomach.

For example, the tannin in tea or coffee will form insoluble substances with ferrous ions, hindering the absorption of iron supplements. In this case, you can avoid drinking beverages and taking medicines a few hours apart.

Sometimes, beverage ingredients and drug ingredients do not interact until after they are absorbed into the human body.

For example, a component in grapefruit juice can inhibit the enzyme that helps metabolize drugs, thereby affecting the efficacy of the drug and causing new side effects. In this case, it is not enough to just stagger the time for a few hours, but to avoid drinking during the entire medication process.

If I can't swallow the whole capsule, can I open it and eat the powder inside?

Capsules should only be opened and taken if the instructions specifically state that you can or your doctor has given you permission .

The instructions clearly state that the capsules can be opened

Even if you can take it apart and eat it, you cannot chew, grind or dissolve the particles in water , but must swallow it as it is. This is because the ingredients of some drugs are slowly released, and once the particle structure is destroyed, the slow-release effect will not be achieved.

In addition, enteric-coated capsules should not be taken apart , as this will damage the enteric-coated protective layer of the capsule, which will cause the drug ingredients to come into contact with gastric acid and be destroyed, or increase irritation to the stomach.

Finally, if you have trouble swallowing the capsule, try drinking plenty of water and lowering your head slightly while swallowing .

The same medicine is available in capsules, tablets, and powder forms. How do you choose?

Theoretically, the same medicine, the same dose of ordinary capsules, ordinary tablets and granules should have similar therapeutic effects, and the choice mainly depends on which one is more convenient to use .

Children and adults who have difficulty swallowing usually choose liquids or medicines that can be reconstituted with water.

If you don't have difficulty swallowing, tablets and capsules are better than powders - because no matter how they are flavored, the powders often can't cover up the strange taste of the medicine itself.

I forgot to take my medicine on time. Do I need to take it immediately?

This question cannot be answered simply because drugs vary greatly from one another.

The safest way is to read the instructions carefully to see if there are any relevant suggestions, or consult a professional .

The following is only a reference solution that is applicable to most situations.

1. First, make sure you really forgot to take the medicine to avoid taking it twice (this is already difficult);

2. If you are sure you forgot to eat and the missed time is less than 2 hours → eat immediately after finding out;

3. If it exceeds 2 hours, and the frequency of medication is 3 times or more per day → skip this time and take the next time as normal;

4. If the medication frequency is 1 to 2 times a day, you can still take a supplementary dose after 2 hours (but if there are only a few hours left before the next dose, do not take a supplementary dose and skip it);

5. Do not take two doses of medicine together, and do not increase the dosage on your own at any time.

This "general solution" cannot solve all problems, and the following is a supplementary explanation of it.

Exceptions

There are a few drugs that are clear exceptions to the above regimen.

For example, oral contraceptives should be taken whenever you realize you forgot to take them, even if it is just two pills at a time.

How many hours is too short?

The time interval between taking a supplemental medication and the next dose should not be too short, but how many hours is too short?

This question is still not easy to answer, not only are there differences between drugs, but data are often lacking.

Based on the advice I could find, it should be safe to take once-daily medications at least 12 hours after the next dose.

If you often forget

The above suggestions apply to situations where you occasionally forget to take your medicine. If you often forget to take your medicine, be sure to tell your doctor during your follow-up visit and seriously consider adding reminders to take medicine.

Finally, I hope everyone doesn’t have to take medicine!

Author: Window Knocking Rain

Editor: Li Xiaokui

Guokr (ID: Guokr42)

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Source : Guokr