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Currently, with the continuous optimization of my country’s epidemic prevention and control measures, asymptomatic and mild residents infected with the new coronavirus can choose to be treated at home. At the same time, various “drug stocking lists” are also circulating on social platforms, and many netizens have followed suit to stock up on medicines. However, everyone’s physique and symptoms are different, and their medication needs are also different. Blind medication can easily endanger health. Today we will answer the common medication questions from netizens one by one.
Q: If there are no symptoms related to COVID-19 infection, do I need to take some preventive drugs in advance?
A: Not required for . There is currently no evidence to support that drugs can prevent COVID-19 infection . If there is no confirmed COVID-19 infection, we do not need to take preventive drugs in advance. And there are currently no drugs on the market that can kill the new coronavirus in the body. All treatments are symptomatic, so asymptomatic infections do not need drug treatment.
Q: Will recovery be faster if I take multiple drugs at the same time?
A: does not. It is not recommended to take multiple drugs to treat the same symptom at the same time. Just choose one. For the same symptom, taking multiple drugs at the same time will not speed up the improvement of the condition. On the contrary, it may lead to drug overdose and liver and kidney damage.
Q: When should I take antipyretic drugs? What antipyretic drugs can I choose?
A: First of all, you need to pay attention to rest during fever, ensure adequate caloric and fluid intake, and maintain water and electrolyte balance. If you have a fever at home, you can drink light salt water or oral rehydration salt .
When the body temperature is between 37.5-38.5℃, physical cooling is preferred; when the body temperature rises above 38.5℃, antipyretics can be used. For some elderly people with underlying diseases or patients with severe symptoms but whose body temperature does not rise to 38.5°C, antipyretics can also be taken with caution.
Safer antipyretics include acetaminophen and ibuprofen . Just choose one of them. It is not recommended to use them in combination or alternately. If there is a need to take the medication again, the interval between two doses of acetaminophen should be 4-6 hours , and the daily dosage for adults should not exceed 2g; the interval between two doses of ibuprofen should be 6 hours , and the daily dosage for adults should not exceed 1.2g. Common compound "cold medicines" on the market (such as Baijia Black, Tylenol, etc.) contain "aminophenol" or "phenol" in their names. They contain acetaminophen and can also have an antipyretic effect. Do not use them in combination.
◎ Both ibuprofen and acetaminophen have antipyretic effects by inhibiting the temperature regulation center of the hypothalamus. / Ruijing Vision
Please note that medication is not recommended for infants under 3 months old who have fever. If the symptoms are serious, they need to go to the hospital for pediatrician treatment in time. html Infants aged 33 to 6 months and pregnant women can only choose acetaminophen as antipyretic. Patients with a history of peptic ulcer or bleeding, severe coronary heart disease and heart failure , are taking antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs, or have severe renal insufficiency should use ibuprofen with caution and may choose acetaminophen as appropriate. G6PD deficiency antipyretic drug can only choose ibuprofen. If you still have fever after taking antipyretics for more than 3 days, it is recommended to go to the hospital for treatment.
Q: What should I do if I have headache, myalgia, or fatigue?
A: You should rest more and relax and relieve pain through moderate exercise, listening to music, meditation, etc. If headache or myalgia seriously affects rest and sleep, you can take ibuprofen or acetaminophen as appropriate. The contraindications are as mentioned above.
Q: Is there any good way to relieve the symptoms of sore throat and dry throat?
A: Drinking enough water to keep your throat moist and not overusing your throat will help.Pudilan oral liquid, Qingyan Dropping Pills , Liushen Pills , diquinonium chloride, etc. can also help us relieve the symptoms of sore throat and dry throat. If the sore throat is severe and unbearable, you can also take ibuprofen or acetaminophen as appropriate. The contraindications are as mentioned above.
◎ Many people say that swallowing saliva after infection is like swallowing a razor blade. / Panoramic Vision
Q: What medicines are available for cough and sputum symptoms?
A: When symptoms of severe cough and excessive phlegm occur and affect normal rest, some cough-relieving and phlegm-reducing drugs can be appropriately selected for symptomatic treatment. For dry cough, you can use antitussive drugs such as pholcodine and dextromethorphan. Common "cold medicines" on the market also have antitussive effects (the drug names contain the word "美"). Do not use them in combination. If there is too much phlegm, expectorants such as bromhexine , ambroxol , guaifenesin, acetylcysteine can be used.
If the cough is accompanied by sputum, it is not recommended to take antitussives, because antitussives inhibit the cough but hinder the discharge of sputum. At this time, it is recommended to mainly use expectorants.
Q: Can I take "cold medicine" if I have runny nose or stuffy nose?
A: Some symptoms of COVID-19 infection are similar to those of the common cold or flu. Some anti-allergic drugs can effectively relieve the symptoms of runny nose, such as chlorpheniramine, loratadine, cetirizine, etc. Common "cold medicines" on the market also have the effect of anti-allergy (the name of the medicine contains the word "sensitivity") and relieving nasal congestion (the name of the medicine contains the words "pseudo" and "num"). Symptomatic treatment drugs should be selected based on the symptoms, and multiple "cold medicines" should not be used blindly to avoid the risk of drug overdose.
In addition, anti-allergic drugs may cause drowsiness. It is not advisable to drive or work at high altitudes while taking the drugs.
◎ Severe nasal congestion after infection is called "cement nose". / 123rf
Q: What should I do if I have vomiting or diarrhea?
A: If vomiting or diarrhea occurs, it is advisable to supplement light salt water or oral rehydration salt to avoid water and electrolyte disorders. At the same time, Huoxiang Zhengqi water /capsules, montmorillonite powder, berberine and other symptomatic treatments can be taken.
Q: Do I need to take antibacterial drugs and antiviral drugs?
A: Not required for . Many patients ask for the use of "anti-inflammatory drugs", but the new coronavirus is a viral infection, and antibacterial drugs (such as amoxicillin, cephalosporin, etc.) have no therapeutic effect on it. At the same time, there is no evidence that the anti-influenza drugs on the market are effective against COVID-19. If you have yellow purulent sputum and you suspect that it may be complicated by bacterial infection, you should consult your doctor to decide whether to take antibiotics.
Q: Traditional Chinese medicine and Chinese patent medicines have no side effects. Can I take more?
A: Western medicines are mostly single-molecule drugs. The adverse reactions can be clearly listed in the instructions. Everyone can see them at a glance, but they feel scared. Traditional Chinese medicine and Chinese patent medicines contain a variety of alkaloids. The ingredients are relatively complex, and the side effects and adverse reactions are unclear. Therefore, we will not list them one by one. It is easy for people to mistakenly think that the ingredients are natural and have no side effects. In fact, is "three parts of medicine is poison". Chinese patent medicines and Western medicines all have potential side effects.
◎ Commonly used Western medicines and Chinese patent medicines cannot be mixed. / Panoramic Vision
At the same time, traditional Chinese medicine and Chinese patent medicines also have medicinal contraindications.For example, medicines containing ingredients such as honeysuckle, bezoar, coptis, and menthol can cause hemolysis in patients with G6PD deficiency and are prohibited from use in such patients; medicines containing ephedra have a blood pressure boosting effect and should be used with caution in patients with high blood pressure; Chinese medicines with "heat-clearing" effects, such as gypsum, rhubarb, etc., may cause diarrhea and gastrointestinal discomfort and should not be used in patients with diarrhea.
Q: After the symptoms related to the new coronavirus infection are relieved, should I continue to take medicine to consolidate the effect?
A: Not required for . As mentioned above, all COVID-19 medications are symptomatic treatments. If the symptoms of discomfort have disappeared, the medication should be stopped in time without consolidating the curative effect.
Guiding expert｜ Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Second Hospital of Guangdong Medical University Dr. Long Li Chief Physician Yang Jun
Editor｜Liang Zhongming Liao Yingyao
Cover image | Station Cool Hailuo PLUS
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