Is licorice tablet a traditional Chinese medicine?

Licorice tablets are very common medicines in daily life. They have the effect of suppressing cough and relieving phlegm, and are widely used in daily life. However, there are some precautions when using licorice tablets. You must pay more attention. When taking the medicine, it is best to take it under the guidance of a doctor. Never take the medicine blindly. Blind use of medicine may aggravate the condition and increase the difficulty of treatment.

Is licorice tablet a traditional Chinese medicine ?

Licorice tablets are a traditional Chinese medicine extracted from licorice.

Licorice medication instructions

1. Method of taking medicine: Compound licorice tablets can be taken orally or dissolved sublingually, but sublingual administration is more effective and can give full play to the local effects of licorice sulfur extract, camphor, and star anise oil. If taken orally, the effect will be greatly reduced.

2. Symptoms of drug dependence may occur: Although compound licorice tablets are good, they are mainly for symptomatic treatment and should not be used for a long time. In particular, the opioid component is addictive, and continued large-scale use may cause patients to develop drug cravings and dependence. After stopping the medication, symptoms such as yawning, cold sweats, runny nose, and even restlessness may occur. It is generally recommended to take 3 to 4 tablets 3 times a day.

3. Incompatibility: Compound licorice tablets have some incompatibility taboos, so be careful when using them. Licorice has effects similar to glucocorticoids, which can cause water and sodium retention, potassium excretion, and increased blood sugar. Therefore, care should be taken when using it in combination with the following drugs. The first is cardiac glycosides (such as digoxin). Licorice can cause hypokalemia, increase the body's sensitivity to cardiac glycosides, and easily induce cardiac glycoside poisoning. Secondly, it should not be used in combination with diuretics, because water and sodium retention can weaken the effect of diuretics. At the same time, furosemide and thiazide diuretics also promote potassium excretion. Their combined use may cause or aggravate hypokalemia. In addition, the combined use of licorice and other drugs that damage the gastric mucosa, such as aspirin and salicylic acid, may increase the risk of ulcers.

4. People who should use with caution: People with certain diseases should also pay attention. Licorice tablets can retain water and sodium, which can increase blood pressure, so patients with hypertension should use them with caution. Because it also has the effect of raising blood sugar, it should not be used by diabetic patients. In addition, opioids can cause smooth muscle relaxation, resulting in difficulty in defecation and urination, and should be used with caution in patients with constipation and prostatic hypertrophy.

When their children are sick, many parents like to find or buy medicine for their children themselves instead of seeing a doctor. [2] However, please remember that licorice tablets should be used with caution on infants and young children! In Zhengzhou, a mother used licorice tablets to treat her one-year-old son’s cough, but it turned out to be opium poisoning and multiple organ failure. It took two days of emergency treatment before his son was out of danger.

5. Adverse reactions: Compound licorice tablets should be taken orally. Swallowing may cause adverse reactions such as nausea, dry mouth, and constipation. It is best not to use compound licorice tablets for pregnant and lactating women, elderly people with prostate enlargement who have difficulty urinating, long-term alcoholics, and people with very unstable emotions on a daily basis.

6. Side effects: The side effects of compound licorice tablets mainly come from the opium powder, also known as opium, contained in them. Opium powder has analgesic, sedative and antitussive effects. However, opioids are drugs that can easily cause human dependence (addiction). Even if the content is very low, long-term or large doses of opioids can cause addiction.

Compound licorice tablets contain opium, which may cause addiction if taken for a long time. They should not be taken continuously for more than 5 days. If you continue to take it for too long, you may feel a sense of pleasure and gradually develop a craving and dependence on it. Once the medication is stopped, the patient may experience symptoms such as frequent yawning, cold sweats, runny nose, and even restlessness, which often take two or three months to get rid of.