For what conditions are antacids used?
Antacids are used commonly for symptoms such as heartburn, abdominal pain (sometimes described as sour stomach) and nausea resulting from a number of conditions such as, acid-peptic ulcers of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum or inflammation of the lining of the esophagus (esophagitis), stomach (gastritis), and duodenum (duodenitis). Aluminum carbonate antacids can be used to treat and manage hyperphosphatemia (abnormally elevated levels of phosphate in the blood) since they bind phosphate in the intestine and prevent it from being absorbed into the body. Because of this ability to bind phosphate in the intestine, aluminum carbonate antacids also can be used with a low phosphate diet to prevent the formation of kidney stones, since kidney stones are made up of various elements including phosphates. Calcium carbonate antacids are used in conditions of calcium deficiency such as postmenopausal osteoporosis. Magnesium oxide antacids are used to treat magnesium deficiencies from either
