When to take tablets before or after meals. How to take medications correctly. Simple tips. The most unpredictable drugs

Treatment of diseases with medications has long become commonplace. When we habitually pop a pill into our mouth for a headache, heaviness in the stomach or cough, we don’t always think about how to take the pill correctly depending on the meal, what to take with it, and what to combine it with in order to get the desired effect quickly and without side effects.

What should you pay attention to?

Each medicine comes with a leaflet that clearly states how to take the medicine. If the tablets are prescribed by a doctor, then a specialist will give similar recommendations.

However, hand on heart, we can say that in the case of self-medication, the instructions are not always read and followed.

What should you pay attention to?

Number of medication doses per day - frequency;
Dependence of treatment on food intake;
Compatibility with other drugs;
The need to take pills, what and in what quantities;
Method of taking the medicine

Number of doses and what time is best to take the pills

This rule applies to drugs that are taken not once to get rid of a symptom, but in a course, for example, antibiotics, antifungals, vitamins, immunomodulators, and so on.

The main goal of treatment is to maintain the concentration of the drug in the body necessary to achieve the effect. Therefore, you need to take tablets at regular intervals, including at night, if required. The instructions will tell you which ones to use:

Two doses - every twelve hours;
Three doses - every eight hours, regardless of the time of day;
Quadruple - a break of six hours between doses, and so on

Regardless of how many times a day you need to take pills, you should do it at the same time.

The time for taking medications can be selected as conveniently as possible, starting from the first tablet.

A common mistake is to refuse medication after relief of the condition.

You should know that if the course is designed for 7 days, then you need to take the pills for a week, even if the disease does not bother you at all.

The pathogenic flora against which the action is directed will not be completely destroyed in 3-4 days, however, it will not only survive, but will also develop its own immunity against a specific drug.

And next time it will not be effective, there will be a need to use stronger drugs.

How to take pills - before or after meals?

Modern pharmacology offers tablets that act:

Regardless of meals
On an empty stomach, before meals
On a full stomach, after or during meals

These points seem unimportant at first glance, but the effectiveness of treatment depends on them:

pills that can be taken without connection with food do not raise any questions, they are taken at the appointed time;
The tablets are taken on an empty stomach before meals. In some cases, it is enough not to eat any food (including candy, fruits, vegetables, sweets) for half an hour to two hours, in others it is important that the patient does not eat anything at all the day before taking the medicine. We are talking about tablets that are destroyed in an acidic environment under the influence of gastric juice. Therefore, it is important that the stomach is empty.
take enzymes and drugs that improve digestion during meals;
After eating, on the contrary, it is recommended to take medications that affect the gastric mucosa; sorbents.

Compatibility with other drugs

This point is always indicated in the instructions, but attention is not always paid to it. The recommendations did not arise out of nowhere; some of the medications can enhance or reduce (neutralize) the effects of each other, enter into chemical interactions, and, among other things, form toxic substances.

Acetylsalicylic acid combined with wafarin can cause heavy bleeding, since both have a blood thinning effect;
Taking diuretics and antihypertensive drugs can provoke a sharp decrease in blood pressure;
Taking phenobarbital as a sedative negates the effect of medications that affect blood clotting;
Caffeine neutralizes the effect of certain substances and reduces the harm caused by paracetamol;
Antibiotics should be combined with other medications with caution (for example, with long-term use of antihypertensive drugs)

What should I take with my medications?

What is the best way to take pills? Some people believe that water or other liquid is needed only to facilitate the penetration of medicine into the stomach, and therefore you can use what you have on hand.

Food products and drinks can interact chemically with drugs, changing the effect on the body:

Acid in dairy products and fruits destroys tetracycline;
Acetylsalicylic acid cannot be combined with orange and grapefruit juice;
Do not take heart medications (verapamil, nifedepine) with grapefruit juice;
Nootropics and psychotropic substances require avoiding heavy cream, beer, wine, cheese;
Taking antidepressants cannot be combined with raisins, yoghurts, cheese, and eggplants;
Alcohol in combination with antibiotics can cause skin flushing, nausea, tachycardia, and reduce or enhance the effect of the drug;

It is not recommended to drink coffee and cola with stomach medications and antibiotics; the result will be upset stool, pain, and diarrhea;
Analgin and ibuprofen enhance the effect of alcoholic drinks and slow down their elimination from the body;
Alcohol and antidepressants, sleeping pills, antihistamines are not compatible! Concomitant use can be fatal;
It is not recommended to drink tea with oral contraceptives (increases the likelihood of unwanted pregnancy), heart and stomach medications, antidepressants and sedatives;
It is strongly recommended to take certain medications with milk.

What tablets are taken with milk?

Calcium gluconate
Vitamins
Heart medications
Indomethacin
Iodine preparations
Fat-soluble vitamins (A, E, K, D)

In other cases, it is better not to experiment. Water-soluble vitamins - B 6, C, K and others are washed down with water.

It is generally not recommended to get carried away with sweet carbonated water; when taking medications, it should not be taken with antibiotics, diuretics, or medications to improve digestion;
Do not take antibiotics with milk and kefir, since the absorption rate and effectiveness of the effect are reduced;
Erythromycin, aspirin, biseptol, analgin, tetracycline are washed down with alkaline mineral water;

You can speed up the action of the pill or enhance its effect, minimize the risk of adverse reactions, or, on the contrary, get poisoned by taking the usual dose of the drug... The regimen and method of use radically affects the work of many medications: from ordinary vitamins to potent drugs.

After the tablet enters the body, it must dissolve in the digestive tract and penetrate through the walls of blood vessels into the blood. Then the active substance is distributed throughout the body and exerts its effect, after which it enters the liver, where it is destroyed and excreted with unnecessary metabolic products through the kidneys or intestines. This is the most common route taken by oral medications in the body.

What we eat and drink during treatment can slow down or speed up the absorption of the drug, interfere with its inactivation in the liver, or even remove the drug from the body in transit, without any effect. Therefore, it is important to know how to take pills correctly.

What should I take with my medications?

The universal liquid for washing down tablets is clean, non-carbonated, warm or room temperature water. Cold water slows absorption in the stomach and can, during illness, provoke nausea and vomiting. The amount of water should be at least half a glass (100 ml).

Only some medications can be taken with milk and are even beneficial. These are drugs from the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that we most often use for pain and fever: aspirin, ibuprofen, ketanov, analgin, indomethacin, voltaren and others, as well as steroid hormones: prednisolone, dexamethasone. Milk has a protective effect on the gastric mucosa and reduces the likelihood of the damaging effects of these drugs on it. The exception is drugs from these groups in the form of tablets or capsules coated with an enteric coating (such information can be found on the packaging) - their contents are released only in the intestines.

It is usually not recommended to use mineral waters to wash down tablets, as they contain ions of calcium, iron and other elements that can react chemically with the components of the medicine and interfere with their absorption.

The most complex interactions are observed when tablets are taken together with vegetable and fruit juices: they can both weaken and enhance the effect of the drugs. On the “black list”: apple, cherry, pear, grape, lemon, orange, pineapple, beetroot, tomato, viburnum and many other juices. The most dangerous is grapefruit. About 70% of existing medications are incompatible with it, including blood pressure medications, heart medications and oral contraceptives. Drugs to lower blood cholesterol (atorvastatin, simvastatin, etc.) together with grapefruit juice cause massive destruction of muscle tissue and kidney failure. Moreover, for the development of an unfavorable effect, 1 glass of juice is enough, it all depends on the individual characteristics of the body. Therefore, it is recommended to stop drinking grapefruit juice three days before starting treatment with any medications (including injections).

It is not harmless to take some medications with tea and coffee. Tannins, catechins and caffeine contained in these drinks can play a cruel joke, for example, reducing the effectiveness of oral contraceptives. On the other hand, oral contraceptives increase the side effects of caffeine, which can lead to insomnia. Tea and coffee reduce the absorption of many other medications: antispasmodics, cough suppressants, glaucoma, etc. But paracetamol washed down with tea will relieve headaches faster, since caffeine increases the penetration of the drug into the brain.

The most explosive mixture can result from the combined use of drugs and alcohol of any strength. Ethyl alcohol and its metabolic products enhance the effects (including side effects) of psychotropic, antiallergic drugs, drugs for pain and fever, reduce the effect of antibiotics, diabetes drugs, drugs that affect blood clotting and anti-tuberculosis tablets. And the most dangerous thing is that in some cases, alcohol together with completely harmless drugs causes poisoning, even death as a result of liver failure. This most often happens when taking antibacterial, antifungal medications and paracetamol with alcohol.

When to take the tablets: on an empty stomach or after meals?

Given the fact that the active components of drugs can enter into unwanted connections with food, and the consequences of these connections are poorly understood, most drugs are recommended to be taken on an empty stomach.

If the instructions say “on an empty stomach,” this means that the medicine should be taken an hour before meals or 2-3 hours after. This regimen of administration, firstly, minimizes contact of the tablet with food. Secondly, it is believed that in the intervals between meals, the secretion of hydrochloric acid from gastric juice is minimal, which also affects the work of many medications. Thirdly, the medicine taken on an empty stomach works faster.

An exception are those medications that have an irritating effect on the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract, for example, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, aspirin, etc.). For the same reason, it is recommended to take iron supplements after meals to treat anemia, although they are better absorbed on an empty stomach.

The connection with food intake is especially important for drugs for the treatment of the gastrointestinal tract, because each of them affects individual stages of digestion, and therefore must enter the body at a certain time. So, medications that reduce acidity and relieve heartburn are taken 40 minutes before meals or an hour after. Enzymes (mezim, pancreatin, festal) are drunk during meals, as they must be mixed with food. Pre- and probiotic preparations are usually taken during or after meals.

Antacids (Almagel, Maalox, de-Nol and others), as well as sorbents (Smecta, activated carbon, polyphepan) interfere with the absorption of most drugs, so the interval between their use and the use of other drugs should be at least 1-2 hours.

Time of day and interval for taking medications

The daily amount of medication is usually divided into several doses to ensure a more or less constant concentration of the active substance in the body, as well as to reduce the single dose and the likelihood of side effects. Therefore, the instructions for the drugs and the note from the doctor usually say: 2-3 times a day. However, for some medications, the dose should be divided not throughout the daylight hours, but throughout the day. That is, a three-time dose means taking the medicine every 8 hours, a 4-time dose means taking the medicine every 6 hours, and so on.

Such a strict regime must be maintained, for example, when treating with antibiotics, which is often overlooked. If you take antibiotics irregularly, for example, taking a long break to sleep at night, the concentration of the active substance in the blood will fluctuate greatly. This is unlikely to cause overdose symptoms during the day, but at night it is highly likely to lead to the development of treatment resistance. That is, while you sleep, microbes adapt their metabolism to the antibiotic residues in the blood. Further treatment with this drug will be ineffective.

For convenience, many medications come in the form of long-acting tablets or capsules that can be taken only once a day. In the morning, they take diuretics, hormonal drugs, medications containing caffeine and adaptogens (ginseng, Eleutherococcus, Rhodiola rosea, etc.).

Forgotten pill rule

If you forgot to take a pill, estimate how much time has passed since “X”. Depending on the period of delay, three options are possible. First: if it is very close to the next dose, skip the forgotten pill completely, but keep in mind that the effect of the treatment may be reduced. The second option is that you take the medicine as soon as you remember it, but take the next dose according to the old schedule. This can be done if you take the medicine 1-2 times a day and at least half the time period remains before the next dose. You cannot double the dose of medication at one time. The third option to fix everything: you take a single dose of the medicine and start a new countdown, that is, shift the dosage schedule by the number of hours missed. This is the most rational method for short-term treatment, for example, if you have been prescribed antibiotics for 5-7 days.

Can I split tablets and open capsules?

If the tablet does not have a groove (scores, notches) to separate it into parts, most likely it is not intended for consumption in pieces. As a rule, these are all drugs that are coated with a protective coating. If they are broken, dissolved, chewed or crushed, they reduce their effectiveness. However, this can be neglected when emergency assistance is required.

When taken orally, the tablet begins to act after an average of 40 minutes. If you need a quick effect, you can put the medicine under your tongue or chew it thoroughly and keep it in your mouth with warm water. Then the absorption of the medicine will begin directly in the oral cavity and the effect will occur within 5-10 minutes.

Gelatin capsules consisting of two halves are also not recommended to be opened. The shell protects the contents from contact with air, accidental entry into the respiratory tract (which can cause irritation) or is destroyed only in the intestines, ensuring the drug is delivered precisely to the target without loss.

However, exceptions are sometimes made to this rule. Tablets and capsules are divided into parts if a person cannot swallow a large capsule or titration of the medicine is required (individual dose selection). These cases should be discussed with your doctor.

Is it possible to avoid side effects of medications?

Compliance with the doses, regimen and rules for taking medications allows you to minimize the risk of side effects, but you cannot completely protect yourself from troubles during treatment. You need to be alert. Most complications become noticeable in the first days of therapy. These are various types of allergic reactions, nausea, abdominal pain, stool disturbances, headaches, swelling and other manifestations that usually disappear when the drug is replaced with a similar one or after treatment is stopped.

The delayed and most severe complication of treatment is liver failure; renal function is less commonly affected. These organs are involved in the neutralization and removal from the body of almost all medications, including those that many of us take lightly: oral contraceptives, drugs for blood pressure and arrhythmia, lowering blood cholesterol, drugs for joint pain. By the way, it is these drugs that most often cause drug-induced hepatitis when taken for a long time.

The insidiousness of drug-induced liver and kidney damage is that the initial stages of the disease, when everything can still be easily corrected, are asymptomatic. Therefore, everyone who takes medications for a long time needs to do a biochemical blood test and a general urine test every six months. These basic tests allow you to monitor liver and kidney function. In case of significant deviations from the norm, it is necessary to interrupt treatment and consult a doctor.

All medications have instructions for use. And for good reason, because the active substances in them are absorbed differently. Therefore, when using this or that product, be sure to read the instructions and methods of use, where it is usually written: how many times a day you need to drink it, before or after meals, and the duration of the course. Below we will tell you why you need to follow all these rules and give some examples.

Basic rules for taking medications

Recently, it has become fashionable to treat yourself. If you are one of those people who self-medicate, then it won’t hurt you to know a few basic rules that you should follow.

The most important thing is to follow the instructions for the drug.
Follow the regimen, take capsules and mixtures at regular intervals. This is necessary to maintain the concentration of the active substance in the blood.
Be sure to complete the treatment you start. Many patients stop taking medications when they feel better, but this should not be done. Especially with antibiotic therapy. The bacteria that caused your illness will not die completely, but will mutate and become insensitive.
To reduce the effect of the tablets on the stomach, drink them with water. Dairy products are not suitable for these purposes. The fat contained in them envelops the medicine and prevents it from being absorbed.
Eliminate alcohol from your diet during therapy.
Be sure to check the expiration date.

These rules are the law for all drugs. Other subtleties are indicated for each tablet separately.

How does food affect medication intake?

There are several options:

If the manufacturer has indicated - before meals, which means that the active substance is absorbed in this way. Before meals means 30 or 40 minutes before a full lunch, sometimes 15, but no less. Since no drug will dissolve faster.
While eating. Typically, such recommendations are given for drugs whose action is based on communication with gastric juice - digestive enzymes. They help the gastrointestinal tract perform its functions better. But not only that. Some antibiotics, diuretics, and dietary supplements are also taken at the same time as meals.
After meal, that is, in 2 hours. This is a prerequisite for, for example, aspirin, askofene, sulfonamides. In this case, the aggressive effect of substances on the gastric mucosa is reduced, due to the bile already produced by the liver.
On an empty stomach- in the morning, 20 minutes before breakfast. Most often cardiac drugs. They are better absorbed on an empty stomach. At any other time, active gastric juice will have a detrimental effect on the tablets and simply dissolve them to the ground.

Take this seriously if you really want to get results. Below we will look in more detail at the rules for taking the most popular types of medications.

Smecta: before meals or after?

Smecta is an adsorbent drug that stabilizes the condition of the stomach and intestines when various viruses, fungi, and toxic substances are ingested. It also provides envelopment of the affected organ mucosa, which protects during recovery.

The most important advantage of Smecta is that it can treat even young patients. For any pathological conditions, babies up to one year old can be given 1 sachet per day. For adults, 3 sachets are recommended at equal intervals.

What do the instructions tell us about how to drink the suspension correctly?

The duration depends on the effectiveness and speed of disappearance of symptoms, usually 3-7 days.
In case of acute diarrhea, to prevent dehydration, buy Regidron or Trisol, Hydrovit together with Smecta. Read the instructions on how to drink them.
To reduce the symptoms of esophagitis, drink Smecta immediately after eating.
For other disorders - before meals. For babies, the suspension is mixed into a bottle.

The drug is safe and non-toxic, as it is not absorbed into the blood, but it is necessary to follow the dosage regimen, otherwise it can cause persistent constipation.

Antibiotics: before or after meals

Antibiotic treatment has become firmly established in the practice of our doctors. For every sneeze and cough we are prescribed them. Most people began to buy antibiotics themselves at the pharmacy and treat themselves. If so, you need to clearly understand how to do this:

The duration of the course depends on the active substance, the patient’s weight, and his condition. Usually it is 5 or 7 days. But there are also those who drink for only 3 days.
This is exactly the case when it is important to observe the same periods of time between each tablet. Usually after 8 hours during the day.
Do not reduce your dose. If the instructions say 3 times, you cannot drink 2 or less. Pathogenic bacteria will not die, as we wrote above, but will adapt. They will take on you with renewed vigor.
As for food intake, many antibiotics say that you can take them regardless. But still, experts recommend after eating, which means about 2 hours later.

All over the world, they are gradually beginning to abandon this type of antimicrobial therapy, since bacteria have become quite resistant to antibiotics, and in a truly emergency situation they may not work. Think carefully, maybe that same situation has not yet arrived.

Activated carbon: before or after meals

Irreplaceable activated carbon, what to do with it?

The main rule is not to combine it with other medications, it neutralizes their effect.
If you are saving yourself from severe poisoning, do not wait, drink immediately, no matter what.
3-4 tablets per dose and 3 times a day. If the weight is more than 50 kilograms, then more is possible. Usually 1 tablet is given per 10 kg. So consider it.
It is recommended to take before meals. It will prepare your stomach for eating.
In severe cases of poisoning, doctors give the patient 10 tablets at a time.
If taken for a long time, it can cause constipation as it absorbs fluids from the body. Keep this in mind.

What medications cannot be combined with each other?

You definitely need to know which medications can be taken together and which ones cannot. Some of them constitute strong poisonous mixtures. And if this is not noticeable right away, then after some time the effect will definitely appear.

Antidepressants, diuretics and cardiac glycosides - incompatible. Such a cocktail can cause stimulation of the central nervous system, resulting in tachycardia and extrasystole.
Antibiotics, hormonal, cardiac glycosides - incompatible. In this case, you will not get the desired effect from antibiotics; it will be reduced. In addition, hormonal activity and cardiotonic effect will also be minimal. Simply put, the course will be wasted.
Aspirin and ibuprofen may cause bleeding. In general, you need to be careful with aspirin, as it thins the blood.
Diarrhea tablets and calcium may cause constipation.

In case of any drug poisoning, start saving yourself: call an ambulance, drink warm water and induce vomiting. And of course activated carbon.

Medicines undoubtedly help us, but the best thing is not to get sick: toughen up, exercise, eat right. Then you won't have to guess when to drink mixtures and capsules, before or after meals.

Video about taking medications

In this video, Dr. Elena Matveeva will tell you how to take medications correctly, before or after meals, so that they have the best effect:

Why do medications prescribed by a doctor sometimes not give the expected effect? Why are medications that are very effective for one patient practically useless for another? Do not rush to blame the doctor for choosing the wrong remedy for you, which does not fully take into account your individual characteristics and previous diseases. Maybe it's all about you - that you're just taking your medications incorrectly?

Well, firstly, you need to follow the medication regimen and the correct dosage. If you want to take them three times a day – this is actually three times a day, that is, one tablet every 8 hours. Not “morning, noon and evening” - this could be at “11 am”, “12 noon” and “5 pm” - but every 8 hours. For the most effective effect of a drug on the body, it is necessary to maintain a certain concentration in the blood.

This is especially important to consider when taking antibiotics. Otherwise, the medicine is unlikely to be able to cope with the microbes; rather, it will teach them to resist the drug.

Sometimes patients stop taking recommended medications - they say, “everything has gone for me,” “I feel sorry for the money, the pills are too expensive,” or if side effects suddenly begin to appear before the end of the course. Consult your doctor; sometimes you need to “endure” some inconveniences.

It is very important when you take your medications - “before meals”, “during meals” and “after meals”. Doctors emphasize: only timely use of medications ensures not only the maximum effect, but also, often, safety for your health.

Before meals: if gastric juice does not affect the medications, they are digested better and absorbed faster. They are recommended to be taken 30 minutes before meals. Such drugs include choleretic, antiulcer, and normalizing heart function. Often, during this half hour, do not even drink liquids, not even water, so as not to wash the remedy out of the stomach. Example: antacids /heartburn medications/.

Sometimes tablets “on an empty stomach” can severely irritate the mucous membranes. The same aspirin /acetylsalicylic acid/ should under no circumstances be taken before meals, only strictly after meals /!/, during meals it breaks down into acetic acid. Moreover, you need to take aspirin tablets with plenty of water, and a glass won’t be amiss. If the tablet does not have time to dissolve and for some reason lingers for a long time in the esophagus or sticks to the wall of the stomach, the formation of an ulcer is inevitable! Aspirin can even corrode the walls of blood vessels.

True, there is one exception: aspirin can be taken in the form of effervescent tablets before lunch: the active substance has already dissolved, and gas bubbles will only speed up the absorption of the medicine.

While eating : medications that are recommended to be taken after the first spoons are the majority. These are drugs that improve digestion, diuretics, laxatives (not all!/). It is strictly forbidden to take antibiotics with food - their effect is completely neutralized by gastric juice.

After meal: most often, two hours after eating, as soon as the contents of the stomach are empty. This is done to ensure that the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines are irritated as little as possible. Such medications include anti-inflammatory and painkillers, drugs that reduce acidity.

Regardless of meal medications are taken that improve blood circulation in the brain, bronchodilators and antihypertensive drugs - those that cause a decrease in blood pressure and are used mainly for pathological increases in systemic pressure.

Under no circumstances should you take “handfuls” of medicine. If you need to take several medications, and the doctor has not given any recommendations, you should wait between taking different medications. take a 30-40 minute break . It is unlikely that even scientists will tell you how thousands of types of tablets, mixtures, powders are combined with each other - whether they will be absorbed by the body, whether they are easily excreted by the intestines, and in general - whether such an “assortment” will lead to any serious complications.

What should I take with my medications? The question is fundamental. For example, very healthy freshly squeezed grapefruit juice in combination with some drugs can be life-threatening. Juices, like milk, generally have the ability to destroy the structure of medications. Even “simple” tea can form insoluble compounds in combination with some medications that are difficult to absorb by the body. And our beloved coffee has the ability to speed up the removal of drugs from the body - before they are absorbed.

So take your medications only with water. If the creators of the drug provide for taking a different liquid, this will be indicated in the instructions.

And anyway, Do not combine medications and alcohol ! Doctors say that these concepts simply do not go together, and the alcohol strength does not play any role. Alcohol combined with antibiotics will cause dizziness and nausea; with tranquilizers and antidepressants - will enhance their effect, with drugs that lower blood pressure - will cause drowsiness. Taking it with aspirin will cause a stomach ulcer, with paracetamol - toxic hepatitis, with insulin - a hypoglycemic coma.

Most tablets, especially coated ones, cannot be chewed - only swallowed . They are designed this way - a special shell protects the drug from the acidic environment of the stomach. This is why you should not cut film-coated tablets in half. In addition, the active ingredient in the tablet itself is often coated with a flavoring agent to “neutralize” the unpleasant taste of the drug.

Well, and finally - on storage of medicines . Tip number 1: after the expiration date, which is certainly indicated on the packaging of the drug, it should be thrown away without regret. Although in fairness it should be noted that unopened packages and tablets in blisters can be stored for many years without much concern. American researchers have found that more than 80% of drugs remain usable from 5 to 25 /!/ years after the expiration date, and the remaining part simply decreases the amount of active ingredients. If you want to check this data and risk your own health, you can experiment on yourself.

But it is better to get rid of packages that have already been opened, even if the indicated expiration date has not yet expired. The reason is not only that the tablets dry out or, on the contrary, absorb moisture from the air - depending on storage conditions. That is, they spoil. The same Americans found that within a year, salmonella, staphylococcus, E. coli and other microorganisms begin to multiply on the surface of drugs stored in an opened container.

In general, don't get sick!

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