Antacids are used to neutralize the extra acid produced in our stomach. They can provide both fast and short-term relief. Many OTC drugs combine different antacids. H2 blockers reduce the amount of acid our stomach makes. While they don't relieve symptoms right away, H2 blockers relieve symptoms for a longer period of time than antacids. Some products combine antacids and an H2 blocker. These combination medicines can relieve symptoms right away and the relief can last for many hours.
Bismuth subsalicylate works by balancing the way fluid moves through our bowels. It also binds toxins (poisons) from bacteria so that they are not harmful and helps kill germs. It's also used as a medicine to treat nausea and vomiting and as an Antidiarrheal (medicine to treat diarrhea). Proton pump inhibitors stop our body's production of acid. This type of drug requires 1 to 4 days to work. Only people who have heartburn often—at least 2 days a week—should use this drug. To find out which product is right for you, talk to your doctor.
OTC antacids and acid reducers can help relieve pain or an uncomfortable feeling in the upper middle part of your stomach). Heartburn is also called acid reflux disease or gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD). OTC antacids and acid reducers may also be used as part of a plan to treat ulcers. For treating ulcers, these medicines may be used together and/or combined with antibiotics (drugs that kill bacteria) prescribed by your doctor. If one is not getting enough calcium from his/her diet, his/her doctor might suggest that he/she take additional calcium to help treat or prevent calcium-deficiency related problems. Antacids that contain calcium carbonate can be used with vitamin- D to supplement the calcium in our diet.
Heartburn medicines do have some common side effects. Antacids and acid reducers usually cause only minor side effects that go away on their own. These may include headaches, nausea, constipation or diarrhea. Bismuth subsalicylate can cause our tongue or stool to turn dark. This is a short-term side effect. If side effects make it hard for us to take medicine for heartburn, we should talk to our family doctor who may suggest a different drug or have ideas about how to make the side effects less of a problem.
One must not take these drugs if he/she has an allergy to any of the ingredients. Phenylalanine is an example of an ingredient in some antacids that can cause a problem for certain people. If we have a condition called phenylketonuria, we shouldn't take a medicine that contains phenylalanine. Similarly we should not take bismuth subsalicylate if we ever had an allergy to aspirin or any other product that contains salicylates. Also we should not give bismuth subsalicylate to children who may have the flu or chickenpox because they will have a higher risk of Reye's syndrome.
Other ingredient-related warnings concern our diet while we are taking an antacid or acid reducer. For example, unless our doctor tells us it's OK, we should not use products that contain sodium bicarbonate or aluminum hydroxide and magnesium carbonate if we're on a low-salt diet. We shouldn't take magnesium hydroxide if we're following a magnesium-restricted diet. If someone has kidney disease, he/she shouldn't use products containing calcium carbonate or aluminum hydroxide and magnesium carbonate without doctor's recommendation.
If certain drugs are taken at the same time, they can react with each other and change the way our body processes them. This is called a drug interaction. When this happens, the risk of side effects increases. We should not use more than one antacid or acid reducer at a time and should avoid mixing acid reducers and antacids without first talking to our doctor. If we take any prescription drugs and we're thinking about taking an antacid, H2 blocker or proton pump inhibitor, we must talk to our doctors first. These drugs can cause problems with other medicines we take.
Some drugs may be of special concern for people who are taking H2 blockers or proton pump inhibitors and bismuth subsalicylate may affect some drugs so that they don't work as well. It also may cause side effects if combined with other drugs. If we take any of these drugs: Blood-thinning drugs, Drugs to treat gout, Drugs to treat arthritis, and Drugs for diabetes, we must talk to our doctor before taking bismuth subsalicylate. We should also, check with our doctor or pharmacist before taking bismuth subsalicylate if we take analgesics, cold products or some prescription drugs. These medicines may contain aspirin, which is a salicylate, or they may contain some other type of salicylate. Because bismuth subsalicylate contains salicylate, we may take more salicylate than we intend if we take more than one of these products. We should be sure to check that we're not taking two medicines that contain the same ingredient.
Bismuth subsalicylate works by balancing the way fluid moves through our bowels. It also binds toxins (poisons) from bacteria so that they are not harmful and helps kill germs. It's also used as a medicine to treat nausea and vomiting and as an Antidiarrheal (medicine to treat diarrhea). Proton pump inhibitors stop our body's production of acid. This type of drug requires 1 to 4 days to work. Only people who have heartburn often—at least 2 days a week—should use this drug. To find out which product is right for you, talk to your doctor.
OTC antacids and acid reducers can help relieve pain or an uncomfortable feeling in the upper middle part of your stomach). Heartburn is also called acid reflux disease or gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD). OTC antacids and acid reducers may also be used as part of a plan to treat ulcers. For treating ulcers, these medicines may be used together and/or combined with antibiotics (drugs that kill bacteria) prescribed by your doctor. If one is not getting enough calcium from his/her diet, his/her doctor might suggest that he/she take additional calcium to help treat or prevent calcium-deficiency related problems. Antacids that contain calcium carbonate can be used with vitamin- D to supplement the calcium in our diet.
Heartburn medicines do have some common side effects. Antacids and acid reducers usually cause only minor side effects that go away on their own. These may include headaches, nausea, constipation or diarrhea. Bismuth subsalicylate can cause our tongue or stool to turn dark. This is a short-term side effect. If side effects make it hard for us to take medicine for heartburn, we should talk to our family doctor who may suggest a different drug or have ideas about how to make the side effects less of a problem.
One must not take these drugs if he/she has an allergy to any of the ingredients. Phenylalanine is an example of an ingredient in some antacids that can cause a problem for certain people. If we have a condition called phenylketonuria, we shouldn't take a medicine that contains phenylalanine. Similarly we should not take bismuth subsalicylate if we ever had an allergy to aspirin or any other product that contains salicylates. Also we should not give bismuth subsalicylate to children who may have the flu or chickenpox because they will have a higher risk of Reye's syndrome.
Other ingredient-related warnings concern our diet while we are taking an antacid or acid reducer. For example, unless our doctor tells us it's OK, we should not use products that contain sodium bicarbonate or aluminum hydroxide and magnesium carbonate if we're on a low-salt diet. We shouldn't take magnesium hydroxide if we're following a magnesium-restricted diet. If someone has kidney disease, he/she shouldn't use products containing calcium carbonate or aluminum hydroxide and magnesium carbonate without doctor's recommendation.
If certain drugs are taken at the same time, they can react with each other and change the way our body processes them. This is called a drug interaction. When this happens, the risk of side effects increases. We should not use more than one antacid or acid reducer at a time and should avoid mixing acid reducers and antacids without first talking to our doctor. If we take any prescription drugs and we're thinking about taking an antacid, H2 blocker or proton pump inhibitor, we must talk to our doctors first. These drugs can cause problems with other medicines we take.
Some drugs may be of special concern for people who are taking H2 blockers or proton pump inhibitors and bismuth subsalicylate may affect some drugs so that they don't work as well. It also may cause side effects if combined with other drugs. If we take any of these drugs: Blood-thinning drugs, Drugs to treat gout, Drugs to treat arthritis, and Drugs for diabetes, we must talk to our doctor before taking bismuth subsalicylate. We should also, check with our doctor or pharmacist before taking bismuth subsalicylate if we take analgesics, cold products or some prescription drugs. These medicines may contain aspirin, which is a salicylate, or they may contain some other type of salicylate. Because bismuth subsalicylate contains salicylate, we may take more salicylate than we intend if we take more than one of these products. We should be sure to check that we're not taking two medicines that contain the same ingredient.
Source...