Re: Antacid Adventure

[mozley@darius.pet.upenn.edu (P. David Mozley)]

Maalox is an acronym for magnesium & aluminum hydroxide suspension (x is
the pseudo Latin abbreviation for a mixture).

Aluminum hydroxide is constipating.  Magnesium is a common physic.  For
this reason, many antacids contain a balance of the two.  If you give
aluminum hydroxide to complex with the P-32, all other things being equal,
then you are going to increase the radiation absorbed dose to the bowel
wall.  You would probably be better off giving magnesium only to reduce the
residence time.  This, in fact, is closer to the actual clinical practice.

In synopsis, giving aluminum hydroxide sounds like another great idea
killed by the facts.

mozley@darius.pet.upenn.edu

>Dear Radsafe,
>A common brand of antacid is ampho-jel. This contains aluminum hydroxide.
>
>Tracy
>
>On Thu, 18 Jul 1996 StevenFrey@aol.com wrote:
>
>> Dear Radsafers -
>>
>> Can anyone help identify any popular brands of antacids which contain
>> aluminum hydroxide? The May 1996 issue of the Health Physics Journal features
>> an interesting article by Brian Rees titled "P-32 And Beta Emitting
>> Radionuclides In Microbiology And Cell Biology" which states among other
>> things that antacids containing aluminum hydroxide can be administered to
>> reduce intestinal uptake of P-32.
>>
>> My search of local drug stores found plenty of brands which contain magnesium
>> hydroxide, but none with aluminum hydroxide. Can the magnesium hydroxide
>> versions serve as effective substitutes?
>>
>> Hoping this post causes no 'heartburn". Any input will be welcome. Thanks in
>> advance.
>>
>> Steve Frey, CHP
>> Stevenfrey@aol.com
>> Phone: (800) 888-7008 (office)
>>             (714) 646-4631 (home)
>>
>>