In a person’s life, it is impossible not to get sick, when you are sick, it is inevitable that you need to take medication, choose the right time to take medication, in order to get the best therapeutic effect. If the medication is taken at the wrong time, even if the medication is right for the patient, the effect will be reduced. In particular, traditional Chinese medicine has always attached great importance to the timing of medication. The author often meets patients in the clinic to inquire about the time of taking Chinese medicine. Why is it necessary to take medicine at the right time? Chinese medicine has always been in the taking time is quite delicate. Ancient Chinese medicine theory that, after nightfall, the body’s Yang Qi convergence, the heart and soul into the house, if you take Yang or sweating drugs, is bound to disrupt the body’s biological rhythms, resulting in a variety of adverse effects. As the ancient healer said: “before noon for the Yang points, when sweating; afternoon Yin points, not sweating.” The yin or sinking class of traditional Chinese medicine, if taken in the early morning or before noon when Yang Qi is strong, will also have the disadvantage of curbing Yang Qi rise. On the one hand, advocating the use of Chinese medicine at the right time can comply with the body’s rhythmic physiological changes, which can fully mobilize the body’s positive anti-disease factors and enhance the effectiveness of the medicine. On the other hand, it can also reduce the adverse effects of drugs, because if the time of taking drugs is not appropriate, disturbing the body’s own physiological rhythms, it can produce or amplify the adverse effects of drugs. At the same time, the timing of the drug can also be induced by the body’s rhythm has been disrupted to return to normal in order to achieve the purpose of treatment. A large number of modern clinical studies have confirmed that the efficacy and toxicity of drugs have time rhythmic changes. For example, 5-fluorouracil, a widely used anticancer chemotherapeutic drug, can reduce toxic side effects, improve patient tolerance and enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy when administered according to time. Therefore, in order to fully utilize the efficacy of the drug, it is necessary to master the optimal time of drug administration. Timing of drug administration should not be ignored. General principles of timing of drug administration The timing of drug administration should be determined according to the condition and the nature of the drug. If a doctor or pharmacist has instructed a drug to be taken at a certain time and in a certain way, it should be taken in strict accordance with his instructions. Most medicines are usually taken about two hours after a meal if not specifically instructed. Chinese medicines are usually taken orally twice a day; for more serious and acute cases, the medicines can be taken every four hours or so according to the physician’s instructions, without stopping at night, in order to make the strength of the medicines last, which is conducive to faster relief of symptoms and alleviation of the condition. In addition, the following should be noted: 1, the disease in the diaphragm above (the upper part of the body), it is appropriate to take after meals, the medicine should be frequent and slow drink; 2, the disease in the chest below the diaphragm (the lower part of the body), it is appropriate to take before meals, can be a breath of a ton of the end. 3, tonic medicine: for example, all kinds of winter nourishing cream (such as the ten full tonic cream), it is appropriate to 30 to 60 minutes before breakfast and about 30 minutes before going to bed, fasting once, in order to facilitate the absorption of each service. 4, wind-cold cold pungent temperature published medicine: should be served while hot, after serving can drink a small amount of hot porridge, in order to help the strength of the medicine, then go to bed to rest, cover the quilt, covered to the whole body slightly sweating is appropriate. For wind-heat colds, it is advisable to take the medicine after it has cooled down. 5, all kinds of chronic diseases of proprietary Chinese medicines: must be fixed daily time to take, so that the body to maintain a relatively stable concentration of drugs. 6, spicy stimulating drugs: for example, various types of anti-tumor proprietary Chinese medicine (such as compound Zanfang Capsules) should be taken after meals, which can prevent the stimulation of the gastric mucosa damage, so that it is slowly absorbed. 7, tranquilizing drugs: (such as Zhu Sha tranquilizer pill) should be taken on an empty stomach 30 minutes before sleep. 8, warm yang qi drugs: (such as tonifying qi soup) should be taken early in the morning before noon; is “so that people can easily reach the yang qi.” 9, nourishing yin and blood class of drugs: (such as six flavors of dihuang pill) should be taken at night. In addition, it should be reminded that, Chinese medicine and Western medicine should be taken 1 ~ 2 hours apart for the best. Western medicine is easy to chemical changes with the tannin in Chinese medicine, losing its effectiveness, and even produce some harmful substances. Although the strength of Chinese medicine is more moderate, less toxic side effects, but still should be sick to the hospital as soon as possible to seek professional medical treatment, follow the doctor’s advice to take medication carefully.