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Jai Ganesh

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Antacid

Antacid

Gist

An antacid is a medicine that neutralizes excess stomach acid to relieve heartburn, indigestion, and sour stomach, often using ingredients like aluminum, calcium, magnesium, or sodium salts, available over-the-counter as liquids or tablets for fast relief, but shouldn't be used long-term or by those with kidney/heart issues without doctor consultation. They work quickly but don't cure the underlying cause, and should be taken apart from other medicines. 

Antacids help to treat heartburn (indigestion). They work by neutralizing the stomach acid that causes heartburn. You can buy many antacids without a prescription. Liquid forms work faster, but you may prefer tablets because they are easy to use.

Summary

Antacids are medicines that counteract (neutralise) the acid in your stomach to relieve indigestion and heartburn.

They come as a liquid or chewable tablets and can be bought from pharmacies and shops without a prescription.

When antacids are used

Antacids may help if you have:

* indigestion
* heartburn, acid reflux or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD)
* a stomach ulcer
* gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining)

They can quickly relieve your symptoms for a few hours. But they do not treat the underlying cause and long-term use is not recommended.

Speak to a GP if you find you need to take antacids regularly.

Common types of antacids

Many different types of antacid are available. Some are sold under a brand name and others are named after their main ingredient. Brands include Gaviscon (alginic acid) and Rennie (calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate).

Ingredients to look for include:

* aluminium hydroxide
* magnesium carbonate
* magnesium trisilicate
* magnesium hydroxide
* calcium carbonate
* sodium bicarbonate

Some antacids also contain other medicines, such as an alginate (which coats your gullet with a protective layer) and simeticone.

How and when to take antacids

Check the instructions on the packet or leaflet to see how much antacid to take and how often. This depends on the exact medicine you're taking.

Antacids should be used when you have symptoms or think you will get them soon – for most people, the best time to take them is with or soon after meals, and just before going to bed.

Remember that doses for children may be lower than for adults.

Details

An antacid is a substance which neutralizes stomach acidity and is used to relieve heartburn, indigestion, or an upset stomach. Some antacids have been used in the treatment of constipation and diarrhea. Marketed antacids contain salts of aluminium, calcium, magnesium, or sodium. Some preparations contain a combination of two salts, such as magnesium carbonate and aluminium hydroxide (e.g., hydrotalcite).

Medical uses

Antacids are available over the counter and are taken by mouth to quickly relieve occasional heartburn, the major symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease and indigestion. Treatment with antacids alone is symptomatic and only justified for minor symptoms. Alternative uses for antacids include constipation, diarrhea, hyperphosphatemia, and urinary alkalization. Some antacids are also used as an adjunct to pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy in the treatment of pancreatic insufficiency.

Non-particulate antacids (sodium citrate) increase gastric pH with little or no effect on gastric volume, and therefore may see some limited use in pre-operative procedures. Sodium citrate should be given within one hour of surgery to be the most effective.

Side effects

Conventional effervescent tablets contain a significant amount of sodium and are associated with increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events according to a 2013 study. Alternative sodium-free formulations containing magnesium salts may cause diarrhea, whereas those containing calcium or aluminium may cause constipation. Long-term use of antacids containing aluminium may increase the risk of developing osteoporosis. In vitro studies have found a potential for acid rebound to occur due to antacid overuse, however the significance of this finding has been called into question.

Properties of antacids

When an excess amount of acid is produced in the stomach, the natural mucous barrier that protects the lining of the stomach can degrade, leading to pain and irritation. There is also potential for the development of acid reflux, which can cause pain and damage to the esophagus. Antacids contain alkaline ions that chemically neutralize stomach gastric acid, reducing damage to the stomach lining and esophagus, and relieving pain. Some antacids also inhibit pepsin, an enzyme that can damage the esophagus in acid reflux.

Antacids do not directly inhibit acid secretion, and thus are distinct from acid-reducing drugs like H2-receptor antagonists or proton pump inhibitors. Antacids do not kill the bacterium, Helicobacter pylori, which causes most ulcers.

Additional Information

An antacid is any substance, such as sodium bicarbonate, magnesium hydroxide, calcium carbonate, or aluminum hydroxide, used to counteract or neutralize gastric acids and relieve the discomfort caused by gastric acidity. Indigestion, gastritis, and several forms of ulcers are alleviated by the use of antacids.

Numerous nonprescription liquid antacids reduce the gastric acidity of indigestion or gastritis for up to three hours after a single dose. Of the many liquid antacids available, those consisting of either magnesium or aluminum alkalinizing agents are preferable to antacids containing calcium salts, which have been shown to lead to a secondary increase in gastric acidity. Antacids should be taken when gastric acidity is most likely to be increasing—namely, between one and three hours after each meal and at bedtime. Although they are more convenient, antacid tablets are not nearly so effective as liquid forms. Because magnesium-containing antacids tend to have a laxative effect if used regularly and aluminum-containing antacids tend to constipate, many patients prefer to alternate doses of the two types.

In the treatment of ulcers, acid secretion can be reduced by several agents that block the action of hormones on the acid-secreting parietal cells of the stomach. Histamine receptor antagonists such as famotidine, ranitidine (Zantac), and cimetidine (Tagamet) block histamine receptors on the parietal cells and are effective for about 12 hours. The most potent acid-inhibitory drugs are the proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole, lansoprazole, and rabeprazole that block the final pathway of acid secretion and are effective for 15 to 17 hours. Histamine receptor antagonists and proton pump inhibitors, when given in conjunction with medication to eradicate Helicobacter pylori, are highly successful in healing duodenal ulcers.

In addition to mild laxative or constipating effects, some antacids, such as those that are positively charged, may cause the blood to become alkaline, leading to metabolic alkalosis in severe cases. Some antacids may affect the absorption of other drugs by binding with them in the gastrointestinal tract.

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