Whether traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine can be taken together depends on the situation. Some Chinese herbs can be taken in combination with Western medicine. For example, the antihypertensive drug Captopril can be taken together with Chinese herbs such as Gastrodia and Rhizoma Dioscoreae to significantly improve the symptoms of hypertension. However, in order to avoid drug interactions and potential side effects, when combining Chinese and Western medicine with the same route of administration, such as oral medication, it is generally recommended to take them at different times, either before or after meals, or with a half-hour interval.
In addition, patients with chronic diseases who need to take medication for a long time should undergo regular medical examinations, especially for liver and kidney function tests. Those who take specific medications for a long term should also undergo specialized tests. For example, patients who take Warfarin for a long time need to have their blood drug concentration regularly monitored to prevent the risk of bleeding.
Which Chinese herbs should not be used in combination with Western medicine?
Some combinations of Chinese and Western medicine can reduce the effectiveness of the drugs. For example, Chinese herbs containing metal ions such as Calculus Bovis, Gypsum Fibrosum, Raphanus Sativus, Magnetitum, and Niu Huang Jie Du Pian should not be combined with tetracyclines, levodopa, erythromycin, rifampicin, dexamethasone, isoniazid, chlorpromazine, and other Western medicines. The metal ions in Chinese herbs can form complex compounds with these Western medicines, which are not easily absorbed by the intestines, thus reducing their efficacy.
Chinese herbs containing organic acids such as Hawthorn, Fructus Corni, Tangerine Peel, Fructus Mume, Schisandra, Papaya, Citrus Reticulata, and their preparations such as Hawthorn Pills, Bao He Wan, Fructus Mume Pills, and Schisandra Syrup should not be combined with antacids such as aluminum hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, Gastrobin, and aminophylline to prevent a decrease or loss of efficacy due to acid-base neutralization. They should also not be taken together with sulfonamide drugs to prevent the occurrence of crystalluria or hematuria. Long-term combination with drugs such as rifampicin, aspirin, and ibuprofen should be avoided to prevent an increased toxicity on the kidneys. Chinese herbs containing alkaline compounds such as Borax and Alumen should not be combined with levodopa and acidic drugs such as pepsin and aspirin to prevent a decrease in efficacy. These combinations can also affect drug absorption as these drugs tend to form precipitates in the digestive tract.
Chinese herbs containing enzymes and proprietary Chinese medicines such as Shenqu, Malt, Wheat Germ, Hawthorn Pills, and Bao He Wan should not be taken together with antibiotics as they can inhibit enzyme activity, resulting in a decrease or loss of efficacy. If combination is necessary, the medication should be taken with a time interval of 2 to 4 hours. Chinese herbs with heat-clearing and detoxifying properties such as Honeysuckle, Forsythia, Scutellaria, and Andrographis Paniculata should not be combined with fungal preparations such as lactobacillus, bifidobacterium, and bifidobacterium infantis as they have strong antibacterial effects that can inhibit the activity of the fungal preparations.
