Antacids (cont.)
Annette (Gbemudu) Ogbru, PharmD, MBA
Dr. Gbemudu received her B.S. in Biochemistry from Nova Southeastern University, her PharmD degree from University of Maryland, and MBA degree from University of Baltimore. She completed a one year post-doctoral fellowship with Rutgers University and Bristol Myers Squibb.
Jay W. Marks, MD
Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
In this Article
- What are antacids, and how do they work?
- For what conditions are antacids used?
- Are there any differences among the different types of antacids?
- What are the warnings and precautions for antacids?
- What are the side effects of antacids?
- With which drugs do antacids interact?
- What antacids are available?
What are the side effects of antacids?
- Antacids may cause dose-dependent rebound hyperacidity and milk-alkali
syndrome.
- Antacids that contain aluminum hydroxide may cause
constipation,
aluminum-intoxication, osteomalacia, and hypophosphatemia. They also may cause
rebound hyperacidity and milk-alkali syndrome.
- Antacids that contain magnesium have a laxative effect that may cause diarrhea, and in patients with renal failure they may cause increased magnesium levels in the blood.
With which drugs do antacids interact?
When antacids are taken with acidic drugs such as [digoxin (Digitek), phenytoin (Dilantin), chlorpromazine (Thorazine), isoniazid], they cause the absorption of the acidic drugs to be decreased, which causes low blood concentrations of the drugs, which ultimately results in reduced effects of the drugs.
Antacids taken with drugs such as [pseudoephedrine (Sudafed, Semprex D, Clarinex-D 12hr, Clarinex-D 24hr, , Deconsal, Entex PSE, Claritin D, and more), levodopa (Dopar)], increase absorption of the drugs and can cause toxicity/adverse events due to increased blood levels of the drugs.
Antacids that contain magnesium trisilicate and magnesium hydroxide when taken with some other medications (such as tetracycline) will bind to the drug, and reduce its absorption and effects.
Sodium bicarbonate has a strong effect on the acidity of the urine, and this can affect the elimination of some drugs. Thus, sodium bicarbonate inhibits the excretion of basic drugs such as quinidine (Quinidex, Quinidine Gluconate, Quinidine Sulfate, Quinidine Injection) and amphetamines by the kidneys in the urine, and increases the excretion of acidic drugs such as aspirin.
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