What medicine should be taken to treat digestive disorders?

First of all, it must be clear that there is no "magic medicine" suitable for everyone for digestive disorders. The prerequisite for taking medicine is that you have undergone gastrointestinal endoscopy, Helicobacter pylori testing and other related examinations, and have ruled out organic problems such as ulcers, polyps, inflammatory bowel disease, malignant lesions, etc. If it is a simple gastrointestinal disorder, you can choose the right medicine according to your own symptoms. Otherwise, blindly taking medicine is likely to cover up the true condition and delay treatment.

I met an old acquaintance who works in Internet operations a while ago. He is a 32-year-old who stays up late every day to catch up on projects and eats spicy takeout every day. In the past two years, when I get busy at the end of the quarter, I have abdominal bloating. I fart so much that I can't sit still in the conference room. Sometimes I am constipated for two or three days, and sometimes I can't stop having diarrhea. He had two gastrointestinal endoscopy and blood draws but no problem was found. The doctor diagnosed him with functional gastrointestinal disease. He searched for symptoms and thought it was acid reflux, so he took omeprazole for two months. As a result, his heartburn became more severe and he even lost his appetite for food.

If you are mainly uncomfortable in the upper abdomen, with bloating, acid reflux and heartburn after eating, taking some acid-suppressing drugs and gastric motility drugs for a short period of time can indeed provide quick relief. However, be careful not to take proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole for more than two weeks in a row. Long-term use will inhibit the normal secretion of gastric acid and disrupt the digestive environment. Gastric motility drugs, such as Mosapride, can only be taken for three to five days at most. If you really rely on external forces to help gastrointestinal peristalsis, it will become "lazy" on its own for a long time, and it will be a mistake when you stop taking the medicine.

If you always have diarrhea, bowel sounds like a grasshopper, or constipation that you can't pass after half an hour, probiotics are more commonly used. However, there are many differences in the actual effect of probiotics in the academic circles. Some people feel that their stomachs "stop" and have less gas after taking them for a week. Some people take them for two months and there is no problem. How you feel depends on whether the strains match your intestinal conditions. There is really no need to blindly rush for those imported probiotics sold by Internet celebrities that sell hundreds of them. Many of them are paid IQ tax. If diarrhea is severe, you can temporarily take some montmorillonite powder, or occasionally drink lactulose if constipation is severe. They are much less harmful to the intestines than stimulant laxatives.

There are also many people who take Chinese patent medicines that are effective, such as the familiar Jianweixiaoshi tablets and Xiangsha Yangwei pills. However, it is best to find a regular Chinese medicine doctor to take a pulse first to identify whether the spleen and stomach are weak and cold or due to excessive moisture and stomach fire. I have seen people who have strong stomach fire before and follow the trend of taking Xiangsha Yangwei pills. After taking it for a week, they suffered from severe dry mouth and bad breath, which made them even more uncomfortable.

To put it bluntly, digestive disorders are mostly caused by lifestyle habits. The operator friend I mentioned just now followed the doctor’s advice and stopped eating late at night. He walked an extra 20 minutes after get off work every day and played badminton with friends two days a week. He only took medical probiotics for a week. It’s been almost half a year now. Except for the occasional discomfort when eating particularly spicy food, he has basically never done it again. If you really have digestive discomfort for a long time, don't prescribe medicines based on the symptoms on the Internet. Go to the hospital for investigation first. After all, everyone's gastrointestinal condition is very different. Medicines that are suitable for others may cause trouble for you.