Taking deworming medicine is an effective way to eliminate parasitic worms from the human body. So, do you need to avoid anything after taking deworming medicine? How long after taking deworming medicine can you eat?
1. Things to Know About Parasitic Worms
Parasitic worms are a type of parasite that lives in the human body. They can be found in both adults and children due to consuming undercooked food, using unboiled water, or living in contaminated environments. When parasitic worms invade and live in the body, patients often feel tired, lose appetite, suffer from anemia and malnutrition. Additionally, patients may exhibit other symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, bloody stools, nausea, vomiting, and restless sleep.
Notably, parasitic worms not only live in the intestines but also exist in other organs such as the liver, kidneys, and spleen. They can pose a health risk and even threaten the patient's life.
To prevent and eliminate parasitic worms, everyone should deworm regularly every 6 months. Additionally, maintaining personal hygiene and a clean environment, and adhering to the principle of eating cooked food and drinking boiled water are essential.
2. How Long After Taking Deworming Medicine Can You Eat?
The answer is that you can eat at any time after taking deworming medicine. This is because the mechanism of the medicine does not affect eating. In fact, deworming medicine works by inhibiting the glucose absorption of worms, causing them to weaken and die. Whether the patient eats or not does not affect the effectiveness of the deworming medicine. Patients just need to avoid being too hungry before taking the medicine.
After taking the deworming medicine, it will take about 8-12 hours for the medicine to take effect. The worms will die within 24-72 hours. Most deworming medicines available on the market today work quickly and effectively. However, users need to take the medicine in the correct dosage as prescribed to achieve the best results.
3. Notes When Choosing and Using Deworming Medicine
To ensure the effectiveness of deworming, everyone should note the following:
3.1. Choosing the Right Deworming Medicine
In addition to understanding how long after taking deworming medicine you can eat, choosing the right deworming medicine is crucial for effectiveness and safety. Some commonly used deworming medicines include Fugacar, Zentel, Mebendazole, Zelcom, and Alzental.
The criteria for choosing deworming medicine are:
- Choose the medicine suitable for the type of parasitic worm. For example, for intestinal worms like roundworms, hookworms, and pinworms, use deworming medicines that work locally. However, some other types of worms require medicines that can be absorbed into the bloodstream to be effective.
- Choose deworming medicine with few side effects. Some medicines have high toxicity and can cause symptoms like allergies, fatigue, nausea, and headaches.
- Choose deworming medicine that kills worms and causes them to disintegrate. The medicine should have a mechanism that destroys the worm's cell structure, making the worm's outer shell porous, inhibiting glucose absorption, and depleting the worm's glycogen reserves. Under this mechanism, worms cannot absorb glucose and will disintegrate and be excreted through feces.
3.2. Important Notes When Using Deworming Medicine
How to take deworming medicine and what to note? Adults and children should pay special attention to the following:
- Pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and children under 2 years old should not use deworming medicine.
- People with liver failure, bone marrow toxicity, high fever, acute illness, or allergies to the medicine's ingredients should not use deworming medicine.
- Deworming medicine can be harmful to the fetus. Therefore, women planning to become pregnant should take deworming medicine 4 months in advance.
- Although many deworming medicines can be taken during the day and at night, it is best to take the medicine in the evening after eating for 2 hours.
- Eat a light meal before taking the medicine or take it after eating to avoid feeling nauseous or uncomfortable.
- After giving deworming medicine to children, monitor them for 24 hours to detect any abnormal signs (if any) and handle them promptly.
- If you experience symptoms like nausea, itching, fatigue, insomnia, or pale skin after taking deworming medicine, visit a medical facility immediately for examination and quick support.
- Besides deworming with medicine, maintain personal hygiene and limit exposure to polluted environments.
There is no specific rule on how long after taking deworming medicine you can eat, so patients can decide their eating schedule without restrictions. Everyone should deworm regularly to prevent diseases caused by parasitic worms and help the body absorb nutrients better.
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