Can You Take Tums and Zantac When Pregnant

Many pregnant women get heartburn, sometimes referred to as acid indigestion or acid reflux. This condition is generally harmless, but it can be very uncomfortable. Fortunately, most cases can be safely treated with over-the-counter remedies, along with simple diet and lifestyle changes.

Many women get relief by eating small, frequent meals and avoiding spicy or acidic foods. For those who need additional help, some prescription and over-the-counter heartburn medications are considered safe to take during pregnancy.

Here are some guidelines to help you understand which heartburn medicines are appropriate to use during pregnancy. (As with any medication, get the okay from your healthcare provider before taking these.)

Can you take Tums while pregnant?

Yes, Tums are safe to take during pregnancy. In fact, your first line of defense should probably be these chewable antacids made from calcium carbonate (sometimes just called "calcium" on the label). Fast, portable, and effective, they may be all you need to handle heartburn. They even taste pretty good and double as a calcium supplement.

Antacids containing magnesium hydroxide or magnesium oxide – like Maalox, Mylanta, and Rolaids – are probably safe when used occasionally at the recommended dosage. But they're not your best option while pregnant because they also contain aluminum hydroxide. Aluminum can be constipating and, in large doses, toxic.

Bear in mind that swallowing any liquid, even the liquid you need to wash down a tablet, will cause your stomach to do what it does naturally: produce digestive juices – including acid, the very thing you're trying to reduce. So it's best to swallow or chew tablets with as little liquid as possible when you're having trouble with heartburn.

All of these antacid medicines work by neutralizing the acid that's already in your stomach and causing you pain. Chewable and liquid antacids act much more quickly than tablets because they're already dissolved. You can experiment to see which you prefer and what works most effectively for you.

If you're regularly taking the recommended dosage and aren't getting relief from heartburn, talk to your doctor or midwife about whether you can take additional or different medications.

What about taking Alka-Seltzer while pregnant?

Remedies containing aspirin (such as Alka-Seltzer) should be avoided during pregnancy. Aspirin may be listed on a label as salicylate or acetylsalicylic acid. (Note: Sometimes aspirin is recommended for pregnant women, so it's not always unsafe, but in this instance it's not a good idea.)

Also steer clear of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), which is sold as an antacid in tablet form, and sodium citrate. Both are high in sodium, which causes water retention. And if you're far enough along in your pregnancy to have gone into a panic trying to remove rings from your swollen fingers or looked down in horror at a pair of puffy ankles, you'll understand why that's the last thing you want right now.

Other heartburn medicine for pregnancy

If over-the-counter medicines aren't helping enough with your heartburn, you may want to ask your provider about using something more effective and longer lasting, usually called an acid reducer. Instead of neutralizing your stomach acid like antacids do, acid reducers actually stop your stomach from producing most of the acid it normally would.

Acid reducers won't help with the acid already in your stomach, so they work best when taken before a meal. Some acid-reducing medications, such as Pepcid Complete, are a combination of an acid reducer (such as famotidine) and an antacid (such as calcium carbonate or magnesium hydroxide), so they can provide immediate relief from the acid that's already distressing you and reduce further acid production for up to 12 hours.

Pepcid is safe to take daily during pregnancy to prevent heartburn, and you can take calcium carbonate chewables like Tums with it if you still need relief. If this doesn't help, many doctors will recommend proton pump inhibitors or PPIs. These include lansoprazole (Prevacid), omeprazole (Prilosec), pantoprazole (Protonix), and esomeprazole (Nexium)

Some of these medicines are available over-the-counter and others require a prescription. All are currently considered safe to take during pregnancy, even during the first trimester. However, talk to your ob-gyn or midwife before taking medications for your heartburn. They can give you helpful tips, tricks, and safety guidance.

Read more about medications during pregnancy.

Can You Take Tums and Zantac When Pregnant

Source: https://www.babycenter.com/pregnancy/health-and-safety/which-heartburn-medicines-are-safe-during-pregnancy_1440876

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