Can Tums Cause Kidney Stones

Taking Tums Daily Will Help Reduce Symptoms Of Heartburn

Well, this may be comforting to know, we guess. But while we’re loathe to state the totally obvious, it’s true: Taking Tums every day is an effective way to bring down symptoms of heartburn. We can imagine the marketing team over at Tums HQ will be pleased to hear us say that!

So how exactly do they do that? It all lies in the stomach acid, folks. When our stomach acid can work its way through the protective lining in our stomachs or move up into our esophagus, it can cause ulcers or heartburn, respectively, says Patient. What antacids like Tums do is introduce an alkali ingredient to our stomach acid and, in doing so, neutralize it. In turn, this reduces the severity of any symptoms caused by the acid, like that annoying burning feeling in your chest. Pretty cool, right?

One thing to note, though, is that as the antacid effects wear off, your symptoms may return. Medications like Tums generally offer temporary relief, and recurrent instances of heartburn or gastric upset should be examined by a doctor.

Mayo Clinic Q And A: Kidney Stones And Calcium

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have trouble with kidney stones and recently found out they are calcium oxalate stones. While I have stopped consuming all dairy products, I know that I need calcium as I age for bone health. Would adding in almond milk or another type of plant milk help? How do I take care of both my kidneys and bones?

ANSWER: It sounds like your concern about milk and other dairy products is that their calcium may spur the development of more kidney stones. But people who’ve had calcium oxalate kidney stones need a certain amount of calcium in their diets.

Although almond milk and other plant-based milks, such as soy milk, contain calcium, they also contain oxalate. People with a history of calcium oxalate stones often are cautioned to avoid oxalate-rich foods. Cow’s milk doesn’t have oxalate, but it has the calcium and many other beneficial nutrients that you need, so it is a good choice for you.

Kidney stones made of calcium oxalate form when urine contains more of these substances than the fluid in the urine can dilute. When that happens, the calcium and oxalate form crystals. At the same time, the urine may lack citrate, a substance that prevent the crystals from sticking together, creating an ideal environment for kidney stones to form.

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If You Take Tums Every Day You Might Experience Constipation

While Tums may work wonders on your stomach, taking them every day might have a less-than-ideal effect on your bowel movements. Tums and other antacids contain active ingredients that work to neutralize stomach acid, and Tums use calcium to help reduce stomach upsets, says Harvard Health Publishing. Unfortunately, this may end up causing constipation, which in turn means that you may end up experiencing an entirely different kind of belly pain.

Remember that Tums aren’t the only antacids that contain calcium: Caltrate and Rolaids are also calcium-based medications that may result in difficulty passing stools. Aluminum-based antacids, or combined aluminum and calcium-based antacids like Gaviscon, can also see you experiencing issues on the toilet with constipation, whereas magnesium-based antacids like Mylanta and Maalox may promote, conversely, diarrhea. We know, it’s a minefield out there! The best thing to do, however, is to keep track of your bowel’s reaction to taking Tums. If you’re taking it daily and you notice a significant change in your movements, pause and consult a doctor.

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Increased Risk Of Infection

Besides taking part in the digestion of food, stomach acid also kills disease causing microorganisms like bacteria, fungi and viruses. When you take an antacid, it neutralizes stomach acid or blocks its production. This means that the microorganisms whose numbers would ordinarily be decimated by stomach acid can grow to excessive levels. This will expose your digestive system, and the body in general, to potential infections including pneumonia.5)

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is a technique that uses sound waves to break up simple stones in the kidney or upper urinary tract. ESWL is not used for cystine stones. The procedure generally does not work for stones larger than 2 centimeters in diameter. ESWL can often be done on an outpatient basis with limited anesthesia such as IV sedation and topical agents.

There are several variations of ESWL. The following is a typical procedure:

• The person is positioned in a water bath.
• The procedure uses ultrasound to generate shock waves that travel through the skin and body tissues until they hit the dense stones.
• The shock waves crush the stones into tiny sand-like pieces that usually pass easily through the urinary tract.

The shattered stone fragments may cause discomfort as they pass through the urinary tract. If so, the doctor may insert a small tube called a stent through the bladder into the ureter to help the fragments pass. This practice, however, does not usually speed up passage of the stones and is not used routinely.

Extracorporeal SWL is a procedure used to shatter simple stones in the kidney or upper urinary tract. Ultrasonic waves are passed through the body until they strike the dense stones. Pulses of sonic waves pulverize the stones, which then pass more easily through the ureter and out of the body in the urine.

This method cannot be performed for patients who are pregnant, have bleeding risks, or have an untreated urinary tract infection.

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What Causes These Side Effects

Some of these adverse effects almost seem made upafter all, some people take antacids after every meal. I can remember popping Tums like they were candy. Back when I was in college, I would keep a mega pack in my pocket and consume them all day long. I had no clue that there were could be so many adverse effects until later on when I realized that my heartburn was caused by my Tums habit.

Let me explain what causes some of these side effects.

Causes Of Struvite Stones

Struvite stones are almost always caused by urinary tract infections. Certain bacteria produce urease, which breaks down urate and raises the concentration of ammonia in the urine. Ammonia makes up the crystals that form struvite stones. The bacteria that promote stone formation are most often Proteus, but they may also include Ureaplasma urealyticum, as well as Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Providencia, Serratia, and Staphylococcus species. Women are twice as likely to have struvite stones as men.

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The Problem Is Not Enough Acidity

Many people are surprised to find that the stomach actually needs to be highly acidic. Problems will begin to arise when your stomach acid pH levels rise. At a normal dosage, antacids can make your stomach less acidic, which is only contributing to the problem.

The reason you experience acid reflux is not because your stomach has too much acid, but because it doesnt have enough acid. Your stomach acid pH is naturally between 1 and 3. This is highly acidicmuch like car battery acid.

When your stomach acid is at the correct pH balance, it breaks down food and provides the body with essential nutrients, as it should. However, when your stomach acid pH level risesmeaning your stomach is less acidicyou run into a number of problems including heartburn.

This is because the valve at the top of your stomach known as the esophageal sphincter only works correctly when your stomach is at the right acidity. When your pH level is high, the valve can fail to close which allows stomach acid to flow up into the esophagus.

While antacids neutralize the stomach acid in your esophagus and relieve pain, they also seep down into your stomach. When this happens, it makes your stomach more alkalinemeaning less acidic.

Since this is the problem to begin with, you experience more acid reflux. So, while you may experience immediate relief, its short lived and makes for an even bigger problem in the long run.

Are There Any Non

Linstedt: Sure there are. For starters, try to maintain a healthy weight. If you smoke, quit. And avoid foods and beverages that can make your condition worse, such as chocolate, coffee, acidic tomato products, greasy or spicy foods and alcoholic beverages.

Loose-fitting clothing can also help. And after a meal, dont lie down for 3 hours. That might mean you need to plan an earlier dinnertime. And if you have acid reflux, sleep with your head elevated. You can do this by putting a foam wedge under the head of your mattress or extra pillows under your head and upper back to raise your head around 6 to 8 inches.

The good news is that antacids can really help. And if you take them occasionally and at the recommended dose, they rarely cause side effects. But you should talk to your doctor if youre taking them frequently. You may need to discuss a better long-term solution.

Additional sources

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Dietary Recommendations For Kidney Stones

Since diet contributes to a varying degree in the formation of kidney stone, dietary recommendations for kidney stones are extremely important. In some, modifying ones diet with multiple risk factors may be all that is needed for stone prevention while others will require specific medical treatment with dietary measures serving as an important adjunct in the overall effort in preventing future stones.

For years, the focus in dietary prevention has been calcium restriction this is not needed in most patients with calcium stones. Unless specifically indicated, as evidenced by detailed medical evaluation, calcium restriction may actually promote stone formation and should not be undertaken unless directed by your physician.

The following recommendation serves as general guidelines for those with calcium stones however, since individual needs may vary, we recommend you consult with your physician prior to initiating any dietary restriction.

Salt Dietary Recommendations For Kidney Stones

• Salt, sodium chloride is excreted by the kidney in such a way that calcium follows salt into the urine at a 2:1 ratio. Excessive salt intake is among the most common factors we see in recurrent stone formers.
• Salt is everywhere! Read the label, you will be shocked at the amount of salt in our daily pre-packaged food and beverages take Gatorade and V-8 vegetable juice for example. If your diet involves dining out or lots if pre-made food, your salt intake will already be excessive even if you do not add any additional salt.
• Hydrochlorothiazide/HCTZ: a mainstay in treating patients with excess urinary calcium DOES NOT work unless salt intake is restricted.
• Remember, low salt diet!

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Having Tums Daily Can Impact Your Muscles

The medication that we take can affect far more than just the body part or ailment that it’s targeting. And in the case of Tums, they may have a knock-on effect on other areas, especially if you’re taking them every day. “Muscle twitching, generalized weakness, and even muscle tenderness and pain are the most common complaints” when taking Tums or other antacids with too much frequency, explains Lenox Hill Hospital attending emergency physician and Northwell Health assistant professor of emergency medicine Robert Glatter to Prevention.

The reason for this, Glatter explains, is because the active ingredients in these antacids, like calcium in the case of Tums, alter the levels in your blood. This can then introduce an electrolyte imbalance into your system, and your muscles react accordingly. As Glatter says, “the severity of the symptoms is influenced by the amount of antacids and duration of use.” In simpler terms, the more Tums you take, the more likely you are to experience effects on your muscles.

Calcium Supplements Tied To Kidney Stone Risk

But don’t stop on your own if doctor recommended them, experts say

HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Oct. 13, 2015 — People with a history of kidney stones may have a higher risk of recurrence if they use calcium supplements, a new study finds.

The findings, based on records from more than 2,000 patients, add to evidence linking calcium supplements to kidney stone risk.

But researchers also said that people taking calcium under a doctor’s advice should not stop on their own.

“We’re definitely not advocating that people stop taking calcium supplements if their doctor prescribed them for their bone health,” said Christopher Loftus, the lead researcher on the study and an M.D. candidate at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine.

Loftus is scheduled to present his findings next month at the American Society of Nephrology’s annual meeting in San Diego. Data and conclusions presented at meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

Kidney stones develop when high levels of crystal-forming substances — such as calcium, uric acid and a compound called oxalate — build up in the urine. Most kidney stones contain calcium.

Doctors used to advise people who are “stone formers” to cut down on their calcium intake, said Dr. Mathew Sorensen, an assistant professor of urology at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Calcium supplements, on the other hand, have been tied to an increased risk of kidney stones in some studies.

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Mixed Causes Of Calcium Stones

Often, the cause of calcium stones is not known and is referred to as idiopathic nephrolithiasis. Research suggests that nearly all stones result from problems in the breakdown and absorption of calcium and oxalate. Genetic factors may play a role in about one-half of these cases. Many medical conditions and drugs can also affect digestion and intestinal absorption.

Excess Calcium in the Urine

Hypercalciuria is a condition in which there is too much calcium in the urine. It is responsible for as many as 70% of calcium-containing stones. A number of conditions may produce hypercalciuria. Many are due to genetic factors, but most cases are due to unknown causes .

The following can lead to hypercalciuria and calcium stones:

• Too much calcium absorbed by the intestines. This is usually caused by genetic factors.
• High intake of calcium, often in the form of supplements taken beyond recommended levels.
• Renal calcium leak. In this condition, the kidney does not regulate minerals normally, causing an increase of calcium in the urine.
• Increase in levels of 1,25 dihydroxy vitamin D or in the activity of the vitamin D receptor.
• Excessive sodium. High urinary levels of sodium result in increased levels of calcium. Certain defects in the kidney tubules transport system cause imbalances in sodium and phosphate, which can lead to high calcium levels in the urine. A high-salt diet can also produce this effect.
• High intake of refined carbohydrates.
• Excessive caffeine or alcohol intake.

Oxalate Restriction In Hyperoxaluria

People who have hyperoxaluria will be advised to limit the amount of oxalate in their diet.

• Foods high in oxalic acid include beets, soy, black tea, chenopodium, chocolate, cocoa, dried figs, ground pepper, lamb, lime peel, nuts, parsley, poppy seeds, purslane, rhubarb, sorrel, spinach, and Swiss chard.
• Foods containing moderate amounts of oxalates include beans , blackberries, blueberries, carrots, celery, coffee , concord grapes, currants, dandelion greens, endive, gooseberries, lemon peel, okra, green onions, oranges, green peppers, black raspberries, strawberries, and sweet potatoes.

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Kidney Stones: Tiny And Painful But Treatable

Topics in this Post

• Kidney Health

The pain may start in your back, then radiate into your groin. You may think you’ve twisted something, but the pain continues to worsen, often coming in waves. That’s when you may head to the Emergency Department only to find that the cause of your excruciating pain is caused by a little rock of calcium, minerals and salts: a kidney stone.

Kidney stones also may be the cause of blood in your urine, which is the result of stones bouncing around inside your kidneys. They usually don’t cause pain until they pass into your ureters, which are the tubes connecting the kidneys and bladder. If a stone becomes stuck, it may block the flow of urine, cause your kidneys to swell and the ureter to spasm and for you to be awash in pain.

How kidney stones form

Kidney stones form when your urine contains more crystal-forming substances, such as calcium and uric acid, than can be diluted by the fluid in your urine. Most kidney stones are 6 millimeters or smaller about the size of a pencil eraser. There are four main types of stones: calcium, struvite, uric acid and cystine. Knowing what kind you have can give you clues for reducing your risk of getting more.

Risk factors

Your risk of getting kidney stones can increase because of:

Treating kidney stones

Treatments include:

These procedures are followed by an X-ray or ultrasound in 30 days to confirm the stones are gone.

Dana Rademacher, M.D., is a urologist in La Crosse and Onalaska, Wisconsin.

Four Main Kinds Of Kidney Stones

There are four main kinds of kidney stones:

• Calcium oxalate stones, by far the most common type of kidney stone

• Calcium phosphate stones, also very common

• Uric acid stones, often associated with diabetes

• Struvite stones, often caused by an active infection

The two most common kidney stones include calcium’ in their names, so does that mean you should cut out milk and other calcium-rich foods?

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Are You Popping Tums Like Candy Why This May Be Detrimental To Your Health

“What do you do if you have heartburn or indigestion?”

“Take Tums, of course.”

Well, it’s time to think twice about this answer.

Taking Tums or other antacids for heartburn has become second nature. It has become the adult version of smarties, yes those small little candy tablets you used to eat as a child and pretend they were medicine. Oh, how the times have changed: now we use medicine like it’s candy.

Heartburn usually occurs when a muscle, called the lower esophageal spincture, does not close completely, allowing stomach contents to regurgitated from the stomach into the esophagus.This muscle acts like a valve, opening to allow food from the esophagus into the stomach, and closing to prevent the backflow of contents from the stomach into the esophagus, but with every valve comes the potential for leaks, and in this case heartburn. Part of the contents regurgitated include gastric acid , which is usually the main culprit behind that burning sensation. It is this acid that can lead to corrossion and excessive inflammtion, after all as it’s name implies it is an acid.

Now that we went over some of the basic physiology and mechanisms of action involved in heartburn, lets talk about some risk factors that can be causing or worsening symptoms.

2. Smoking. Once again is it not the easiest to stop smoking, but it is one of the best things that you can do for acid reflux, amongst many other health concerns.

5. Hernias and pregnancy are also common causes of heartburn.