Tums Heartburn Relief

Antacids work well to help quickly soothe sudden heartburn by lowering the acidity of your stomach. Tums and other products can do this because they contain ingredients such as calcium carbonate that react with your stomach acid, neutralizing the pH to ease the gnawing feeling you may experience if your stomach acid manages to travel up toward your throat.

Tums' side effects are rare and usually mild, but it's important to read the package instructions to understand how frequently you may take the product throughout the day. Most antacid products recommend limiting the total amount used over a 24-hour period, which can help minimize the risk of side effects. 

Also ask a doctor before using the product if you're taking any medications, such as thyroid hormone or doxycycline. Minerals in antacids may reduce the effectiveness of certain medicines or prevent their absorption if both products are administered around the same time. You can likely still use antacids, but you need to be aware of how long to wait before or after taking your other medications.

Tums heartburn-relief products contain calcio and are generally okay to use while pregnant. Pregnancy usually increases your daily calcium needs, and Tums may help improve your calcium intake while also treating occasional symptoms of heartburn and reflux that are common while pregnant. However, always ask your doctor before using any heartburn medicine o vitamin supplement during pregnancy. 

Tums can help manage symptoms of reflux, but it's best to use Tums for heartburn, reflux and other conditions only if they occur infrequently. Antacids, such as Tums or Gaviscon, work in just minutes but wear off quickly, so these products can't usually provide the sustained relief you might need for chronic reflux. In this case, an acid-reducing medication, such as Nexium, may be a better choice. 

Acid reducers inhibit your body's stomach acid production rather than simply neutralizing existing acid. These products are ideal for treating longer-lasting sources of heartburn and discomfort, such as gastritis or ulcers, as the effects are fairly constant and typically last all day. However, ask your doctor before taking any heartburn medication over a long period.