Can you take Tums with Prozac®? 

Can you take Tums with Prozac®? 

Yes, you can take Tums while you’re being treated with Prozac®. There are no known chemical interactions between Tums and Prozac®. 

Tums is an over-the-counter antacid that can help relieve symptoms like acid reflux or heartburn, stomach pain, indigestion, etc – which are considered common early side effects of Prozac® (1). 

Tums basically contain calcium carbonate, which acts as a strong base once inside your stomach and neutralizes the stomach acid – hence resolving your symptoms (2). Prozac® on the other hand is an antidepressant containing fluoxetine which blocks the uptake of serotonin (3,4).

You can take Tums as long as Prozac® upsets your stomach. The best time to take an antacid is after an hour of your meals or as needed. 

Make sure you keep taking Prozac® properly. If it causes gastrointestinal side effects, try taking your antidepressant with meals to help mitigate them. If you’re still concerned about something, reach out to your healthcare provider. 

Precautions and recommendations for Using Tums and Prozac® together

Following are some important points you should know:

  • Although it is safe to take Tums and Prozac® together, it is still best to talk to your doctor about your GI side effects and how bad they are. If your stomach pain or acid reflux is severe, you might need something stronger than Tums. 
  • If your healthcare provider has approved taking Tums and Prozac® together, it is important to follow the dosage instructions carefully. Taking too much of either medication can increase the risk of side effects.
  • Consider taking Tums two hours before or after Prozac®.
  • If Tums fails to provide adequate relief for your heartburn, talk to your doctor. Do not overuse it for better symptomatic relief. 

References

  1. PubChem [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US), National Center for Biotechnology Information; 2004-. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 62857, Fluoxetine Hydrochloride; [cited 2023 Feb. 09]. Available from: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Fluoxetine-Hydrochloride
  2. Fritz K, Taylor K, Parmar M. Calcium Carbonate. 2023 Jan 17. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan–. PMID: 32965974. Bookshelf ID: NBK562303. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562303/
  3. NHS. About fluoxetine [Internet]. nhs.uk. 2022. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/fluoxetine-prozac/about-fluoxetine/
  4. Sohel AJ, Shutter MC, Molla M. Fluoxetine [Internet]. Nih.gov. StatPearls Publishing; 2022. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459223/

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References

1.-

PubChem [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US), National Center for Biotechnology Information; 2004-. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 62857, Fluoxetine Hydrochloride; [cited 2023 Feb. 09]. Available from: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Fluoxetine-Hydrochloride

2.-

Fritz K, Taylor K, Parmar M. Calcium Carbonate. 2023 Jan 17. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan–. PMID: 32965974. Bookshelf ID: NBK562303. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562303/

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