can kids take tums?

Tums seem relatively harmless. These antacids got me through quite a few bouts of heartburn. It makes sense that they could help a little one with an upset stomach, too.

However, upon calling the doctor for my little one about this subject, I discovered that Tums aren’t always the answer.

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It’s important to address other possible causes and learn what age is safe to give children Tums to make sure that you don’t do more harm than good.

Tums work exceptionally well to provide relief from acid. This includes a small amount of indigestion, heartburn, bloating, and gas. They do not work like all-in-one stomach medicines, such as Pepto Bismol.

Tums won’t help with diarrhea or vomiting. They aren’t always recommended to deal with chronic conditions.

My pediatrician is a big fan of addressing underlying causes. That’s why you see that mentioned in so many of my blogs. I’ve personally discovered that this works better for a long term solution too.

Most varieties contain a small amount of sodium (2 mg), and elemental calcium (400 mg). All Tums products use calcium carbonate at 1000 mg levels as an active ingredient.

Typically, calcium carbonate won’t cause any problems. When it does, most people wind up feeling constipated. Make sure that it’s safe for your child to take Tums before giving them to them.

If your little one is on any other medication or has a medical condition, it’s important to consult your doctor or pharmacist before giving them an antacid.

Calcium carbonate is often not recommended for people with kidney problems. It can also interfere with the absorption of other medications.

Make sure that your little one won’t have any problems. Before giving them Tums, call their doctor or your local pharmacist.

No, this isn’t recommended. Most pediatricians do not recommend giving a child under the age of six Tums. Instead, make sure that it’s not attention-seeking behavior.

If you’re positive that your little one is in need of medicine, call your pediatrician first. If this isn’t an option or you just need some quick relief for a case of heartburn, Pepto Bismol does have a kids brand that is okay for children above the age of 2.

If your little one has frequent heartburn, it can provide some relief while waiting to get into the doctor. Having some in the cabinet just in case is a great idea.

Before doling out medicine, it’s important to make sure that your little one is really sick. Children fake illnesses for a variety of reasons.

They may be on a mission to get out of school, chores, or to get a little bit of extra love. Being sick usually accomplishes all of those things. To make sure that your little one is, in fact, feeling ill look for other symptoms.

Illnesses often present themselves externally as well as internally. A child who doesn’t feel well will often not feel like running around and playing. If their stomach hurts, expect to see diarrhea, vomiting, or at least a change in appetite.

If you’re sure that your little one is not sick, try giving them a placebo instead. It’s a great trick to make a little one feel better without giving them unnecessary medicine.

Vitamin C chews or tablets are a wonderful idea. Picking up a separate bottle of multi-vitamins can also work wonders. If your child can read, you’ll have to get creative with this one.

Put them in a medicine bottle or pick up some that are designed specifically to be used as placebos for children. Watch out for sugar pills, though.

Some placebos are just a large dose of unhealthy sugar that we wouldn’t want our kids taking any more than we would want to give them unnecessary medicine.

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Yes! Six is the magical age that children are allowed to have Tums according to the pediatrician. It’s important to keep in mind that how many Tums you give your little one will depend on their weight.

If you’re unsure, ask your doctor or local pharmacy. If you’re wondering if 7, 8, 9, or 10-year-olds can have Tums, it’s the same answer.

These age groups can enjoy the relief that Tums provides for a variety of ailments. The same company makes Tums for children as well, and most kids enjoy these.

Although drug interactions aren’t common and serious side effects are extremely rare, some of you might not feel comfortable giving your little one Tums or your child might be too young.

If your children are under six, there are plenty of home remedies available to provide relief in the meantime.

Heartburn is usually a smaller version of acid reflux. When heartburn is a consistent problem, it’s usually diagnosed as Acid Reflux.

The occasional bout of heartburn is not considered acid reflux, though. These are some of the most common home remedies for heartburn:

These will provide temporary relief for heartburn. Most recommend drinking milk to stop heartburn in its tracks, but the fat content in milk can actually make heartburn worse in the long run.

Instead, opt for oatmeal with sliced bananas and some aloe juice to drink.

Bloating is a common cause of stomach aches in children. Most children don’t understand what bloating is, so instead, they complain that their stomach hurts.

In order to help your little one with bloating, you need to discover the cause behind the bloating.

Swallowing air can happen when children breathe too fast, like when they are anxious about something. Children that are scared will also breathe faster. Kids that chew gum are also more likely to swallow air than other kids.

Teach your children breathing techniques to use when they are stressed, nervous, or feeling scared. If your little one chews gum, it’s time to get rid of it. Gum is bad for your teeth, anyway.

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Constipation can easily cause bloating or an upset stomach. It can be difficult for parents to tell if their child is constipated when they start using the bathroom on their own.

To determine if your little one is backed up, have a conversation with them. Explain how healthy bowel movements work and tell them that you need to know if they haven’t pooped in a while.

This is a nice conversation to have, but most younger children won’t remember to tell you. Just to be safe, ask your child if they pooped every night to double-check.

The solution to constipation often lies in diet changes. Over the counter medication, such as laxatives, can help on a short term basis. However, it’s important to implement dietary changes to make sure that it doesn’t turn into chronic constipation.

The main changes that most people make that help constipation are increasing the fiber and water intake. Mild dehydration can result in constipation as can a poor diet.

Make sure to include plenty of leafy greens, like salad or spinach in your kid’s diet. Fruits and water are perfect for keeping children both hydrated and healthy.

Lactose intolerance is a common reason for bloating, stomach pain, and diarrhea. If children experience stomach pain when drinking milk or consuming products that have lactose in them, it could be due to lactose intolerance.

Sometimes, the symptoms don’t appear until several hours after a kid drinks milk, though. This is why it’s helpful to contact your pediatrician. Some offices can do a breath test to determine if a child is lactose intolerant.

Eliminate lactose from their diet if possible. Most milk has lactose in it, but there are lactose-free options available. Opt for soy milk or almond milk instead.

Start reading the ingredients on dairy products while at the store. There are a lot of yogurt products that do not have lactose in them. Most people that are slightly lactose intolerant can still consume cheese too!

Children get gas just like adults do. However, they often do the same thing that they do with other things. Simply say that their stomach hurts.

There are quite a few things that can cause gas in children. In order to prevent gas, it’s important to discover what is causing the gas.

If your child has chronic gas, it could be due to an underlying medical condition. Common conditions that cause gas include:

If your child seems to be constantly suffering from gas, it can be a good idea to check with your pediatrician for underlying medical conditions.

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If there are no underlying medical conditions, you can usually trust that chronic gas is due to a child’s diet. Sometimes children are more sensitive to foods than we are, so we don’t always realize that we might be contributing to the gas problem.

These foods are known to cause gas:

If your child eats a lot of these foods and they have gas, this could be the reason. Try eliminating key foods from their diet to find out which one is the cause of the gas.

Do this with one food at a time for 3-5 days. It can be time-consuming and requires patience, but is well worth it in the long run.

Most parents find it helpful to keep medication that can provide relief on hand while they determine the underlying cause.

Acid reflux is caused by acid in the stomach. This is the primary reason that parents wonder if a five-year-old can have Tums.

If that’s not an option and you prefer not to give your little one more medicine than is necessary, consider these possible causes and solutions to acid reflux.

To determine a natural way to resolve acid reflux, it’s important to understand that acid reflux is often the same thing as heartburn. However, acid reflux happens more often than once in a while.

It’s the equivalent of chronic heartburn. There are several underlying things that can cause acid reflux:

In these situations, the solution would be to solve the underlying condition. For stress, children can practice yoga. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can help children learn to deal with anxiety.

Sitting up for an hour or so after meals can help drastically reduce symptoms of acid reflux.

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Diet can play a large role in acid reflux. There are a lot of foods that contain large amounts of acid, such as tomatoes. If your child has a diet packed with any of these foods, that could be the reason behind them having acid reflux:

If your child consumes a lot of these foods, try an elimination diet to see if that helps.

While solving the underlying condition is often the best long term solution, it’s a great idea to have something on hand for kids so that they aren’t suffering while you determine that underlying cause.

CALCIUM CARBONATE (KAL see um KAR bon ate) treats heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, or other conditions caused by too much stomach acid. It works by reducing the amount of acid in the stomach. It belongs to a group of medications called antacids. It may also be used to increase calcium levels in your body. Calcium is a mineral that plays an important role in building strong bones and maintaining heart health.

This medicine may be used for other purposes; ask your health care provider or pharmacist if you have questions.

COMMON BRAND NAME(S): Alka-Mints, Alka-Seltzer, Alka-Seltzer Heartburn Relief, Alkets, Antacid Fast Dissolve, Cal-Gest, Calcium Antacid, Maalox, Maalox Antacid Barrier, Maalox Quick Dissolve, Mylanta, Mylanta Children's, Pepto-Bismol, Pepto-Bismol Children's, Rolaids Extra Strength, Titralac, Titralac Extra Strength, Tums, Tums Chewy Bites, Tums Cool Relief, Tums E-X, Tums Freshers, Tums Kids, Tums Lasting Effects, Tums Smooth Dissolve, Tums Smoothies, Tums Ultra

They need to know if you have any of these conditions:

Take this medication by mouth. Chew it completely before swallowing. Follow the directions on the label. Drink a glass of water after taking this medication. Antacids are usually taken after meals and at bedtime, or as directed by your care team. Take your medication at regular intervals. Do not take your medication more often than directed.

Talk to your care team regarding the use of this medication in children. While this medication may be used in children for selected conditions, precautions do apply.

Overdosage: If you think you have taken too much of this medicine contact a poison control center or emergency room at once.

NOTE: This medicine is only for you. Do not share this medicine with others.

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you can. If it is almost time for your next dose, take only that dose. Do not take double or extra doses.

Do not take this medication with any of the following:

This medication may also interact with the following:

This list may not describe all possible interactions. Give your health care provider a list of all the medicines, herbs, non-prescription drugs, or dietary supplements you use. Also tell them if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs. Some items may interact with your medicine.

Tell your care team if your symptoms do not start to get better or if they get worse. Do not treat yourself for stomach problems with this medication for more than 2 weeks. See your care team if you have black tarry stools, rectal bleeding, or if you feel unusually tired. Do not change to another antacid product without advice.

If you are taking other medications, leave an interval of at least 2 hours before or after taking this medication.

To help reduce constipation, drink several glasses of water a day.

Side effects that you should report to your care team as soon as possible:

Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your care team if they continue or are bothersome):

This list may not describe all possible side effects. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

• Loss of appetite.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Gas.
• Dry mouth.

My 3-year-old sometimes complains that her tummy hurts.

With kids that age, it’s really hard to tell when they’re in a lot of pain, exaggerating a little discomfort, or making it up entirely for attention or comfort.

Plus, when my stomach hurts, I’ll often take Tums or a store brand antacid of some kind. She sees me do this and will often ask if she can have some.

So for a variety of reasons I’ve been wondering lately if it’s OK for kids and toddlers to have Tums or other antacids. They seem harmless to me, and I’ll down them like candy when I have a stomachache, but I’m not a doctor.

So I called my own pediatrician and talked to the nurse line to ask if kids can take Tums. This was their advice:

Typically, they don’t recommend Tums or antacids for kids under 6 years of age. The better approach would be to:

I know this might come as a shock to you parents out there (sarcasm), but sometimes kids just pretend to be sick or in pain to get a little bit of attention.

A tummy ache is one of the biggest things they’ll make up or exaggerate, but headaches and mysterious coughs are some other common symptoms.

Why do kids pretend to be sick? There are a lot of reasons:

So how do you know if they’re really sick or just faking it?

I found a fantastic article written by a parent and pediatrician that should help (check it out here). But the bottom line is that most injuries and illnesses should have some visible or noticeable effects other than just taking your kid’s word for it.

Stomach aches, for example, often come with changes in appetite, diarrhea, or vomiting.

Headaches are a nightmare and your child probably won’t want to play or watch TV if their head really hurts.

And so on.

In most cases, there should be some other signs that your kid is telling the truth and really needs medicine or a doctor’s appointment.

If you’ve decided that your toddler is probably faking, or at least exaggerating a stomach ache, it’s good news that they’re not really sick.

But now you still have to deal with them being grumpy, sad, and complaining about their tummy!

Sometimes just a little bit of attention will fix them right up. Sometimes you need something more.

With younger kids and toddlers, you can often just give them a little placebo for comfort instead of risking the side effects of a real medicine.

For example, here’s a cool little chewable vitamin called Magic Feel Good (Amazon link). It comes in a fancy case and is designed to make kids feel like they’re getting some real medicine to make them feel better. But in reality, it’s just a harmless, tasty Vitamin C chew.

However, some experts caution against this kind of approach because it fosters a reliance on medicine instead of actually addressing the real issue (ie, treating an actual stomachache or rooting out the need for comfort).

My own doctor, for the record, was fine with giving multi-vitamins as placebo a try.

It’s best to make your own decision on this sort of thing. Personally, I might keep it in my toolbag for rare occasions when my daughter just can’t be comforted, but I wouldn’t rely on placebos night in and night out.

The other possibility here is that your toddler might actually, really be sick and have a stomachache.

The nurse I spoke to told me to keep a lookout for a couple of key things to tell if my daughter’s stomachaches are real or imagined.

These kinds of signs should be pretty apparent if your kid is actually sick with a stomachache.

If you see these things crop up, it’s best to call in the pros and get an appointment with your pediatrician rather than trying to self-medicate with Tums or other over-the-counter remedies, unless recommended by a doctor.

And if attention and/or placebo aren’t making the complaining stop, that’s another sign that they might actually be sick and need to visit the doctor.

The nurse I spoke with at my pediatrician’s office noted that Tums is really best used, in general, as an antacid for heartburn and indigestion. It can also be used for stomachs that are “sour” or a little upset (these tablets neutralize stomach acid and help calm things down)

Turns out, though, that there are lots of other options on the market that do come in kids’ varieties, especially if there’s nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea involved.

Call your pediatrician or nurse line before you give any of these, but you can easily find upset-stomach remedies for kids at your local store like:

Pepto, in particular, has a variety that’s intentionally made for children under 2-years-old.

According to WebMD, the most common side effects of Tums or other antacids like them are:

That doesn’t sound too scary!

They also mention that serious allergic reactions to Tums are very rare, though they can happen.

I’ll continue to reiterate that I’m NOT a doctor and don’t have medical expertise, but from my own research, it’s very unlikely that anything serious should happen as a result of a one-off consumption of Tums.

However, I’ll also reiterate that my own doctor advised me not to give Tums to kids under 6 years of age, especially on a regular basis.

So can toddlers have Tums? My pediatrician advised me not to try it for children under 6-years-old.

But you have some other options if your kid has a persistent or questionable stomach ache.

First, realize they might be pretending for attention. A gentle conversation, a hug, or some playtime might be all they really need. Conversely, they could be exaggerating a belly ache to get out of doing something they don’t want to do. In that case, you may need to put your foot down.

Second, you can try a placebo if you’re comfortable with it. Get a simple kids chewable multivitamin and tell them it’s going to make their bellies feel better. (If it works, you know they were faking!)

Antacids are medications that neutralize gastric acids to relieve acid reflux and indigestion. You can use antacids for children to treat occasional regurgitationiXThe act of spitting up food or liquids from the stomach of stomach contents or chronic reflux conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). They can be purchased over the counter in the form of syrups or chewable tablets (1) (2). However, doctor consultation before purchase is necessary as some antacids aren’t recommended for children under 12 years of age unless directed otherwise by the doctor (3).

Read on about different antacids you can use for children, their safety, and their side effects.

Yes, school age children and adolescents may be given certain antacids for short-term relief from symptoms. Since antacid medicines are available without a prescription, it is important to carefully go through the pack’s insert for instructions regarding recommended age and dosage. It is advisable to consult a general physician or a healthcare provider before giving antacids to children. These are not recommended for infants and young children. Also they are not recommended for long term treatment in children of any age.

Different types of antacids may contain one or more of the following ingredients (1) (4).

These chemicals neutralize stomach acid and/or reduce the amount of pepsin (a protein-digesting enzyme that may cause damage if the refluxed stomach contents reach beyond the food pipe). They may also relieve abdominal pain and stomach cramps and prevent the refluxed acid from corrodingiXA type of destruction or damage to the stomach causes by acidic and alkaline agents any tissue (5).

The age-appropriate dosage is often mentioned in the patient information leaflet or package insert available with the medication. However, you should discuss with your healthcare provider to know the appropriate dose based on the age and bodyweight of your child. Antacids are usually taken after meals or at bedtime, or as directed by your child’s doctor.

The table below may help you understand the dosage instructions for some of the available antacids (7) (8) (9).

Antacids usually do not cause harm if taken in correct doses. It may cause certain side effects in children, such as (4):

You should stop giving the medication to your child and consult a physician if any of the above symptoms become severe.

You must observe the following precautions when giving antacids to your child (9) (10).