Can You Take Tums With Lipitor?
In our latest question and answer, the pharmacist discusses whether or not Lipitor can safely be taken with Tums.
I take Lipitor for high cholesterol. I know that antacids interact with a lot of drugs. Is it safe to take with the Tums I have?
Nov 13, 2022- Antacids like Tums can decrease how much Lipitor your body absorbs, but this doesn't appear to significantly affect how well Lipitor lowers cholesterol. If you want to avoid this interaction, take Lipitor at least 2 hours before or 4 hours after taking Tums. Most drug interaction checkers don't flag this as a clinically significant interaction.
Answer
You are correct that antacids, like Tums, can interact with many different medications, decreasing their absorption.
In regard to Lipitor, studies have shown that antacids can decrease the absorption of the drug, but it doesn't appear as though this significantly changes how well it works to lower cholesterol. In fact, even though this interaction exists, most online drug interaction checkers don't list an interaction here since it likely isn't clinically significant.
The prescribing information for Lipitor states the following:
Co-administration of atorvastatin [Lipitor] with an oral antacid suspension containing magnesium and aluminum hydroxides decreased atorvastatin plasma concentrations (ratio of AUC: 0.66); however, LDL-C [i.e., 'bad cholesterol'] reduction was not altered.
How To Manage This Interaction
Even though this interaction doesn't seem to be clinically significant, if you want to avoid it, you should take Lipitor at least 2 hours before, or 4 hours after antacids, like Tums.
This will allow enough time for Lipitor to be absorbed without being affected by an antacid altering the acidity of the stomach.
Final Words
Thanks for your question and reach back out anytime!
Glossary — Terms in This Answer
- Antacids
- Medications that neutralize stomach acid to relieve heartburn and indigestion.
- Absorption
- The process by which a drug passes through the digestive system into the bloodstream.
- Atorvastatin
- The generic chemical name for the drug Lipitor, which is used to lower cholesterol.
- Plasma concentrations
- The amount of a drug present in the liquid portion of blood.
- AUC
- A measure of the total amount of drug in the bloodstream over time.
- LDL-C
- Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, commonly called 'bad cholesterol' because high levels increase heart disease risk.
- Clinically significant
- An effect that is important enough to meaningfully impact a patient's health or treatment outcome.
- Acidity
- The level of acid in the stomach, which affects how well certain medications can be dissolved and absorbed.
Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD
Doctor of Pharmacy, board certified clinical pharmacist (BCPS), American Herbalist Guild, Medication Therapy Management certified
Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS, is a licensed pharmacist with more than 13 years of experience across retail pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, medication safety, pharmacy program development, and healthcare administration. He is the founder of HelloPharmacist.com, where he helps patients...
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