Drug & supplement interaction

Calumba + Dihydroxyaluminum Sodium Carbonate

Dihydroxyaluminum Sodium Carbonate brand name: Rolaids.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Calumba has a minor interaction with Dihydroxyaluminum Sodium Carbonate. Theoretically, calumba might decrease the effectiveness of antacids.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMinor
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Calumba and Dihydroxyaluminum Sodium Carbonate

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Minor

ANTACIDS

Why this applies to Dihydroxyaluminum Sodium Carbonate

Dihydroxyaluminum Sodium Carbonate falls under ANTACIDS — the group Calumba interacts with.

Theoretically, calumba might decrease the effectiveness of antacids.
There are reports that calumba increases stomach acid.
Severity Minor Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the simple version. Calumba is a bitter herb, and bitters work partly by nudging your stomach to make more acid. Rolaids does the opposite job, it neutralizes acid to calm heartburn and indigestion. So if you take a calumba product right around the time you reach for your antacid, the extra acid could blunt some of the relief you're hoping for, and you might still feel that burning or sour stomach.

I want to be honest about how weak this is. It rests on a few anecdotal reports, not solid studies, and the effect is considered minor. If you use both, just separate them by a couple of hours and see how you feel. Any questions, your pharmacist is happy to help.

References
  1. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Calumba Also Interacts With Other Medications

Calumba has 35 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Dihydroxyaluminum Sodium Carbonate one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Calumba

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Calumba. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Calumba or Dihydroxyaluminum Sodium Carbonate

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Calumba or Dihydroxyaluminum Sodium Carbonate, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Dihydroxyaluminum Sodium Carbonate

This page covers Calumba only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Dihydroxyaluminum Sodium Carbonate page lists 35 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Calcium (moderate), Cinchona (moderate), Coffee Charcoal (moderate) and European Mandrake (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 14 moderate · 20 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Dihydroxyaluminum Sodium Carbonate page

“Rolaids (dihydroxyaluminum sodium carbonate) sits in plenty of medicine cabinets, yet its interaction list earns genuine caution rather than a shrug. Of 35 supplement and herbal ingredients on file, the lone major rating belongs to activated charcoal, which adsorbs many medications and can strip away their effect.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Dihydroxyaluminum Sodium Carbonate interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Calumba and Dihydroxyaluminum Sodium Carbonate Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Calumba
Steady interest

#1,178 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Dihydroxyaluminum Sodium Carbonate
Steady interest

#1,778 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Calumba

What is Calumba?

  • Poor appetite
  • Digestive upset and indigestion
  • Nausea
  • Diarrhea
  • As a bitter tonic

Calumba is the dried root of an African climbing plant that has long been used as a bitter tonic to stimulate appetite and ease digestive complaints. Modern scientific evidence for these uses is very limited, and its safety has not been well studied, so it should be used cautiously and avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Calumba monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Calcium Carbonate

What Is Calcium Carbonate Used For?

Brand name: Rolaids

Most calcium carbonate products are used as an antacid — they quickly relieve heartburn, acid indigestion, sour stomach, and upset stomach. This covers a wide range of brands including Tums, Rolaids, CAREONE Extra Strength, Calcium Carbonate Chewable Antacid, exchange select Extra Strength Antacid, Extra Strength Smooth, and the Children's Antacid and Children's Stomach Relief Antacid liquids.

Some products go beyond antacid use. Ki No Sin (capsule) is used as a health supplement to aid body functions affected by diabetes and kidney disease, and to help maintain normal calcium levels. Na Mi Cal is a supplement intended to support healthy bone development and help prevent osteoporosis. TC Max oral solution is indicated for the relief of heartburn, acid indigestion, sour stomach, and upset stomach.

See full Calcium Carbonate drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Calumba

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Calumba — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
0Moderate
35Minor
2,794No known interaction
Minor

35 interactions

No interaction 2,794 drugs checked — show the list
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Calumba and Dihydroxyaluminum Sodium Carbonate Together: Common Questions

Can you take Calumba with Dihydroxyaluminum Sodium Carbonate?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Calumba and Dihydroxyaluminum Sodium Carbonate interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Dihydroxyaluminum Sodium Carbonate and Calumba?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.