Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsIs It Safe?Which Antacids to AvoidAlternative TreatmentsOther Ways to Manage HeartburnFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Is It Safe?
Which Antacids to Avoid
Alternative Treatments
Other Ways to Manage Heartburn
Frequently Asked Questions
Heartburnis an unpleasant symptom that commonly occurs during pregnancy. Heartburn results when your stomach acid moves up theesophagusand causes a burning sensation in your chest or throat. Luckily, heartburn in pregnancy is not harmful and can be managed with or without medications such asantacids.
This article will help guide you on what antacids are safe and effective during pregnancy.
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Taking Tums and Antacids While Pregnant: Is It Safe?
Tums antacid is a safe and effective OTC medication that helps manage heartburn in pregnancy.
Tums contains an active ingredient called calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is the most recommended antacid used in pregnancy to manage heartburn.
A collection of studies concluded that the benefits of using calcium carbonate include heartburn relief,preeclampsiaprevention, and the addition of extracalciumin your diet.While the use of calcium carbonate can provide heartburn relief, you should take caution using Tums if you consume high-calcium foods such as milk or prenatal vitamins containing calcium.
Other antacids that are safe in pregnancy and do not contain calcium include magnesium hydroxide and aluminum hydroxide.It is common for antacids to contain a combination of these ingredients. Combination products, such asMylanta, are safe to take during pregnancy at appropriate doses.
Still, no matter what, it is important to consult your healthcare provider before taking any medication while pregnant.
How to Take Tums While Pregnant
Taking the right amount of Tums can help prevent the adverse effects of too much calcium.
For all Tums products, take the antacid when your symptoms of heartburn start occurring. Since there are many formulations of Tums, use the following information to determine the correct amount of calcium carbonate to take and the maximum daily dose during pregnancy:
This is not a complete list of all Tums products; therefore, it is important to follow the directions on the label to provide a safe amount of calcium while pregnant.
When using any Tums products, do not use the maximum dosage for more than two weeks unless your healthcare provider tells you it is OK.Taking too much calcium carbonate can put you at risk of kidney injury, confusion, tremors, or light-headedness.
Antacids to Avoid While Pregnant
While magnesium hydroxide is safe to take while pregnant, there are other forms of magnesium that should be avoided in pregnancy. Magnesium trisilicate, for example, should not be used in pregnancy because long-term use can lead to decreased muscle tone, kidney stones, and the fetus experiencing lung distress in the womb.
Other than magnesium, antacids that containsodium bicarbonateshould be avoided in pregnancy because sodium can retain water in your body, causing areas in your body to swell.Swelling in your ankles is already common in pregnancy; therefore, sodium bicarbonate should be avoided to prevent the swelling from getting worse.
Is It Safe to Take Advil (Ibuprofen) During Pregnancy?
Alternative Heartburn Medications
Tums should always be your first choice of heartburn relief in pregnancy as it is the most safe and effective. However, if antacids do not work for you, there are other options that can help manage your heartburn that are pregnancy-safe.
If antacids fail to provide heartburn relief, the next option to consider is sucralfate. Sucralfate is a prescription medication that is slowly absorbed in the stomach, which is why it is safe to use in pregnancy.
If a sucralfate prescription is not an appropriate option or antacids alone are not working, you can use ahistamine-2 receptor antagonist, such as Pepcid AC (famotidine).Famotidine is the only pregnancy-safe histamine-2 receptor antagonist. It is recommended to use famotidine in combination with Tums to help with symptom relief of heartburn.
The last medication to consider if all options fail is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) in combination with antacids. However, you should avoid Prilosec (omeprazole) in pregnancy because there is a risk of toxicity.Other PPIs, such as Protonix (pantoprazole) or Nexium (esomeprazole) are safe to use in pregnancy.
Safe Ways to Manage Heartburn While Pregnant
While Tums can provide immediate relief in managing your heartburn, nondrug therapies can prevent heartburn and provide symptomatic relief. Ways you cansafely manage your heartburnwithout medications are listed below:
Summary
Heartburn commonly occurs during pregnancy, and it can be overwhelming to determine what medications are safe to take.
Luckily, Tums, a brand of calcium carbonate, is a proven safe and effective OTC medication to help manage the symptoms of heartburn. Since there are many forms of Tums available, it is important to follow the instructions on the label to ensure you are taking a safe amount of calcium carbonate.
Some other antacids should be avoided while pregnant. These include magnesium trisilicate, sodium bicarbonate, and aspirin-containing combination products for heartburn. Overall, the safest way to prevent heartburn is through lifestyle measures.
Antacids you should avoid while pregnant include magnesium trisilicate, sodium bicarbonate, and aspirin-containing combination products for heartburn. Before buying medications used for heartburn, make sure the product does not contain any of these ingredients.
If antacids are not providing heartburn relief, consider nondrug strategies such as avoiding trigger foods, eating more frequent smaller meals as opposed to fewer larger meals, and avoiding lying down after eating. If non-medication therapy does not work, you may consider other medications that are pregnancy safe such as sucralfate, famotidine, pantoprazole, or esomeprazole.
The author would like to recognize and thank Alexya Rosas for contributing to this article.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Garg V, Narang P, Taneja R.Antacids revisited: review on contemporary facts and relevance for self-management.J Int Med Res. 2022;50(3):3000605221086457. doi:10.1177/03000605221086457Altuwaijri M.Evidence-based treatment recommendations for gastroesophageal reflux disease during pregnancy: a review.Medicine (Baltimore). 2022;101(35):e30487. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000030487Gomes F, Ashorn P, Askari S, et al.Calcium supplementation for the prevention of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: current evidence and programmatic considerations.Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2022;1510(1):52-67. doi:10.1111/nyas.14733DailyMed.Tums (calcium carbonate tablet) label.DailyMed.Tums Chewy Bites (calcium carbonate tablet, chewable) label.DailyMed.Tums Naturals (calcium carbonate tablet, chewable) label.DailyMed.Tums Ultra (calcium carbonate tablet, chewable) label.Dandurand K, Ali DS, Khan AA.Hypercalcemia in pregnancy.Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2021;50(4):753-768. doi:10.1016/j.ecl.2021.07.009U.S. Food and Drug Administration.FDA recommends avoiding use of NSAIDs in pregnancy at 20 weeks or later because they can result in low amniotic fluid.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Garg V, Narang P, Taneja R.Antacids revisited: review on contemporary facts and relevance for self-management.J Int Med Res. 2022;50(3):3000605221086457. doi:10.1177/03000605221086457Altuwaijri M.Evidence-based treatment recommendations for gastroesophageal reflux disease during pregnancy: a review.Medicine (Baltimore). 2022;101(35):e30487. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000030487Gomes F, Ashorn P, Askari S, et al.Calcium supplementation for the prevention of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: current evidence and programmatic considerations.Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2022;1510(1):52-67. doi:10.1111/nyas.14733DailyMed.Tums (calcium carbonate tablet) label.DailyMed.Tums Chewy Bites (calcium carbonate tablet, chewable) label.DailyMed.Tums Naturals (calcium carbonate tablet, chewable) label.DailyMed.Tums Ultra (calcium carbonate tablet, chewable) label.Dandurand K, Ali DS, Khan AA.Hypercalcemia in pregnancy.Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2021;50(4):753-768. doi:10.1016/j.ecl.2021.07.009U.S. Food and Drug Administration.FDA recommends avoiding use of NSAIDs in pregnancy at 20 weeks or later because they can result in low amniotic fluid.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Garg V, Narang P, Taneja R.Antacids revisited: review on contemporary facts and relevance for self-management.J Int Med Res. 2022;50(3):3000605221086457. doi:10.1177/03000605221086457Altuwaijri M.Evidence-based treatment recommendations for gastroesophageal reflux disease during pregnancy: a review.Medicine (Baltimore). 2022;101(35):e30487. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000030487Gomes F, Ashorn P, Askari S, et al.Calcium supplementation for the prevention of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: current evidence and programmatic considerations.Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2022;1510(1):52-67. doi:10.1111/nyas.14733DailyMed.Tums (calcium carbonate tablet) label.DailyMed.Tums Chewy Bites (calcium carbonate tablet, chewable) label.DailyMed.Tums Naturals (calcium carbonate tablet, chewable) label.DailyMed.Tums Ultra (calcium carbonate tablet, chewable) label.Dandurand K, Ali DS, Khan AA.Hypercalcemia in pregnancy.Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2021;50(4):753-768. doi:10.1016/j.ecl.2021.07.009U.S. Food and Drug Administration.FDA recommends avoiding use of NSAIDs in pregnancy at 20 weeks or later because they can result in low amniotic fluid.
Garg V, Narang P, Taneja R.Antacids revisited: review on contemporary facts and relevance for self-management.J Int Med Res. 2022;50(3):3000605221086457. doi:10.1177/03000605221086457
Altuwaijri M.Evidence-based treatment recommendations for gastroesophageal reflux disease during pregnancy: a review.Medicine (Baltimore). 2022;101(35):e30487. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000030487
Gomes F, Ashorn P, Askari S, et al.Calcium supplementation for the prevention of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: current evidence and programmatic considerations.Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2022;1510(1):52-67. doi:10.1111/nyas.14733
DailyMed.Tums (calcium carbonate tablet) label.
DailyMed.Tums Chewy Bites (calcium carbonate tablet, chewable) label.
DailyMed.Tums Naturals (calcium carbonate tablet, chewable) label.
DailyMed.Tums Ultra (calcium carbonate tablet, chewable) label.
Dandurand K, Ali DS, Khan AA.Hypercalcemia in pregnancy.Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2021;50(4):753-768. doi:10.1016/j.ecl.2021.07.009
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.FDA recommends avoiding use of NSAIDs in pregnancy at 20 weeks or later because they can result in low amniotic fluid.
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