Heartburn Relief, From Aciphex to Zantac

NY Times ^ | February 22, 2005 | MARY DUENWALD

[Youngman442002]

I have a bottle of Zantac...and Prilosac....Prilosac wins big time..instant relief...and I have taken..tums-prescriptions...the big P for me..I am selling my bottle of Zantac on e-bay

[Graybeard58]

Ping

[Museum Twenty]

bump for later

[Magnolia]

Fennel tea, or chewing fennel seeds after the meal.

Thanks. I knew it was great for a colicky baby, but never thought about it for adults! I'm going to recommend it to my mother.

[neverdem]

Calcium (carbonate) is the major ingredient in most OTC antacids.

It's the carbonate anion that does the trick, just like in baking soda, aka sodium bicarbonate. It's the carbonate anion in the ionic salt, Calcium carbonate, that reacts with the excess stomach acid to make water and carbon dioxide. Something tells me you never took chemistry. Scroll down the page of that link about three quarters of the way until you find "The Chemistry of Carbonates: CO₃^2- and HCO₃^-"

The formulas on that page are called chemical equilibrium reactions. Atoms of elements combine in specific ratios to form molecules, depending on their natural tendency to gain or lose electrons, becoming negatively or positively charged, respectively. Other symbols on that link are:

(g) meaning gas
(l) meaning liquid
(s) meaning solid
(aq) meaning aqueous, i.e. a solution with water

We're dealing with the chemistry of ionic molecules when they are dissolved in water. In water they can become ions with either negative(-) or positive(+) charges, the sum of which must always equal zero, and which are denoted as superscripts. The number of of atoms of the same element in a molecule or ion are denoted by subscripts. A positively charged ion is called a cation. A negatively charged ion is called an anion.

The chemical symbol for the element and an atom of hydrogen is "H".
The chemical symbol for the element and an atom of oxygen is "O".

Water is a molecule composed of 2 atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen. The molecule of water can disassociate into a hydrogen ion, H⁺,i.e. a proton , with a positive charge and hydroxide ion, OH^-, with a negative charge. The chemical symbol for a molecule of water is H₂O.

The chemical symbol for the element and an atom of carbon is "C".
The chemical symbol for a molecule of carbon dioxide is CO₂.
The chemical symbol for the element and an atom of calcium is "Ca". An ion of calcium is Ca²⁺. It's a cation.
The chemical symbol for the element and an atom of sodium is "Na". An ion of sodium is Na⁺. It's a cation.
The chemical symbol for the carbonate ion is "CO₃^2-". It's an anion.
The chemical symbol for the bicarbonate ion is "HCO₃^-". It's an anion.

[TomGuy]

Something tells me you never took chemistry.

Well, apparently, you did. and you want to show off.

But, from what I can discern from your lengthy dissertation, my statement still stands: Calcium is the major ingredient in most OTC antacids.

[neverdem]

Well, apparently, you did. and you want to show off.

But, from what I can discern from your lengthy dissertation, my statement still stands: Calcium is the major ingredient in most OTC antacids.

Try to find some plain calcium. No, I wasn't trying to show off. I was hoping to teach some chemistry. The gov't does all sorts of things, such as regulating the environment, that it would help if the people understood some science.

If you took calcium chloride, it wouldn't do anything for heartburn. I wasted my time, and I can't type. I regret sending you the comment. Hopefully, someone else might profit, but it's unlikely many will read it now. The thread is rather stale. Adios

[lainde]

bttt