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Aluminium hydroxide

Medication antacid digestive
Aka: Alu-Cap, alumina
Brands seen in Singapore: Inon, Alu-Tab, Hydrosil, Macgel, Semor Stomach
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Short relief of indigestion, heartburn and acid
When to take
NHS: with or soon after meals, and just before bed
Take with
Food · 2 to 4 hours apart from other medicines
Pros & cons
Pros
  • NHS: can quickly relieve symptoms for a few hours
  • SG register: every antacid row is general sale list
  • SG alu-tab label: binds phosphate in renal dysfunction
Cons
  • NHS: does not treat the underlying cause
  • NHS: long-term use is not recommended
  • NHS: diarrhoea, constipation, wind or stomach cramps
Sources
  1. HSA — Listing of Registered Therapeutic Products (data.gov.sg open dataset, 5,511 rows, cached locally at /tmp/hsa_all.json and filtered locally, not re-fetched) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “19 registered products contain aluminium hydroxide; 18 carry Forensicclassification 'General Sale List' — SIN03440P INON GRANULES · SIN02930P ALU-TAB 600 mg · SIN03484P HYDROSIL · SIN08119P MACGEL · SIN03314P SEMOR STOMACH. The one 'Pharmacy Only' row is SIN02547P VERAGEL-DMS.”
  2. Singapore National Drug Formulary — ALU-TAB TABLET 600 MG [SIN02930P], Product Info and Indications · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Active Ingredient and Strength ALUMINIUM HYDROXIDE (DRIED GEL) - 600 MG … Forensic Classification GENERAL SALE LIST … INDICATIONS Symptomatic relief of uncomplicated peptic ulcer and gastric hyperacidity. Phosphate binding in renal dysfunction.”
  3. Singapore National Drug Formulary — ALU-TAB 600 mg [SIN02930P], Dosage and Administration · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “One to two tablets four times daily or as directed by physician. When used for patients with renal dysfunction the specially formulated film coating allows the whole tablet to be swallowed with a minimum of water.”
  4. Singapore National Drug Formulary — ALU-TAB 600 mg [SIN02930P], Contraindications · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “CONTRAINDICATIONS Hypophosphataemia.”
  5. Singapore National Drug Formulary — ACTAL TABLET 216 MG [SIN03572P], Product Info and Indications · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Forensic Classification GENERAL SALE LIST … INDICATIONS For the relief of stomach discomfort such as indigestion, heartburn due to gastric hyperacidity, peptic ulcer and heartburn of pregnancy.”
  6. Singapore National Drug Formulary — ACTAL TABLET 216 MG [SIN03572P], Dosage · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Adult (tablet must be sucked and chewed) Peptic ulcer: Suck and chew 2 to 4 tablets. Gastric hyperacidity: Suck and chew 1 to 2 tablets, one-half to one hour after each meal.”
  7. NHS — Antacids: when antacids are used, common types of antacids · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Antacids … counteract (neutralise) the acid in your stomach to relieve indigestion and heartburn … They can quickly relieve your symptoms for a few hours. But they do not treat the underlying cause and long-term use is not recommended.”
  8. NHS — Antacids: how and when to take antacids · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Check the instructions on the packet or leaflet to see how much antacid to take and how often. This depends on the exact medicine you're taking … Remember that doses for children may be lower than for adults.”
  9. NHS — Antacids: when to take them, and taking them with food · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Antacids should be used when you have symptoms or think you will get them soon – for most people, the best time to take them is with or soon after meals, and just before going to bed.”
  10. NHS — Antacids: taking antacids with food, alcohol and other medicines · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Antacids can affect how well other medicines work, so do not take other medicines within 2 to 4 hours of taking an antacid … alcohol can irritate your stomach and make your symptoms worse.”
  11. NHS — Antacids: side effects of antacids · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “sometimes they can cause: diarrhoea or constipation … flatulence (wind) … stomach cramps … feeling sick or vomiting. These should pass once you stop taking the medicine.”
  12. NHS — Antacids: who may not be able to take antacids · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “are looking for a medicine for a child under 12 years of age – some antacids are not recommended for children … have liver disease, kidney disease or heart failure … some antacids contain high levels of sodium”
  13. US FDA label for CARAFATE (sucralfate), Precautions — Chronic Renal Failure and Dialysis Patients, via openFDA (effective 2023-06-08) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Concomitant use of sucralfate with other products that contain aluminum, such as aluminum-containing antacids, may increase the total body burden of aluminum … Patients with chronic renal failure or those receiving dialysis have impaired excretion of absorbed aluminum.”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.