Antacids

[beenee]

What are the negative affects of consuming a large amount of antacid tablets everyday - say 15 a day - besides perhaps developing a tolerance to their effects on indigestion in the long run?

[PaulB]

Yeah apparently they are bad for arthritis and your joints and some can cause a laxative effect.

[woofgang]

The chalky-type can make people constipated if eaten to very great excess

[Zipper]

Oh, that's what i meant, constipated instead of Laxative LOL

[Zipper]

*you meant...

[xyzzy@bok]

Basically, Beenee, all antacid tabs do is alter the Ph in your stomach from high acidic to less acidic, unless they got extra additives, so a good thing to do is to use the basic ingredient, which is a spoonful of Bicarbonate od Soda in water, [Not baking soda] ; Too much antacid though would turn your stomach contents alkaline, that can't be good, balance in all thing, as they say. If you feel you need as much as 15 a day, maybe you should see a doctor.

[Gef]

You can't develop a tolerance to the effect of antacids - they will simply neutralise some of the acid in your stomach. If you are having to take them on a regular basis then you should see your GP. Most people never have the need to take an antacid. By the way Baking Soda is the same as bicarbonate of soda.

[incitatus]

as a lot of antacids contain sodium they are as bad for you as table salt- blood pressure and heart disease are made worse. even the ones that dont, and contain chalk, can havce bad effects on your joints and lead to kidney stones and possibly pseudo gout. If you are talking an antacid more than once a month you need to see a doctor or change your lifestyle or both. Antacids are a terrible answer anyway. try taking an h receptor antagonist like tagamet. But also see a doc- why are you taking these things? do you have an ulcer?

[beenee]

It's a very long and stupid story, incitatus: I don't need to take them, I chose to in order to wean myself off years of chalk-pica (same texture etc). But now that I know that it will probably make me sicker, I'll lay off them. Need to see a doc though, don't I? :o(

While I'm at it: can anyone think of anything edible that has the same texture as chalk? I am trying to quit but am this close to grinding my own teeth down!

[incitatus]

try mixing plain flour and water into a paste with a very little oil, forming into sticks and cooking in an oven at about 150 celsius. its tricky to cure pica by substitution though.... you really need to seek counselling on the subject to try and find out why you do it.

[beenee]

I'll try this, thank you! Really don't think it's a psychological problem though - never had any problems when I was younger. I've tried hypnotherapy too but it didn't help. I'm anemic and know that iron supplements help the cravings a tiny bit but I'm addicted to the texture now. Thinking about going to a sweet shop and seeking out white, crumbly sweets.

[incitatus]

yes- theres a kind of mint with a crumbly texture....what the hell are they called? not mintos.....not imperials....

[beenee]

Trebors! Eww.. really hate those. But will find something - heard the fake-cigarette sweets are similar, not sure. I've mobilized all my friends to look for something that will help. Thank you too :)