Is taking tums frequently (almost once a day) really bad for you?

Question

My husband tells me that it's not good for my health to do that, but I looked at the bottle and it seems like it consists of mostly calcium and magnesium. Anyway, I don't think it's bad for me and he does... who's right??

Thanks :o)

Answer 1

i dont think there is. my sisters pregnant and she takes them all the time her doctor even said its okay

Answer 2

neither. it could be bad, it could not be bad. 1 pill a day shouldn't do any serious problems, but then again if you take it daily, then your body might get used to it and it won't do its proper function anymore. i would say ask a doctor.

Answer 3

I think your husband; it's better to find out from your doctor why you have to take tums daily.  

Maybe there's something up with your digestion, better to deal w/ the medical problem at it's root.  The tums are just a band aid in place of a genuine solution.

Answer 4

It's ok to take it daily. It's actually also indicated as a calcium supplement.

Answer 5

You are fine.  The ingredients are not harmful to take on a regular basis.  I do not agree with people that take Tums as a calcium supplement though.  Tums contains calcium carbonate which is not very easily absorbed.  For nutritional calcium take calcium lactate or calcium citrate.

Answer 6

I ate like an entire capsule when I was four or five, thought it was candy. Nothing happened to me. :o)

Answer 7

Health food folks would have some alternative so they would probably answer yes to your question. I don't think Tums work that well and have had much better luck with Zantac which I've used for many years.  I'm 60 and have used Zantac for over 20 years with zero side effects.  You can buy it generic (ranitidine) for dirt cheap and you no longer have to chew chalk.

Answer 8

My mom eats them like M&M's lol =) You need calcium and magnesium and all that good stuff, but you should only take the TUMS when you have heartburn. You can eat foods that have calcium, etc. Good luck =)

Answer 9

you're right, you can actually take them as a calcium supplement  it says so right on the bottle

Answer 10

Pisces,

     I can't say if it's bad for you for sure, but I can tell you this - I pop them like candy, and have been for the last 10 years.  

     They are recommended as a calcium supplement at the level you are taking them.  At the level I'm taking them, they are not recommended.   I told my doctor and she said that it wasn't a problem as long as I wasn't covering up a problem - an ulcer or an h. pylori infection for example.   She also said I'd be better off taking prilosec for 2 or 3 weeks, then seeing if I still needed them.  

    If you have a chronically irritated stomach,  prilosec will force it to cut back on the amount of acid you produce - unlike tums which simply neutralizes it somewhat (buffers it).

    I was able to cut back tremendously and stopped the acid reflux totally by taking prilosec.  There are several others that do the same thing but zantac comes to mind.  

    Be careful though - there's one of them that's actually dangerous to take if you do it simultaneous to grapefruit.  I can't remember which one it is.  

    If you need the tums due to burning in your stomach, you should get a handle on why it's happening.  If you are having acid reflux at night, get on top of that asap.  I didn't (I let it go for years), and now something is not quite right in my throat.   It can also lead to scarring, throat cancer, and swallowing problems - which I have to a minor degree.    I use to simply pop the tums (every hour or so during the day and when I'd wake up at night).  I wish I'd addressed the situation sooner.    You've got a heck of a long ways to go before you are abusing them like I did if you are only taking one a day.  

By the way - my brother is a doctor and he pops them like candy as well at times.  He has no qualms about it, knows I eat them too, and blames our bad  irish stomach genes, middle age, and a love of good food and coffee.  

I wouldn't worry yet, and I gave you the worst case scenario, but keep my story in mind if you find yourself leaning on them more and more.

-Kevin

Answer 11

Once a day? One tablet or one roll? Either way, the calcium is good for you. The only possible negative might be helping to develop kidney stones. PAINFUL! The likelihood is is low however.