The short answer
Nausea can result from gastroesophageal acid reflux disease (GERD). The acid reflux from your stomach induces a burning sensation and source taste in your mouth that can cause nausea. Therefore, antacids administration can help relieve nausea that induced by acid reflux.
Key facts:
- Antacids are indicated for the treatment of heartburn, gastritis, and indigestion.
- Nausea can result from acid reflux, pregnancy, toxins, and secondary to other diseases.
- Antacids could help with nausea especially when nausea is induced by acid reflux or stomach higher acidity.
- Antacids can also safely used to treat nausea during pregnancy which associated with increased stomach acidity or acid reflux which is common to occur during pregnancy.
- In contrast, antacids will not be effective for the treatment of nausea results from other causes such as food poisoning, motion sickness or any other causes except for acid reflux.
- Antacids with high doses of calcium can lead to nausea and vomiting as reported side effects.
Content:
What are the main reasons for nausea?
Do antacids help to relieve nausea?
Do antacids help with pregnancy nausea?
What symptoms do antacids help with?
What are the side effects of antacids?
What are the main reasons for nausea?
Nausea is a term commonly used to describe the uneasy feeling in the stomach. It means that you might have to vomit.
With nausea, you might feel sick in your stomach, you can experience sweating and excessive saliva in your mouth.
Several causes can lead to nausea. These includes the following:
- Nausea is usually attributed to stomach disorders.
- It can also be due to esophageal diseases.
- Pregnancy (morning sickness during early stages of pregnancy)
- Motion sickness
- Severe pain
- Secondary to other diseases
- Certain smells or odors
- Chemotherapy administration
Do antacids help to relieve nausea?
The answer is yes, taking antacids can help you with nausea.
Nausea could result from gastroesophageal acid reflux disease (GERD). The reflux of stomach acid induces a sour taste in your mouth. The sour taste and burning sensation of acid reflux can lead to nausea and vomiting in certain cases.
Therefore, taking antacids could help with nausea induced by acid reflux by neutralizing stomach acids.
Accordingly, antacids can help with nausea in certain cases in which nausea is attributed to acid reflux or stomach higher acidity. However, antacids cannot help with nausea that induced by other causes.
Do antacids help with pregnancy nausea?
The answer is yes. Antacids can help in relieving nausea during pregnancy.
Nausea and vomiting are common symptoms among pregnant women. In addition, Pregnant women also complain of heartburn and acid reflux as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) which is reported in up to 80% of pregnant women.
The increased severity of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy is found to be strongly associated with the presence of heartburn and acid reflux. Therefore, antacids could help with nausea by relieving acid reflux via neutralizing the stomach acids (Ref).
No contraindications of antacids containing aluminum, calcium, and magnesium during pregnancy. They are reported to be nonteratogenic and are recommended as first-line treatment of heartburn and acid reflux during pregnancy (Ref). Therefore, antacids can be safely used to help with nausea during pregnancy that is associated with higher stomach acidity.
In contrast, antacid containing bicarbonate is not recommended during pregnancy. It is reported to be associated with a high risk of maternal and fetal metabolic acidosis and fluid overload (Ref).
Also, prolonged administration of a high dose of magnesium trisilicate antacid is reported to cause nephrolithiasis, hypotonia, and respiratory distress in the fetus. Therefore, magnesium trisilicate antacids should be avoided during pregnancy (Ref).
What symptoms do antacids help with?
Antacids are over-the-counter (OTC) medicines that are used to neutralize your stomach acidity. They are available as tablets, chewable tablets and liquid formulations.
They act locally to neutralize the higher acidity, accordingly, they relieve symptoms rapidly. However, they don’t treat the original cause of higher acidity.
Antacids are used to relieve symptoms associated with increased stomach acid secretions. This includes the following:
- Heartburn
- Acid reflux
- Gastroesophageal reflux diseases
- Stomach ulcer
- Gastritis
- Indigestion
What are the side effects of antacids?
Side effects from antacids are rare if you take antacids with the recommended doses.
The reported side effects of antacids include the following:
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Stomach cramps
- Flatulence with certain types
- Nausea and vomiting
FAQs:
1. Does Gaviscon help with nausea?
The answer is yes. Gaviscon can help with nausea
Gaviscon forms a protective layer that floats above your stomach content. Also, it contains antacids that help to relieve symptoms of heartburn, indigestion, and gastritis. Therefore, Gaviscon can help with nausea by relieving acid reflux.
2. What is the best antacid for nausea?
Antacids that contain bismuth subsalicylate are the best to be used for nausea.
Bismuth subsalicylate has antidiarrheal activity and is used to treat stomach upset. In addition, it is used for the treatment of some types of nausea and vomiting including that induced by gastroenteritis.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved bismuth subsalicylate for treating diarrhea, heartburn, indigestions, nausea, and stomach upset (Ref).
3. Do antacids help with gas?
The answer is yes. Certain types of antacids can help with gas.
Antacids that contain simethicone, magnesium, or bismuth subsalicylate can help with symptoms of extra gas such as bloating, flatulence, and pressure or discomfort in your stomach.
Simethicone can break up gas bubbles in your gut and thus relieve flatulence.
4. Can antacids cause nausea?
The answer is yes.
Despite the fact that antacids can help with nausea, however, they are reported to be associated with side effects such as nausea and vomiting.
This is commonly associated with antacids containing calcium such as Maalox and Tums. The high dose of calcium could lead to nausea and vomiting.
