What Are Antacids and How Do They Work?

What Are Antacids Used For?

Antacids are often taken to relieve heartburn, acid indigestion and a “sour” or upset stomach.

Symptoms antacids may be helpful for include:

• A burning feeling in your stomach or chest. This may be more noticeable after you’ve eaten, or at night, and is typically a result of stomach acid and/or undigested food rising into your esophagus. This is what is generally known as ‘heartburn’¹

• Feeling bloated or overly full. You’ll likely notice this after eating – it might feel like pressure or discomfort²

• Minor discomfort around your stomach. Also known as epigastric pain, you’ll feel this under your ribcage just above your stomach. This is where organs such as your liver, pancreas and small intestine are found²

• Tasting stomach acid, or a sour taste. Often with acid reflux or GERD, acid will rise from the stomach. When the acid moves up the esophagus you may notice a distinctive and unpleasant sour taste³

Antacid Side Effects

There can be some side effects associated with taking antacids⁴:

• Headaches

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Stomach pain or cramps

• Excessive gas

• Diarrhea or constipation

• Hypercalcemia – excessive calcium in the blood due to the large amounts of calcium found in antacids

• Osteopenia – weak bones or bone density loss

• Iron Deficiency Anemia – due to reduced absorption of iron

• Antacids often contain aluminum or magnesium. Aluminum can cause constipation whereas magnesium may cause diarrhea⁵.

You shouldn’t take antacids too frequently. If you experience heartburn or indigestion regularly, there could be underlying causes – so you should speak to your healthcare provider about this⁴.

You should also contact your doctor if you take other medications, as antacids can affect how your body absorbs certain medicines⁴.

Types of Antacid Medications

Antacids come in various forms – typically liquid, tablet or chewable tablet. They are usually taken orally. Liquid antacids will require you to measure your dose with either a spoon or a cup.

Chewable tablets such as PEPCID® COMPLETE^® can be more practical for those on the go, and won’t require you to measure a dosage.

Some tablets aren’t chewed, but are swallowed whole with a glass of water.

Antacid Only

Many over-the-counter heartburn medications only contain antacid compounds — such as calcium carbonate, magnesium hydroxide, or aluminum hydroxide.

Combination Antacid and H2 Blocker: PEPCID® COMPLETE®

Some of the best antacids medications for GERD, heartburn and acid reflux use more than one active ingredient.

Medications like PEPCID® COMPLETE^® , for example, contain multiple types of active ingredients that work to fight heartburn on several levels. PEPCID® COMPLETE® is fast acting and provides dual action heartburn relief with a single tablet, combining an antacid with an H2 (histamine-2) blocker.

H2 blockers such as famotidine are common heartburn relievers. These medications directly block parietal cells, the acid-producing cells inside the stomach. H2 blockers stop these cells from producing additional stomach acid, which helps prevent extra acid from escaping into the esophagus⁶.

PEPCID® COMPLETE^® combines the acid-suppressing power of an H2 blocker with the acid-neutralizing abilities of a calcium carbonate antacid.

Watch a video to see how the medication works:

PEPCID® COMPLETE^® works fast to relieve heartburn and control acid all day or all night.*

_{*Based on 9-hour acid control studies during the day and 12-hour acid control studies during the night. Acid control does not imply symptom relief.}

Antacid FAQs

Is Famotidine an Antacid?

No. Famotidine is a medicine known as an H2 blocker, which decreases the amount of acid being produced in the stomach. Famotidine can be bought over the counter to prevent heartburn or acid indigestion, but it works differently to an antacid, which works to neutralize existing stomach acid. It’s also the active ingredient in PEPCID®.

A doctor or healthcare provider may prescribe stronger variants of famotidine to treat stomach ulcers. It can also be used to help manage conditions where the body produces too much stomach acid⁷.

Is PEPCID® an Antacid?

Some PEPCID® medications, such as PEPCID® Complete On-The-Go, contain effective antacids that can help relieve occasional heartburn and indigestion.

However, the primary ingredient in most PEPCID® products is famotidine, which acts as a histamine-2 blocker, rather than an antacid. Regardless, PEPCID® is recommended by many doctors and pharmacists for the relief of heartburn and acid reflux.

Does an Antacid Help Nausea?

Antacids can help to reduce nausea in certain cases. When food or stomach acid rises into your esophagus, the taste, along with the belching and coughing that often come with acid reflux, can make you feel like vomiting.

Antacids can reduce levels of stomach acids, therefore helping with the overall symptoms in such cases⁴.

Will an Antacid Help With Gas or Bloating?

Some antacid medicines may help with gas or bloating. If your antacid medication contains simethicone, for example, it can help to break up the gas bubbles in your gut. However, antacids on their own are unlikely to help with gas or bloating⁸.