Exact Answer: 30 Minutes
Omeprazole is a medication used to treat conditions where there is too much acid in the stomach as in the cases of gastroesophageal reflux disease, peptic ulcer disease, etc. It has a half-life i.e time taken by half of the medicine to be eliminated by the body, of 1 – 1.2 hours. Omeprazole is also used in the treatment of gastrointestinal bleeding in people.
Tums is a widely renowned antacid that helps in neutralizing stomach acid. It can help people relieve heartburn, indigestion, or an upset stomach. This antacid is made up of calcium carbonate i.e CaCO3 and sucrose i.e a type of sugar. It is an OTC (over-the-counter) medication that does not necessarily require a prescription.
How Long After Omeprazole Can I Take Tums?
| Conditions | Duration |
| The time that is taken by omeprazole to start working and show its effects | 1 – 2 hours |
| The time that is taken by tums to start working and show its effects | 10 – 30 minutes |
A major query that many people have is whether omeprazole can be taken with an antacid or not. To answer this question, one can safely take antacid with omeprazole. One should take omeprazole as directed on the medication. It is taken on an empty stomach. Antacids can be taken as required to relieve pain by indigestion after eating.
Typically, there are no major harmful interactions are found between omeprazole and tums when taken together. Thus, it can be safely concluded that one can take both, one after the other, ensuring a time gap of 30 minutes, and consume both without experiencing any side effects. However, it is advisable to consult one’s healthcare provider for further clarification.
Omeprazole is also known as PPIs i.e proton pump inhibitors and they are majorly used for stomach acid-related concerns. The time that is taken for these medications to begin their action can be sometimes longer than 1 hour. However, on the other hand, antacids take much lesser time to begin working effectively.
Antacids such as tums work quickly than PPIs like omeprazole. Hence, might prefer to take omeprazole and antacids simultaneously to experience enhanced effects. However, it should be remembered that they are certain situations and reasons for taking each category of these medications.
Why Does It Take This Long After Omeprazole To Take Tums?
Omeprazole could be taken with or without a doctor’s prescription. If a doctor has prescribed the medication, it is vital to follow all the instructions given by the doctor to the T. However, if one is taking this medicine without a prescription then it is advisable to follow all the instructions given on the label of the medicine.
Omeprazole capsules show delayed response and hence might be prescribed to be used in conjunction with certain antacids. Popularly, people prefer taking omeprazole with an antacid called tums to relieve stomach pain and related issues. Omeprazole can be taken in the morning before one has their meals.
It could take as long as a few days for this medication to effectively relieve stomach pain. And thus, to speed up this process, antacids like tums can be taken with omeprazole, unless one’s doctor tells otherwise.
Tums are nothing but a chewable antacid that goes well with omeprazole. Thus, in an ideal scenario, one can take tums at least half an hour i.e 30 minutes after taking the acid reflux medication like omeprazole. People take both these medications in combination when they feel like they want something extra to relieve their stomach pain.
Conclusion
Omeprazole is a medication that helps in the treatment of acid reflux and ulcers of the stomach. Tums is an antacid that comes in a variety of flavors like cherry, orange, berries, peppermint, etc. When taking both these medications one after the other, it is essential to give one’s body a little time to get and adjust the omeprazole in before taking anything like an antacid.
Antacids work by coating the stomach and hence should be taken at least 30 minutes after taking omeprazole. It is quite common for people to take PPIs like omeprazole and antacid like tums together, but one should always check with their physician before taking both in combination.
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