Should stomach tonics be taken before meals?

With the continuous development of the economy, people are under increasing pressure in life. More and more people suffer from stomach problems due to irregular diets. However, the causes of stomach problems are complex, so there are many types of stomach medicines. Different stomach medicines have different taking times. So what is the appropriate time to take stomach medicines? Most people don’t know when to take stomach medicine. Here I will introduce several typical times to take stomach medicine.

1. Gastric mucosal protection medicine - take half an hour before meals

Drugs that protect the gastric mucosa include sucralfate, bismuth potassium citrate, etc. They form a protective film directly on the surface of the gastric mucosa, thus playing a barrier role, which can not only prevent the invasion of gastric acid and digestive enzymes to ulcers, but also prevent food from hindering the contact between drugs and the stomach wall. Therefore, it is recommended to take it about half an hour before meals.

2. Prokinetic drugs: Take 15 to 30 minutes before meals

It is recommended to take it 15 to 30 minutes before meals, so that the drug concentration in the blood can reach its peak during meals and achieve the best therapeutic effect.

3. Proton pump inhibitors - Take on an empty stomach 30 minutes before meals

Proton pump inhibitors include pantoprazole, esomeprazole, omeprazole, lansoprazole, rabeprazole, etc. They work by acting on the last step of gastric acid formation, that is, inhibiting gastric acid secretion. Their effect lasts for a long time and can better inhibit gastric acid secretion. They are currently the most effective drugs for treating acid-related diseases such as peptic ulcers. Taking it on an empty stomach 30 minutes before meals will allow the drug concentration to reach its peak in the parietal cell secretory tubules, achieving the best therapeutic effect. 4. Antacids - Take 1 hour after a meal

Antacids include sodium bicarbonate, aluminum hydroxide, and hydrotalcite. Most of these drugs are weakly alkaline inorganic salts, which work by neutralizing gastric acid, weakening the activity of pepsin, and protecting the ulcer wound. If taken 1 to 2 hours after a meal, the effect may be extended to about 3 hours, when gastric acid secretion reaches its peak and the drug's maximum neutralizing ability can be exerted.

The above is an introduction to the time to take different stomach medicines. Now everyone knows that the order in which stomach medicines are taken is related to the degree of damage to the stomach, and also has a great relationship with the efficacy of the medicine. Generally, medicines that are more irritating to the stomach should be taken after meals. If you still don’t understand, it’s better to ask your doctor carefully and read the instructions carefully when buying medicine to be safer.