Patient's question:
My son has a fever. Traditional Chinese Medicine says it's due to food stagnation and needs to clear his digestive system. Last night, his fever reached 38.8 degrees, and I took him to the hospital. The blood test results showed it was a virus. He hasn't felt well for about a month, and I'm very worried. The traditional Chinese medicine was prescribed yesterday afternoon. I don't know if it can be taken together with Western medicine (antiviral and fever-reducing medication).Doctor's answer:
Traditional Chinese medicine should not be taken with Western medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine can complement each other to treat diseases, but the timing of medication should be noted. It is not advisable to use traditional Chinese medicine to deliver Western medicine or to take them together. The medication time should be about half an hour apart.Since traditional Chinese medicine, especially in the form of herbal formulas, involves the combination of various herbs which undergo chemical reactions after decoction, their pharmacological effects are not always very clear. Unlike Western medicine, whose mechanisms and principles have been tested through animal experiments or clinical trials, traditional Chinese medicine is indeed effective. Therefore, it is common to take traditional Chinese medicine orally in conjunction with Western medicine treatment.
However, if traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine are taken together, their interactions and resulting chemical reactions are unclear, which may affect their efficacy. Therefore, it is recommended to have a time interval of more than half an hour between taking traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine to ensure the therapeutic effect.