Chinese Medicine Regulatory Office

General Knowledge of Taking Chinese Medicines

General Knowledge of Taking Chinese Medicines

Proper use of Chinese medicines should be based on the patient’s body constitution and clinical condition, and on the proper method of administration under the advise of a Chinese medicine practitioner. If you want to obtain good treatment results, a Chinese medicine practitioner should be consulted first before taking Chinese medicines.

Dosage and frequency

•Generally speaking, one dose of herbal medicines is to be taken daily in one or two decoctions.

One dose of Chinese medicines:

Taken once: decoction -> application

Taken twice: first decoction -> first application -> re-decoction -> second application

•In taking Chinese medicines decoction, the dosage for children is about 150ml, and that for adults is about 250ml.

•In taking proprietary Chinese medicines, one should follow the instructions on the labels or package inserts of the medicines.

Timing of taking medicine

•The timing of taking medicine mainly depends upon the patient’s condition and the properties of the medicine taken.

•Some Chinese medicines have to be taken at a specified time, e.g. before meal, after meal, before eating any food or before bed time, etc.

•If a medicines to be taken before or after meal, it should be taken one to two hours before or after the meal time.

Drinks

•Chinese medicines are usually taken together with warm water, unless otherwise instructed by the Chinese medicine practitioner. In general, one should not drink strong tea at the same time when taking Chinese medicines.

Food to be avoided when taking Chinese medicines

•One should avoid food which is difficult to digest or has a stimulant effect.

Tonic medicines: × radish, strong tea, coffee

Medicines of cold or cool property: × pepper, chili, coffee

Medicines of warm or hot property: × cold drinks, cold or raw fruits

Chinese Medicine Regulatory Office
Department of Health
Website: www.cmro.gov.hk