The short answer
Tum is a popular antacid that contains calcium carbonate. It is used to relieve symptoms associated with higher stomach acidity. As a result, Tum can help with nausea especially nausea induced by stomach acidity or acid reflux diseases. However, it may not be effective for nausea induced by other causes such as infection, food poisoning, or any other causes.
Key facts
- Tum is an antacid that contains calcium carbonate. It acts locally by neutralizing stomach acidity.
- Tum can help with nausea induced by stomach acidity or acid reflux disease.
- In case of nausea attributed to infection, motion sickness, or other medication side effects, Tum will not be effective.
- Tums are safe, in moderate uses, to relieve nausea during pregnancy induced by stomach acidity.
- The common side effects associated with Tum include constipation, bloating, and burping.
Content
What is Tum and its indications?
Does Tum help with nausea during pregnancy?
How long does tum take to relieve nausea?
What are the main causes of nausea?
What is a common side effect of Tums?
What is tum and its indications?
Tum is a popular over-the-counter (OTC) antacid that works by neutralizing the stomach acidity. It contains calcium carbonate that acts locally to neutralize stomach hydrochloric acid.
Tum is available in tablets, chewable tablets, and liquid dosage forms with different strengths such as 400 mg, 500 mg, 750 mg, and 1000 mg.
Tum is used for:
- Treat heartburn
- Relieve symptoms of acid reflux
- Indigestion
- Stomach upset
Does tum help with nausea?
The answer is yes. Tum can help with nausea especially nausea attributed to higher stomach acidity or acid reflux.
Nausea can result from several causes such as acid reflux, motion sickness, and pregnancy, and may be symptoms of other diseases.
Among the common causes of nausea is stomach acidity. The higher stomach acidity is found to induce nausea sensation. Moreover, acid reflux to the esophagus through the so-called gastro-esophagus reflux disease (GERD) can induce nausea through the acid taste and acid irritation by acid reflux.
Tum, as an effective antacid, can be effectively used to treat nausea induced by higher acidity or acid reflux by neutralizing the stomach acidity.
In contrast, nausea caused by other factors such as infections, food poisoning, nausea induced by medication side effects, or nausea to any other causes, tum will not be effective in such conditions.
Does Tum help with nausea during pregnancy?
Nausea is commonly reported during pregnancy. Higher stomach acidity and acid reflux may be among the main causes of nausea during pregnancy.
As above mentioned, Tum is an effective antacid that can be used to relieve nausea induced by higher stomach acidity. It can help with nausea during pregnancy (Ref).
Tum contains calcium carbonate which is safe to be taken by pregnant women with no serious side effects. Calcium-containing antacids such as tums have not been found to be teratogenic in animal studies (Ref).
The Food And Drug Administration (FDA) classified the safety of drugs during pregnancy into five categories (A, B, C, D, and X) based on systemic absorption and reports of congenital defects in animals or humans (Ref). However, the FDA recommends antacids as the first-line treatment for heartburn in pregnancy with no risk of teratogenicity. The analysis of calcium carbonate-containing antacids found no association with increased congenital anomalies (Ref).
It is important to mention that Tum can lead to constipation as a side effect of its calcium content. Constipation is a commonly reported symptom during pregnancy due to the pressure of the enlarged uterus on the large intestine and also the decreased intestinal motility. Therefore, Tum can increase the risk of constipation among pregnant women. It is better to avoid large doses of Tum during pregnancy.
How long does tum take to relieve nausea?
Tum is an antacid. It is designed primarily to neutralize stomach acidity and relieve symptoms associated with higher acidity.
It is not designed for treating nausea. The relief of nausea by Tum occurs as a result of acid neutralizing effect. Therefore, the action of Tum for nausea depends practically on how long it takes to relieve acidity.
In fact, Tum acts within a few minutes to neutralize stomach acidity and its effect may appear within 5-10 minutes following administration.
What are the main causes of nausea?
Nausea is a common uncomfortable health problem that can interfere with your daily activities. It can be attributed to the following:
- Infections such as viral infection (influenza and norovirus)
- Gastrointestinal problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Motion sickness
- Pregnancy
- Food poisoning’
- Secondary to other medication as a side effect
- Secondary to other diseases such as thyroid problems
- Migraine headaches
- Stress and anxiety
- Severe pain
What is a common side effect of Tums?
Tums is a safe and well-tolerated antacid. However, it is associated with certain side effects commonly attributed to its calcium content. This includes the following:
- Allergy (rare to occur)
- Constipation due to calcium content.
- High calcium content can be associated with increased thirst, increased urination, vomiting, fatigue, and bone pain.
- Bloating
- Burping
FAQs
1. Can I drink water after taking Tums?
The answer is yes.
It is better to drink a glass of water with tums. It is usually taken after meals and at bedtime, or as directed by your health care provider.
A study investigated the effect of antacid drugs and water administration on gastric pH. The authors reported that drinking water with antacids immediately increased gastric pH.
2. How many Tums can I take a day?
It is advised not to exceed 750 g (7500 mg) of Tums per day. Tums are available in different dosage dorms with different strengths such as 500mg, 750 mg, and 100 mg. Therefore 7.5 g can come from 7-15 tablets of Tums.
3. What are the different names for Tums?
Tum is an antacid that contains calcium carbonate. Other brand names of antacids made of calcium carbonate includes Rolaids and Alka-Seltzer.
