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Sodium bicarbonate

Medication antacid / alkalinising agent digestive
Aka: baking soda, NaHCO3
Brands seen in Singapore: Gaviscon, Ural, Inon, Ohta's Isan, Gascovid
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
Acid indigestion, heartburn · urine alkalinising in SG
When to take
After meals and at bedtime per the SG gaviscon label
Take with
Water · tablets swallowed whole or dissolved (US label)
Pros & cons
Pros
  • Oral antacid forms are general sale list in SG
  • US otc label purpose: antacid for heartburn relief
  • SG also registers it as a urinary alkaliniser (ural)
Cons
  • Sodium load — 20 ml gaviscon = 11.06 mmol sodium
  • US label: maximum dosage not beyond 2 weeks
  • The SG 500 mg capsule is prescription-only
Sources
  1. HSA — Listing of Registered Therapeutic Products (data.gov.sg open dataset; filtered locally for sodium bicarbonate / sodium hydrogen carbonate) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “31 rows: Forensicclassification 'General Sale List' 24, 'Prescription Only' 6, 'Pharmacy Only' 1. Of the 15 oral rows, 13 are General Sale List — e.g. SIN09494P GAVISCON LIQUID; SIN14374P Ural Effervescent Granules; SIN03440P INON GRANULES”
  2. MOH National Drug Formulary — GAVISCON DOUBLE ACTION LIQUID, SUSPENSION [SIN14016P], product information · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “CALCIUM CARBONATE - 325 MG/10 ML SODIUM ALGINATE - 500 MG/10 ML SODIUM BICARBONATE - 213 MG/10 ML … Forensic Classification GENERAL SALE LIST”
  3. MOH National Drug Formulary — GAVISCON DOUBLE ACTION [SIN14016P], indication · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “brings relief from the pain and discomfort of heartburn and acid indigestion … neutralising excess stomach acid to relieve pain and discomfort … forming a protective barrier over the stomach contents”
  4. MOH National Drug Formulary — GAVISCON DOUBLE ACTION [SIN14016P], dosage · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Adults and children over 12 years: Take 10–20ml (Two to four 5ml spoonfuls) after meals and at bedtime, up to four times a day. Children under 12 years: Not to be given unless recommended by your doctor.”
  5. MOH National Drug Formulary — GAVISCON DOUBLE ACTION [SIN14016P], before taking this product · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Each 20ml dose contains 11.06 mmol sodium and 6.5 mmol calcium. If you have been advised a diet restricted in any of these please ask your doctor before taking this product.”
  6. MOH National Drug Formulary — SODIUM BICARBONATE CAPSULE 500 MG [SIN05414P], product information · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “SODIUM BICARBONATE - 500 MG … Dosage Form CAPSULE … Forensic Classification PRESCRIPTION ONLY MEDICINES … Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) code B05CB04”
  7. MOH National Drug Formulary — URAL EFFERVESCENT GRANULES [SIN14374P], product information · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “CITRIC ACID ANHYDROUS - 0.72 G SODIUM BICARBONATE - 1.76 G SODIUM CITRATE ANHYDROUS - 0.63 G TARTARIC ACID - 0.89 G … GENERAL SALE LIST … ATC code G04BX”
  8. FDA DailyMed — Sodium Bicarbonate 10 gr. (650 mg) tablets (Gendose Pharmaceuticals), OTC label eff. 2026-04-13 · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Purpose Antacid … Uses relieves acid indigestion heartburn sour stomach upset stomach associated with these symptoms”
  9. FDA DailyMed — Sodium Bicarbonate 650 mg tablets, Directions · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “do not use the maximum dosage for more than 2 weeks tablets may be swallowed whole or dissolved in water … adults under 60 years of age: 1-4 tablets every 4 hours, not more than 24 tablets in 24 hours”
  10. FDA DailyMed — Sodium Bicarbonate 650 mg tablets, Warnings · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Ask a doctor before use if you have a sodium restricted diet … Antacids may interact with certain prescription drugs. Stop use and ask a doctor if symptoms last more than 2 weeks”
  11. HealthHub (National Medication Information workgroup) — Levofloxacin: what food or medication should I avoid, reviewed 31 May 2024 · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Indigestion remedies (e.g. Antacids) … You should take the above products 2 hours before or after Levofloxacin as taking them together reduces the absorption of Levofloxacin into your body.”
  12. FDA DailyMed — Cefuroxime axetil tablets (A-S Medication Solutions), Drug Interactions, eff. 2025-10-08 · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Administer cefuroxime axetil at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after administration of short-acting antacids. Histamine-2 (H2) antagonists and proton pump inhibitors should be avoided.”
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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.