Ka Jen asked
I can't chew hard tablets like Tums.... can I let them dissolve slowly in mouth? Or is there a soft dissolve tab type of Tums?
Answer
Tums, an antacid containing calcium carbonate, unfortunately won't dissolve in your mouth in any reasonable amount of time for a few reasons:
- Calcium Carbonate is not soluble in water (or the components of saliva)
- Tums is not formulated with ingredients intended to dissolve
If you do try and dissolve Tums in the mouth, you will notice that it will never completely dissolve (i.e. form a completely homogeneous liquid solution). There will always be solid particles that will not go into solution. In addition, Tums isn't formulated to be dissolved. Not only will the active ingredient (calcium carbonate) not dissolve completely, the inactive ingredients may not either. They comprise of (mint flavor ingredients shown):
- Corn starch
- Flavor
- Mineral oil
- Sodium polyphosphate
- Sucrose
- Talc
If you are interested in a non-Tums calcium carbonate product, you can find calcium carbonate in liquid form. Liquid calcium carbonate products are available in suspension, meaning that the particles are suspended in a liquid vehicle. These are generally thicker than solutions but do not require chewing.
If you are having trouble chewing and swallowing the original Tums products, but want to try another, it may be beneficial to look at their other offerings. Tums is available in the following product forms:
- Tums Original
- Tums Chewy Bites
- Tums Smoothies
- Tums Chewy Delights
The 'Chewy Delights' product is considered easier to chew and swallow than the original tablets and may offer an easier to take alternative.
