Constantly Gobbling Tums? Here's How Often You Should Actually Be Taking Them, According to Doctors
Stomach discomfort is something we’ve all experienced at one time or another, and when the pain strikes, many of us go straight for the Tums in our medicine cabinet. But is it a bad thing if we rely too heavily on antacids for relief?
While taking Tums once in a while is fine, if you’re taking them on a regular basis, there may be an underlying health issue that needs to be addressed and lifestyle changes that need to be made. To learn more, we spoke to gastroenterologists.
Here's How Tums Help
Tums, or any similar chewable antacid tablets made of calcium carbonate, can be useful for relief of symptoms like heartburn, acid reflux, sour stomach and indigestion, Dr. Max Pitman, gastroenterologist and medical director at Salvo Health, explains.
The effect is very short-term, though (about 30 minutes), so if symptoms persist you might need to take another dose or use a longer-acting medicine such as Pepcid. In general, Tums are most useful for people who have mild and intermittent heartburn symptoms.
Related: We've Asked Acid Reflux Experts—Does Water Actually Help With Heartburn?
How Often Should You Be Taking Tums?
For most people, if you don't suffer from kidney stones or abnormal kidney function, it is safe to take tums every day for up to two weeks, as long as you stick to the recommended dosing on the bottle, Dr. Pitman states.
If you’re needing to use Tums every day, though, you should really discuss with your doctor to figure out what the reason is, and if you need to be treated for a more serious condition or with a different medication.
Dr. Prasun Shah, a gastroenterologist at Memorial Hermann in Houston, says the dose for antacids depends upon the patient's age, the purpose of administration—neutralization of acid or off-label use—and the presence of other comorbidities like kidney or liver impairment. As all the forms of these medications are available in over-the-counter formulations, the dosing recommendation varies by product/and or manufacturer.
Here’s a general guide for taking aluminum hydroxide (Antacid):
Oral: Usually taken daily after meals and at bedtime at a dose of 640 mg up to 5 to 6 times a day with a maximum dose of 3,840 mg per 24 hours.
Daily: Use might be safe if taken in recommended amount but if you are requiring daily use of antacids that indicates the need for evaluation by a gastroenterologist, Dr. Shah explains.
What Happens If You Take Too Many Tums?
“The most common side effect is constipation,” says Dr. Pitman. “Other, more rare side effects might include nausea, vomiting, kidney stones, elevated blood calcium levels, or low phosphorus. These more rare side effects are much more unlikely with standard dosing but could occur with overuse.”
Aluminum use is associated with an increased risk of toxicity in individuals with renal failure and infants, Dr. Shah explains. It presents as osteopenia, microcytic anemia, neurotoxicity, osteomalacia, constipation, fecal impaction, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, hypomagnesemia and hypophosphatemia.
Signs That It’s Time to See a Doctor
If you have heartburn or other unpleasant gastro symptoms more than a couple of times per week, and lasting for more than two weeks, it’s a good idea to discuss with your doctor, Dr. Pitman states. You may need diagnostic tests to rule out common problems like gastritis, ulcers, H. pylori infection or reflux inflammation in the esophagus. Or you might need to take a stronger or longer-acting medicine to control symptoms.
Dr. Shah explains, “certain symptoms are called alarm symptoms or red flags which require attention and evaluation by a gastroenterologist. Some of those symptoms are dysphagia, odynophagia, weight loss which is unexplained, anemia or change in color of stool, persistent vomiting, and finding an abnormality on an imaging study.”
Next up: Wondering Why Your Stomach Hurts After You Eat? Here Are 9 Possible Reasons
Sources
Dr. Max Pitman, gastroenterologist and medical director at Salvo Health
Dr. Prasun Shah, gastroenterologist at Memorial Hermann in Houston
