Chapter 503 366: Addictive Licorice Tablets

"Stick out your tongue so I can take a look."

"Sir, can I ask you a few questions?"

After examining the tongue, Qin Feng seemed to understand why Wang Yang had brought this seemingly healthy elderly man over; it was indeed a bit strange.

The man's pulse was weak and superficial, but not like simple high blood pressure, carrying a slight tight tremor—this odd feeling was the first time he encountered it, and the sides of the tongue exhibited a pale yellow.

"Go ahead and ask."

The elderly man nodded upon hearing this.

"Have you been taking your medication to lower blood pressure consistently during this time?"

"Yes, yes, hiss~"

The elderly man sniffed, nodding.

"Have you caught a cold recently? Besides blood pressure medications, have you been taking any other drugs?"

Seeing this, Qin Feng casually took out two tissues and handed them over.

"No worries, it's an old condition, it's always like this."

The elderly man took the tissue and wiped his nose with a hint of embarrassment. After wiping, he continued,

"I was given some cold medicine by the doctor recently, so I've been taking that."

"Nothing else?"

Qin Feng pursued inquiringly.

"No, I think, cough, cough, cough!"

The elderly man thought for a moment, shook his head, and coughed twice.

"Sir, do you smoke a lot?"

Hearing the harsh cough, Qin Feng became instantly alert.

The lung sounds are intensively harsh!

"Yes, a pack a day, haha~"

The elderly man laughed upon hearing this, then took out a golden Tianxiaxiu from his pocket and offered two cigarettes out to Qin Feng,

"Don't mind."

"Thank you, but I don't smoke."

Qin Feng hurriedly waved his hand, indicating he doesn't smoke,

"How long have you been smoking?"

"About 40 years."

Seeing neither Qin Feng nor Wang Yang accept the cigarettes, the elderly man put them down without lighting them,

"Oh, we're all country folk, we smoke and drink when there's nothing else to do, that's how it is, haha~"

"I can see that your bronchus and lungs aren't in good shape; do you take any medicine regularly?"

Qin Feng nodded and promptly noted it down.

"Oh, this."

He heard the question and took out a small white bottle from his pocket.

Immediately, the people in the room exchanged peculiar glances, especially Qin Feng, whose face showed a complex expression.

Licorice tablets!

"Sir, how long have you been taking licorice tablets?"

"The doctor told me to take two tablets whenever my cough gets severe; it's been two or three years now."

"Oh dear~"

Across from him, Han Xiaoxiao couldn't help widening her mouth and softly exclaimed.

Qin Feng couldn't help but laugh wryly upon hearing those words.

We've found the problem!

Looking at the cold sweat oozing from the elderly man's forehead, runny nose, and the occasional yawn, these symptoms couldn't help but remind him of one situation.

Addiction!

And addiction happens to be a side effect of compound licorice tablets!

Most people are quite familiar with compound licorice tablets; they've been used as one of the earliest cough remedies domestically.

And they came at a low price with minimal side effects, previously regarded as the most effective cough medicine widely used.

However, at some point, compound licorice tablets were no longer purely traditional Chinese medicine but became a chemical drug.

Before 2005, licorice tablets were non-prescription drugs anyone could purchase in bulk.

But since then, they've been classified as prescription drugs, restricting their buying channels and quantities.

Why did this happen?

Because the current compound licorice tablet has a special ingredient added, each tablet contains 4mg of opium powder.

The main active component of opium powder is morphine-class alkaloids, providing cough suppression by hindering the central nervous system.

But at the same time, it rapidly enters the brain's central nervous system, stimulating dopamine release and triggering excitement.

If taken unchecked over the years, mild addiction symptoms can occur.

Upon stopping consumption, symptoms like cold sweats, runny nose, and yawning will appear, possibly leading to severe emotional anxiety and restlessness.

Previously, many addicts bought the tablets in bulk and purified them as alternatives.

Thus, they became prescription drugs and banned for mass purchase.

The elderly man's been using licorice tablets for two or three years, consistently.

The likelihood of addiction is very high!

Suddenly,

A spark of insight appeared in Qin Feng's mind.

The elderly man also has high blood pressure!

Licorice is the main component of compound licorice tablets, and its leading content is glycyrrhizic acid, an inhibitor of 11-β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase.

This inhibitory effect plays a crucial role in the metabolism of cortisol into inactive cortisone, causing elevated blood pressure.

In other words,

The elderly man's hypertension is likely due to his long-term, excessive use of licorice pills.

Everything makes sense now!

"Director Qin, do you think it's the licorice pills?"

Wang Yang, who was standing nearby, asked.

Although he also became suspicious the moment the elderly man took out the licorice pills, it's a well-known medical fact that compound licorice tablets can be addictive.

But the elderly man's condition is obviously more complicated, so he didn't dare to jump to conclusions.

"Yes, I'm sure of it."

Qin Feng nodded in response.

"Then how do you explain the low potassium?"

Wang Yang pressed on.

"Besides glycyrrhizic acid, compound licorice tablets contain licorice syrup and hydrochlorothiazide, leading to excessive urination which causes low potassium."

Qin Feng immediately explained, then looked at the elderly man,

"Sir, do you urinate often?"

"Yes, sometimes I have to get up five or six times at night."

The elderly man quickly replied.

Qin Feng gave a look that said 'see for yourself.'

Wang Yang's face finally showed a look of realization, so that's what it was.

"Doctor, is there something wrong with me?"

The elderly man felt a bit guilty hearing their engrossed conversation and asked in a low voice.

"Don't worry, sir."

Qin Feng smiled upon hearing this,

"It's like this, you've had this cough for a long time. To get better, you need to smoke less. Later, we'll get a scan to take a closer look and prescribe some expectorant and cough suppressant medications.

Moreover, you must stop taking these compound licorice tablets. You have to quit.

Even if you feel a bit uncomfortable, you mustn't take it. You're already addicted. Understand?

It's just like drug addiction!"

"Drug addiction?"

Upon hearing this, the elderly man's face changed dramatically. He waved his hand repeatedly,

"Doctor, we're just ordinary farmers. We wouldn't dare do such a thing!

I haven't used drugs!"

"Haha~ Rest assured, I'm not saying you're using drugs. I mean this medicine."

Qin Feng immediately reassured him and picked up the small medicine bottle on the table,

"This thing, like your smoking, can be addictive and it's bad for you. You can't take it anymore.

If you feel uncomfortable, you'll have to endure it. It will get better by itself after a while.

Don't worry."

"Are you telling the truth?"

The elderly man seemed skeptical.

"It's true. If your condition was serious, you wouldn't just be sitting here, you'd have to go to a rehab center."

Qin Feng glanced at him and deliberately scared him a bit.

"Oh no! I can't go there, what face would I have left to live!"

"You can't eat it anymore, do you understand?"

"I understand!"

The elderly man nodded repeatedly, looking at the medicine bottle in Qin Feng's hand and involuntarily shrinking back.

"Haha~ It's okay, don't worry."

Qin Feng, seeing this, couldn't help but chuckle. He picked up the pen and paper on the side and began writing quickly, then tore it off and handed it to the elderly man,

"These should be easy to find. Dig some up, dry them, and keep them. If the cough gets severe, boil them with water according to this amount, and it will get better quickly.

Director Wang, take him to get some cough suppressant and expectorant medication later."

"Thank you, doctor~"

After saying that, the elderly man was led out of the room by Wang Yang.

"Director Qin, what did you just write?"

Han Xiaoxiao, sitting across, leaned forward, asking curiously,

"I think it had dandelion in it, is it a prescription?"

"Yes."

Qin Feng nodded,

"It's a simple little cough remedy, just a few basic herbs mixed together with good anti-cough effects.

In these mountains, Western medicine is hard to come by, but herbal medicine is everywhere.

This is what I truly aim to do, solve long-term illness problems with minimal cost.

In the depths of the mountain, nothing is more accessible than the herbal medicines surrounding them.

Just after solving the elderly man's problem, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded in the corridor.

"Director Qin! Director Qin!"

The voice came before the person appeared.

Upon hearing the call, Qin Feng's pupils contracted sharply, and he immediately stood up.

There's work to be done!