[Cases of Poisoning Due to Improper Timing of Herbal Medicine Decoction]
A woman named Ma drank a bowl of herbal medicine to treat facial paralysis. Suddenly, she felt nauseous and vomited. She was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with acute poisoning. It turned out that the herbal medicine contained "Bai Fuzi" (Aconitum), which needed to be boiled for at least two hours. However, she boiled it for too short a time, resulting in the medicinal treatment turning into poison.
The doctor reviewed the prescription and confirmed that there was a correct prescription. However, one of the ingredients was Bai Fuzi, which is a poisonous substance mainly composed of alkaloids such as aconitine. Bai Fuzi must be boiled for the appropriate amount of time, but the patient only boiled it for one hour before consumption.
Bai Fuzi is a good herbal medicine, but if it is not used properly, it can become poisonous. Improper processing, improper compatibility with other herbs, or insufficient boiling time can all cause poisoning. Symptoms may include numbness of the lips and extremities, chest tightness, burning sensation in the stomach, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, and incontinence. Severe cases can lead to coma, respiratory arrest, and even death due to respiratory failure.
[How to Properly Decoct Herbal Medicine]
In fact, decocting herbal medicine is the process of continuously releasing and dissolving the active ingredients in the medicine. When the concentration of active ingredients in the medicine and the decoction reaches equilibrium, the process stops. Continuous boiling will not continue to extract and dissolve the active ingredients, but instead, the continuous evaporation will reduce the concentration of active ingredients in the decoction, and even cause the active ingredients to be destroyed by prolonged exposure to high temperatures, resulting in reduced efficacy. Additionally, excessively concentrated decoction will increase the bitterness, making it difficult for patients to take the medicine and may cause side effects such as nausea and vomiting after ingestion.
Some medicines require special decoction methods, which are usually specified in the prescription, such as "first decoction," "wrapped decoction," "add medicine later," and "liquefying (melting)." There are also instructions for separate decoction, soaking, dissolving, and decocting with soup instead of water. Before taking the medicine, it is important to consult a doctor or pharmacist to ensure the correct decoction and administration methods. By following the correct decoction and administration methods, the full potential of the medicine can be realized and the desired therapeutic effects can be achieved.
After receiving a prescription, it is important to carefully follow the doctor's advice and not randomly decoct herbal medicine. Otherwise, it will only affect the efficacy of the medicine and the effectiveness of the treatment. Everyone should pay attention to the timing of decocting herbal medicine.
