Antacids

What Antacids are used for

• Heartburn
• Gastro-esophageal Reflux
• Some people also take antacids as a form of calcium supplement.

What is in the Antacid?

Antacids generally contain calcium carbonate, magnesium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate and/or aluminum in various forms (such as, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum phosphate, aluminum carbonate).

Most are in pill or chewable tablet form or in liquid form.

How they work

Antacids neutralize the acid in the stomach which decreases acidic effect; thus, reducing inflammation in the esophagus.

Side effects

• Can cause diarrhea, (generally those contain magnesium);
• Can cause constipation (such as those that contain aluminum compounds).
• Over long-term use they may cause magnesium build in the kidneys

Contraindications

As always, check with your doctor or the drug pamphlet on contraindication and drug interactions.

• They can inhibit the absorption of many vitamins/supplements, like iron supplements.
• Excessive use of antacids and calcium can cause a metabolic disease from excess of calcium in the blood.
• Antacids can change the acidity of the stomach, at times making it more difficult to break down certain foods.
• High protein meals can decrease the effectiveness of certain antacids (which contain aluminum)

Common brand names

• A few familiar brand names are: Tums, Maalox, Mylanta, and Gaviscon
• There are also many natural brands on the market, sold in health food stores. Some of these are made with licorice root rather than the compounds mentioned above.

Availability

Most antacids are available over-the-counter without a prescription.

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