Introduction
Many antacids (for heartburn) and dietary supplements contain calcium carbonate. When a person consumes a product containing calcium carbonate more than the usual or advised dosage, an overdose has occurred. This might happen accidentally or on purpose. The other name for antacid overdose is calcium carbonate overdose.
What Are Antacids?
A class of medications known as antacids has been available on the market for many years. However, the discovery of proton pump inhibitors transformed the treatment of peptic ulcer disease. Initially, they were the first line of defense against peptic ulcer disease. At the moment, antacids are only used to treat mild intermittent GERD (heartburn-related gastroesophageal reflux disease). Antacids are prescription-free drugs; in other words, it is possible to self-prescribe them. An antacid is a mixture of different substances that contain different calcium, magnesium, and aluminum salts as active components. The antacids work by neutralizing the stomach's acid and by preventing the proteolytic enzyme pepsin from doing its job. Each of these cationic salts has a unique pharmacological feature that governs its therapeutic application.
What Is the Proper Dosage of Antacids?
Typically, antacids are available in the following medication forms:
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Liquid.
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A chewable pill or gummy.
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A water-soluble pill for drinking.
Adults with stomach distress or heartburn may take one to four antacid tablets per hour as needed. However, people should not take more than 16 antacid pills in 24 hours in order to run the risk of calcium carbonate overdosing. In order to reduce the chance of experiencing overdose symptoms, take no more than 12 antacids in a single day if one decides to use them as a calcium supplement.
What Are the Symptoms of Antacid Overdose?
A calcium overdose can affect how well the kidneys work, raise the blood's pH (potential of hydrogen), and cause nausea, vomiting, changes in thinking or mood, itching, and in severe cases, irregular heartbeats. Signs of a calcium carbonate overdose are:
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Abdominal pain.
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A bone ache.
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Coma.
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Confusion.
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Diarrhea.
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Headache.
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Irritability.
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Abnormal heartbeat.
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Decrease in appetite.
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Jerking of the muscles.
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Nausea and vomiting.
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Thirst.
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Weakness
What to Expect in the Emergency Room?
If possible, take the container to the hospital. The patient's vital indicators, such as temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure, will be measured and observed by the healthcare professional. The following tests may be performed:
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Tests on blood and urine.
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A chest X-ray.
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Electrocardiogram is often known as a heart trace.
How Is Antacid Overdose Treated?
Treatment options include:
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Fluids are injected intravenously (through a vein).
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Drug therapy for symptoms.
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Active carbon.
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Laxatives.
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Gastric lavage involves inserting a tube via the mouth into the stomach to empty it.
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Breathing assistance, such as a tube inserted via the mouth into the lungs and attached to a ventilator (breathing apparatus).
What Is the Prognosis of Antacid Overdose?
The poisonousness of calcium carbonate is rather low. An antacid overdose seldom results in death, and recovery is usually possible. High calcium levels, however, have been linked to significant renal damage, kidney stones, and abnormalities in heart rhythm. Frequently, chronic abuse is more harmful than a single overdose.
When Should a Patient Contact a Physician?
Antacids frequently help to reduce the effects of too much stomach acid. However, these signs can occasionally point to a more serious issue. One must understand how to spot these situations and how to react to them. An uneasy stomach may be a peptic ulcer or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Some of the symptoms of these illnesses can only be relieved by antacids, not cured. Call the doctor if the severe discomfort persists despite taking the prescribed amount of antacids for two weeks. Stomach discomfort can sometimes be mistaken for heart attack symptoms. If a person has significant chest discomfort for more than two minutes and any of the following signs, then he may have a heart attack:
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Lightheadedness.
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Respiration difficulty.
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Ache that spreads to the shoulders, jaw, or arms.
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Back or neck discomfort.
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Nausea or vomiting.
How to Prevent Antacids Overdose?
Antacids overdose can be prevented by following certain precautionary measures, some of which are:
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Always ingesting medication at the proper dose and timing.
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Keep away from medications that could interact with calcium carbonate; in general, it is best to keep away from taking any prescription within two hours of taking an antacid.
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Consult the doctor if the calcium carbonate dosage prescribed does not sufficiently relieve or lessen the symptoms.
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Do not take drugs past the time given unless one has spoken with the consulting doctor and received their approval.
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Avoid self-medication.
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When taking any medication, stay away from alcohol.
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Do not suggest or discuss the medications the patient is taking with people who may have the same or nearly the same medical issues as them.
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Using caution when combining calcium carbonate with various medications.
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Putting prescriptions in child-resistant containers to keep them out of the hands of kids.
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To avoid multiple dosages, drugs for elderly people and those who tend to forget should be kept in single-dose containers with time labels.
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Keep an eye on patient intake, particularly if they suffer from depression or have suicidal thoughts and tendencies.
Give the healthcare professional a thorough inventory of any prescription and over-the-counter medications that they are currently using. They will be better able to identify potential drug interactions between different prescriptions and avoid or prevent unintended or inadvertent hazardous drug side effects.
Conclusion
Antacids are available as over-the-counter medicines, so patients can buy them without a prescription. Due to a lack of awareness in this area, medical disorders such as GERD, peptic ulcer, gastric ulcer, and hiatal hernia may not be diagnosed promptly. These treatments merely provide symptomatic relief, which may disguise an underlying disorder. Due to this circumstance, these drugs are misused and provide minimal to no symptom relief. Patients must be made aware of the value of the proper route of administration, timing, and dose for the quick and long-lasting relief of symptoms. Even though these drugs are not hazardous in high dosages, it is crucial to understand how they interact with other drugs, particularly in patients who take multiple prescriptions. Even OTC (over-the-counter) antacids, which on the surface seem harmless, can have a substantial impact on a patient's health. In order to obtain successful results, the interprofessional team must collaborate and communicate.
