In daily life, many people simply take medicine with a sip of water. However, don’t underestimate the issue of taking medication. If the method of taking medicine is incorrect, a good medicine for treating a disease can turn into a "deadly poison."

Not long ago, Mr. Trương, 35 years old, from Ningbo (China), had a sore throat and self-medicated by taking doxycycline capsules that are designed to dissolve in the intestines. When taking the medicine, he only drank a small sip of water and hastily lay down to sleep.

The next morning, Mr. Trương experienced chest pain, difficulty swallowing, and other symptoms. After being treated in the emergency room, the doctor performed an endoscopy and discovered that the mucous membrane of his esophagus was ulcerated. Upon analysis, it was determined that this was "medication-induced esophagitis" caused by the medication remaining in the esophagus for too long.

It turns out that when taking medication, if we do not drink enough water, the medication can stick to the esophageal wall. Taking doxycycline as an example, this antibiotic itself causes irritation, and if left in the esophagus too long, it starts to erode the mucous membrane. Lying flat slows the passage of the medication through the esophagus, causing repeated damage to the mucous membrane and ultimately leading to ulcers.

In addition to the doxycycline that Mr. Trương used, antibiotics (such as tetracycline) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (aspirin, ibuprofen) can also cause damage to the esophagus and ulcers. Therefore, you must strictly follow the doctor's instructions when using these medications.

Bad habits when taking medication

Taking medicine when you're sick is a "normal activity," but are you really "taking" your medicine correctly? Are you making these common mistakes?

• Not drinking enough water: Taking medicine with only a sip of water can leave the medication still stuck in the esophagus.

• Swallowing dry pills: Not using water to swallow the medicine causes the pills to stick directly to the mucous membrane of the esophagus.

• Incorrect posture: Lying down or bending over immediately after taking medicine slows the time it takes for the medicine to travel through the esophagus.

• Swallowing multiple types of medication at once: This causes the medication to accumulate in the esophagus, prolonging exposure time.

• Taking medicine with beverages: Fruit juices, milk, tea, coffee... can alter the properties of the medicine or worsen irritation.

• Grapefruit juice, orange juice, and pomegranate juice contain components that can inhibit the metabolism of some medications by certain enzymes in the intestines and liver, leading to excessive absorption of these medications and increased concentrations, causing toxicity or amplifying side effects.

• Calcium in milk reacts with levofloxacin to form compounds that the body cannot absorb, affecting the absorption rate and efficacy of the medication.

• Tea and coffee contain significant amounts of theophylline and caffeine. If consumed with certain antidepressants, antibiotics, or slow-release theophylline tablets, they can severely stimulate the central nervous system.

• Exercising immediately after taking medication: Shaking the body may cause the medication to get stuck in the folds of the esophagus.

• Not paying attention to the timing of taking the medication: Taking medication on an empty stomach or after meals in ways not prescribed by the doctor will affect the medication's dissolution rate.