Parents often have the dilemma of wanting to give their children some Chinese herbal medicine, but the medicine is too bitter and the child refuses to cooperate. It takes a lot of effort to get them to drink it. However, besides herbal decoctions, there are many other forms of Chinese medicine that may solve your problem.
1. Oral Liquid
Oral liquid is a dosage form of Chinese medicine that extracts the effective ingredients of herbs using a reasonable method, under aseptic conditions, and packages them in single-dose packaging. It has the characteristics of fast absorption, small dosage, and easy administration, making it one of the commonly used dosage forms for children.
2. Granules
Chinese medicine granules are a new dosage form that has developed in the past 20 years based on decoctions and syrups. Due to their small dosage and convenience, the variety of granules has increased rapidly.
Currently, some products have added fruit juice and other ingredients, which not only increases the nutritional content but also improves the taste of the granules. In addition, some products further turn them into effervescent granules after adding suitable fruit juice, to improve medication compliance.
3. Effervescent Tablets
Chinese medicine effervescent tablets are a new dosage form that has developed in recent years, combining the characteristics of tablets, granules, and decoctions. The dosage of this form is easy to control, and the number of tablets can be increased as the child grows older. They quickly dissolve into a solution when mixed with water, making them easy to take and carry.
4. Herbal Tea
Herbal tea is a coarse powder product made from tea-containing or tea-free drugs that have been crushed and processed, or made into block-shaped products by adding suitable binders. It is taken by soaking in boiling water. The new type of herbal tea bags are convenient to carry and consume, and improvements have been made in appearance and taste.
5. Injectable Chinese Medicine
Injectable Chinese medicine is mostly used for the treatment of acute and severe illnesses. It has the advantages of quick effectiveness, small and accurate dosage.
6. Inhalers
Inhalers have the characteristics of small dosage, uniform distribution, quick effectiveness, and easy use. Inhalation can reduce gastrointestinal side effects, and topical application can reduce irritation to wounds. They can also control the dosage through a quantitative valve, providing quick and targeted effects. They can be used for infants and young children who cannot or are unwilling to take orally.
7. Medicated Plasters
In recent years, it has been found that besides having local effects, skin administration can also enter the bloodstream through the skin and exert systemic effects. The stratum corneum of the skin also has a storage function, resulting in a smoother concentration curve of the drug in the blood, which has unique advantages beyond general administration methods. This dosage form is not destroyed by the first-pass effect of the liver, which can improve the bioavailability of the drug. It has the advantages of constant drug delivery, controlled blood drug concentration, and prolonged drug effect, especially suitable for newborns with impaired liver function.
8. Suppositories
Suppositories can make up for the shortcomings of poor taste in oral dosage forms and inconvenient use of injectable dosage forms. Compound pediatric fever suppositories have the functions of relieving pain, clearing the throat, detoxifying, expectorating, and calming. They can be used to treat pediatric fever, upper respiratory tract infections, bronchitis, sore throat, excessive phlegm in the lungs, and coughs, etc. This dosage form has high safety, is non-irritating to the rectal mucosa, and has achieved very satisfactory results in the treatment of pharyngitis, tonsillitis, pneumonia, scarlet fever, digestive system and urinary system infections, etc.
9. Enemas
The Chinese medicine enema method exerts its effects through the conduction of the intestinal mucosa along the meridians. The rectal mucosa has a strong absorption function, with a higher absorption amount than oral administration, and a higher bioavailability than oral administration. It has a fast onset of action and no significant difference in onset speed compared to intravenous administration. It has played a good role in the treatment of pediatric high fever, pediatric diarrhea, viral pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma, toxic intestinal paralysis, type B meningitis, intestinal roundworm disease, viral myocarditis, acute renal failure, etc.
10. Nasal Drops
In recent years, it has been proven that drugs are well absorbed through the nasal mucosa. Nasal administration with systemic effects has been confirmed. Some drugs are well absorbed when given intranasally and can avoid the first-pass effect of the liver. It is also convenient to administer.
Therefore, the dosage forms of Chinese medicine are not limited to herbal decoctions. Many other forms may make taking Chinese medicine simpler and more effective. So, why not give them a try? But regardless of which dosage form you choose, make sure to follow the guidance of a physician.
