Should cold medicine be taken before or after meals?
I caught a cold a few days ago. Should I take the cold medicine before or after meals?
Doctor's answer (1)
In most cases, it is better to take cold medicine after meals rather than before.
Cold medicine is a general term for a wide category of medications. Most cold medicines contain certain fever-reducing ingredients, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and others. These ingredients fall within the category of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and can be somewhat irritating to the gastric mucosa. Taking cold medicine after meals helps reduce the irritation these ingredients may cause to the stomach lining, thus avoiding side effects such as stomach pain and bloating.
In addition, if the cold medicine contains traditional Chinese medicinal ingredients, such as in Lianhua Qingwen capsules, the active ingredients in these medicines can be easily destroyed by stomach acid, thereby weakening the therapeutic effectiveness of the medication. Therefore, when patients take such medications, it is also recommended to take them after meals, which can help prevent the active ingredients from being destroyed and ensure the treatment effectiveness of the medication.
Therefore, under normal circumstances, patients are generally advised to take cold medicine after meals to ensure the therapeutic effectiveness of the drug while reducing the likelihood of adverse reactions. During the period of having a cold, in addition to taking cold medicine as directed by a physician, patients should also drink more water, rest adequately, and enhance their physical resistance, which helps eliminate the pathogens causing the cold completely and promotes recovery from the illness.
