Can I Take Tums While Pregnant

What Happens If You Take Tums While Pregnant

If you take Tums for heartburn when youre pregnant, youll feel a lot better in just a few minutes. Chew a tablet and stay sitting up for at least 5 to 10 minutes. The active ingredients descend to the esophagus and stomach where they start neutralizing the acid thats causing the pain and burning sensation.

Tums provide rapid relief when used for treating heartburn occasionally. In fact, its often recommended by OB/GYNs.

Medicines For Indigestion And Heartburn

Medicines for indigestion and heartburn during pregnancy include:

• antacids to neutralise the acid in your stomach
• alginates to relieve indigestion caused by acid reflux by stopping the acid in your stomach coming back up your gullet

You may only need to take antacids and alginates when you start getting symptoms. However, your GP may recommend taking them before symptoms come on for example, before a meal or before bed.

If youre taking iron supplements as well as antacids, do not take them at the same time. Antacids can stop iron from being absorbed by your body.

If antacids and alginates do not improve your symptoms, your GP may prescribe a medicine to reduce the amount of acid in your stomach. 2 that are widely used in pregnancy and not known to be harmful to an unborn baby are:

• ranitidine a tablet you take twice a day
• omeprazole a tablet you take once a day

Home Remedies To Deal With Heartburn While You Are Pregnant

Instead of using Tums pills or other dr*gs that are potentially harmful to you and your baby, you can use natural remedies to defeat heartburn. Here are the natural remedies that are famous for this disorder.

However, if the trouble continues, you should consult your doctor and ask for a specific cure, do not insist on natural remedies if you notice no improvement.

Here are the main natural remedies for heartburn:

Also Check: Can You Get Pregnant On Birth Control Pills

Amazon Basic Care Omeprazole

Prilosec is the brand name of omeprazole, a proton pump inhibitor that treats frequent heartburn. If you have reflux or heartburn more than twice a week, you might need a pill like this. The over-the-counter dose is 20 mg and it works for 24 hours. Its recommended that you swallow one capsule on an empty stomach first thing in the morning and wait an hour before having breakfast. However, I take mine before dinner at least 2 hours after my last snack.

Now, to be honest, its designed as a 2-week treatment. But doctors prescribe this long-term for people all around the world. Yes, it may have some negative impact on your health if used for months and years at a time. But repeated exposure to acid has a negative impact on your esophagus, too. Its best to talk it over with your doctor.

Can You Take Tums Every Day While Pregnant

If youre having heartburn daily, you might need something longer-lasting than Tums. There are other over-the-counter medications that work for longer than a couple of hours.

For example, you could benefit from proton pump inhibitors like Prilosec or Prevacid. These resolve heartburn that doesnt respond well to antacids or dietary changes. Prevacid, which is known by the generic name lansoprazole, has been tested on pregnant women and proven to be safe.

There are also antacids called histamine-type II receptor antagonists. These include Zantac, also known as ranitidine, and Tagamet, also known as cimetidine. They have been studied for use during pregnancy and proven to be safe for both mother and baby .

Recommended Reading: What Is Good For Heartburn In Pregnancy

Safe Medications During Pregnancy

Theres no doubt that along with the joys of pregnancy, women can and do experience uncomfortable side effects. If youre feeling under the weather, you may be wondering if over-the-counter remedies are safe for you and your baby. In most cases, its best to avoid OTC medications particularly in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. While some medications are safe to use in limited quantities, other medicines are known to increase the chance of birth defects or other problems.

If you have questions or are considering a medication thats not listed below, please reach out to your doctor for additional safety information. You should also call your doctor if you have a fever 100.4 F or greater, or if symptoms persist or worsen. The obstetrics specialists at Northeast Georgia Physicians Group are here to help you weigh the risks and benefits of prescription and over-the-counter medications that are safe to take during pregnancy.

Calcium Carbonate Pregnancy And Breastfeeding Warnings

Calcium carbonate is also known as: Alcalak, Amitone, Calcarb, Calci-Chew, Caltrate, Chooz, Nephro Calci, Os-Cal, Oysco 500, Oyster, Oyster Calcium, Oyster Shell, Oyster Shell Calcium, Oyster Shell Calcium 500, Pepto Childrens, Titralac, Trial Antacid, Tums Antacid Naturals, Tums Chewy Bites, Tums Chewy Delights, Tums Extra Strength 750, Tums Kids, Tums Regular Strength, Tums Smoothies, Tums Ultra 1000

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Dec 3, 2021.

You May Like: How Long After Removing Nexplanon Can You Get Pregnant

What Makes It Better

For most women, things that help reduce acid production or prevent reux are helpful in avoiding the discomfort of heartburn. Here are tips that may help:

• Avoid classic spicy foods, as well as those with lots of fat or grease. Many people recommend avoiding citrus and chocolate, as well.

• Eat multiple, small meals spread throughout the day, much like grazing, instead of three big meals.

• Try elevating the head of your bed by several inches, and wait a while after eating before going to bed or lying down.

Some women find that its better to drink fluids between meals, rather than with a meal. This can increase the amount of contents in the stomach.

If your symptoms do not improve after the above recommended diet and lifestyle changes are in place, talk with your healthcare provider about over-the-counter medicines. Antacids are available as chewable tablets and liquids. They work by coating the lining of the esophagus and stomach and neutralizing stomach acid. Heartburn medicines called H2-blockers work by reducing the amount of acid made by your stomach. Although most of these are considered safe in pregnancy, as with all medicines, these should be avoided in the first trimester.

Also Check: Lasik Eye Surgery While Pregnant

Can You Take Tums While Pregnant

Many individuals take Tums, an over-the-counter calcium-carbonate antacid, to relieve the symptoms of heartburn. G. Thomas Ruiz, MD, OB/GYN Lead at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center, says that Using Tums in pregnancy is something that many OB/GYNs have been prescribing for years.

He also says that for pregnant women, tums provide supplemental calcium for both mom and baby, and tums also treat pregnancy heartburn. Thus taking tums is considered safe during pregnancy- if taken appropriately.

Don’t Miss: How To Get Rid Of Tooth Pain While Pregnant

Can You Take Tums While Pregnant Final Conclusion:

Although heartburn during pregnancy may be a genuine discomfort, there are ways to alleviate the symptoms. You can receive some relief by altering your diet, staying upright after eating, and taking over-the-counter pain relievers like Tums. Before taking an antacid, its always a good idea to see your doctor. If you have any negative side effects, stop taking Tums and it is recommended to contact your doctor.

How Should It Be Used

Tums comes as a tablet, chewable tablet, capsule, and liquid to take by mouth. The amount taken per day depends on the strength. Follow the directions on your prescription or package label carefully, and ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand.

Take Tums exactly as directed. Do not take more of it or take it more often than prescribed by your healthcare provider. When using this medicine as a dietary supplement, take it with food or following meals.

Chewable tablets should be chewed thoroughly before being swallowed do not swallow them whole. Drink a full glass of water after taking either the regular or chewable tablets or capsules. Some liquid forms of calcium carbonate must be shaken well before use.

Do not take Tums as an antacid for more than two weeks without talking to your healthcare provider first.

Recommended Reading: Can You Get Pregnant On Non Fertile Days

How Many Tums Are Safe While Pregnant

Can you take Tums extra strength while pregnant? Yes, you sure can. The maximum daily dosage for Extra Strength TUMS is 6 tablets in 24 hours. There are very good reasons to not go over this amount and well get to those in a moment.

If you take Ultra Strength TUMS, the maximum is 5 tablets in 24 hours. Thats because it has more of the active ingredient.

But before we go any further, please ask your doctor if TUMS or other antacids are appropriate for you.

Can Pepcid Cause Birth Defects

Available studies do not show an increased chance of birth defects or other pregnancy problems when famotidine is taken during pregnancy. Could taking famotidine cause other pregnancy complications? It is not known if taking famotidine during pregnancy increases the chance of pregnancy complications.

You May Like: Kt Tape Pregnancy Round Ligament Pain

Recommended Reading: Can Women Get Pregnant At 40

Other Ways To Reduce Heartburn While Pregnant

You might already know these things, but not everybody does, so here we go:

• Spicy, greasy, acidic foods tend to trigger heartburn
• Chocolate, peppermint, and caffeinated beverages are also culprits
• Eating small meals makes it easier to avoid heartburn
• Not drinking with meals can also prevent acid reflux
• Skipping your bra and loosening tight clothing helps
• Try not to lie down for at least 2 to 3 hours after eating

And if all those tricks fail, here are the best antacids to take during pregnancy:

For The Latest Videos Please Subscribe To Our Channel: Parenting Healthy Babies

Here are some things you need to be careful about, if you do take Tums when pregnant:

• While talking to your doctor about taking Tums, make sure you get the dosage right. There is a good chance that the dosage you need to take now is different from the dosage you would have taken when not pregnant. Try to keep track of how many tablets you should take in a day, and do not exceed the dosage under any circumstance. Always consult your doctor for any change that you might want to make, for example, if youre feeling like the medicine isnt really working.
• Now that you know these has a large amount of calcium in it, do not start thinking of it as a sort of calcium supplement, because it isnt. Upping the dosage of it during your pregnancy because your body requires more calcium will do more harm than good. Instead, focus on adding more calcium rich foods to your diet. If your body is still falling short on calcium, get your doctor to prescribe some calcium supplements.
• Tums is a serious no-no for anyone with kidney problems. Even if you dont have any kidney problems but have been placed on high risk for chances of developing them, you must stay away from Tums. This is because the calcium present in Tums could lead to stones forming in your kidneys.
• Tums could possibly lead to teratogenicity. If taken in the first trimester, it could potentially lead to a condition known as teratogenicity .

Additionally, Tums could also cause the following side effects during pregnancy:

Recommended Reading: How To Sex Pregnant Woman

Getting Relief From Heartburn During Pregnancy

There are two different approaches to relieving heartburn during pregnancy one is to make some dietary and lifestyle changes that may help prevent or reduce the severity of the problem, the other is to try an antacid.24

Youve probably made some changes to your lifestyle to prepare for the coming of your littleone. To help make sure you have a more comfortable pregnancy journey, there are a few other things you can do that can help make a difference for pregnant women with heartburn.2

Heartburn While Pregnant What Is It

Heartburn is also known as indigestion. In this pathology, you feel a sensation of fire inside the stomach that also reaches the throat. While you are pregnant, heartburn is caused even by the hormonal and physical changes in your body.

During pregnancy, the placenta produces a hormone called progesterone, which affects the muscles of your uterus, allowing these muscles to be much more elastic and provide more space for the baby. This process of relaxation and the hormone significantly affect all the muscles of the digestive system and the muscular valve that divides the esophagus from the stomach.

This valve divides the esophagus and the stomach, but in some circumstances it can not be completely closed, and the gastric acids produced by the body and by the digestion manage to come out and reach the throat, creating the sensation of burning of the stomach.

You May Like: Can You Get Migraines While Pregnant

Can I Take Pepcid And Tums Together During Pregnancy

Sometimes Tums just are not enough to eliminate acid reflux or heartburn. Pepcid, the brand name for famotidine, is another common over-the-counter heartburn relief medication. Pepcid belongs to the H2-blocker drug class, meaning that it works to reduce reflux by reducing the amount of acid produced by the stomach.

Tums works differently than Pepcid. Instead of decreasing the amount of acid produced by the stomach, Tums neutralizes the acid already present in the stomach . Because these two medications work differently, it is safe to use them at the same time .

What Is Pregnancy Heartburn

Pregnancy heartburn or acid reflux is a common condition which most pregnant women are likely to experience. When heartburn happens, the food that you eat moves more slowly in your stomach, and digestion is sluggish, which can cause post-meal bloating.

Many women, however, turn to antacids because of the burning sensation created by meals and acids returning up from the stomach to the esophagus. Pregnancy hormones loosen the valve that divides the esophagus from the stomach, causing this uncomfortable sensation.

Also Check: What Happens During Week 4 Of Pregnancy

What Is The Difference Between Pepcid And Pepcid Ac

PEPCID® is an H2 blocker. Both Original Strength and Maximum Strength PEPCID AC® begin to work in 15-30 minutes, and help control acid all day or all night. * Dual Action PEPCID COMPLETE® combines an H2 blocker with an antacid, so it starts neutralizing acid in seconds, but has the long-lasting relief of an H2 blocker.

You May Like: How To Calculate Safe Days To Avoid Pregnancy

Is It Safe To Take Tums During Pregnancy

“It is safe to reach for TUMS at any point when there is discomfort from indigestion, acid reflux, heartburn, or in cases of stomach ulcer flare-up,” says Rami Khatib, RPh, CDE, manager and owner of Sechelt Pharmacy in British Columbia, Canada. While GERD is most common later in pregnancy, antacids are safe in the first trimester too.

Khatib notes two possible side effects of using TUMS while pregnant, constipation and flatulence, which often come with the pregnancy territory already.

Taking TUMS to relieve symptoms of GERD while pregnant is generally safe and effective. But Clark does caution those who have known kidney disease to discuss with a healthcare provider before taking TUMS. Antacids can disrupt the body’s electrolyte balance if you have chronic kidney disease.

Read Also: How To Get Body Ready For Pregnancy

Causes Of Indigestion In Pregnancy

Symptoms of indigestion come when the acid in your stomach irritates your stomach lining or your gullet. This causes pain and a burning feeling.

When youre pregnant, youre more likely to have indigestion because of:

• hormonal changes
• the growing baby pressing on your stomach
• the muscles between your stomach and gullet relaxing, allowing stomach acid to come back up

You may be more likely to get indigestion in pregnancy if:

• you had indigestion before you were pregnant
• youve been pregnant before
• youre in the later stages of pregnancy

Read Also: What To Know At 6 Weeks Pregnant

Can Too Many Tums Harm My Baby

High blood levels of calcium, known as hypercalcemia, are possible from taking an excessive amount of Tums. Maternal hypercalcemia can lead to restrictions in how much the fetus is able to grow in utero, as well as how the parathyroid gland is developed .

While these effects are possible, rest assured that this is most often seen when the mother has a diagnosed medical condition that affects her ability to regulate blood calcium levels. Currently, there have not been any reports of such complications from taking Tums.

Also Check: What Percentage Of Pregnancies Are Aborted

Can You Take Heartburn Medicine While Pregnant

Tums and Alka Seltzer are two brand-name, over-the-counter medicines frequently used to treat heartburn. Can you take Tums while pregnant? Can you take Alka Seltzer while pregnant? What should pregnant women know about heartburn and the medicines used to treat it? First and foremost, more than half of all pregnant women say they have symptoms of severe heartburn. Heartburn causes a burning pain in the chest and upper abdomen, and it can be a symptom of whats called gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. Heartburn seems to be most common during the second and third trimesters. Heartburn is a burning sensation which is caused by contents of the stomach that moves back upward. Severe heartburn can be incredibly uncomfortable and can create complications in severe circumstances. Medical professionals and researchers believe that heartburn is so common during pregnancy because of the changes in hormones that occur. Hormonal changes can affect digestive tract muscles and also food tolerance. Its also possible that hormones related to pregnancy can cause part of the stomach muscles to relax which allows more stomach acids to move into the esophagus. An enlarged uterus may also play a role by pushing stomach acids upward.

Do you or someone you love have questions or concerns about a pregnancy and dont know where to turn for help? Get support and answers at the American Pregnancy Association at 1-800-672-2296.

Dont Miss: How Did You Know You Were Pregnant