Speaker｜ Dr. Ching-Mao Chang, Assistant Professor, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, NYCU Produced by｜ NYCU Office of International Promotion and Outreach × NYCU Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Many people consult both Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doctors, often asking one key question: Is it safe to take Western drugs and Chinese herbs simultaneously?
The common belief is that simply taking them two hours apart is enough to prevent conflict. However, this advice is dangerously oversimplified. Not all drug interactions between TCM and Western medicine can be solved just by staggering the timing.
TCM is not "naturally harmless"; it is medicine, and its compounds can interact complexly with Western drugs, potentially reducing efficacy or causing adverse effects.
⚠️ Blood-Moving Herbs + Anticoagulants?
Common blood-activating herbs like Angelica sinensis (當歸) and Ligusticum chuanxiong (川芎), when combined with Western anticoagulants, can significantly increase the risk of bleeding.
Even popular medicinal broths and winter tonics might interfere with medications due to their herbal ingredients.
🍊 Certain Herbs + Chronic Disease Medications?
Some TCM herbs contain components similar to those in grapefruit, which can inhibit liver enzymes responsible for drug metabolism. If you are taking medication for hypertension or heart disease, this interaction can destabilize drug concentration, leading to serious side effects.
Patients with chronic conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease must exercise extra caution when combining both types of medicine.
In this episode, Dr. Ching-Mao Chang will provide an essential guide to safely using TCM and Western drugs, covering three critical safety points:
Which combinations cannot be solved by the "two-hour gap" rule?
How to safely enjoy traditional medicinal cuisine (Yàoshàn)?
What is the most crucial safety principle to follow when taking both?
Learn the right concepts to ensure your medications work effectively and safely!
中醫自體免疫暨乾眼症客觀量測實驗室 (Traditional Chinese medicine Autoimmune Disease and Dry Eye Syndrome Objective Measurements Lab，AIDDES Lab)致力於結合中醫理論與現代科技，進行前瞻性的研究，探索自體免疫風溼疾病與乾眼症患者的病理機轉及中醫輔助治療。AIDDES實驗室聚焦於透過客觀量測訊號，如中醫體質、舌診、脈診、虹膜、甲褶及心律變異等，加上DNA、RNA、蛋白質體學、口腔微生物菌相等生物醫學指標，深入探討客觀與生物醫學指標與自體免疫疾病的相關性，並進行跨領域的研究，以期建立更科學且精確的診斷與治療方法。
