tums in an ng tube

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Is the dumbest thing that I have every heard of. But the cherry on top is that it is 3 times a day. Crushing tums makes them chalky and a mess. Not to mention clogging the damn tube up. I have had to do this for the last 3 days and every time i start my process my mind begins to wonder 1- is there not some other medication that could be doing this better,

2- omg not again, and 3- if the doctor that wrote this stupid order had to do this just once the order would be changed due to the pure stupidity of it.

Ok I have ranted thank you. Anyone else have moments like these when doing a task and thinking boy if the doctor that wrote this order had to do this it would be changed?

Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

Think through how the patient could get the same pharmacological effects from an alternative med and ask that the order be changed. Hint: Pepcid.

Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
Think through how the patient could get the same pharmacological effects from an alternative med and ask that the order be changed. Hint: Pepcid.

I agree that the order may be able to be changed, but Tums to Pepcid isn't a direct substitution, especially if the Tums aren't for antacid.

Specializes in Pedi.

Tums is Calcium Carbonate. Calcium Carbonate is available in liquid suspension form. I gave it all the time in inpatient pediatrics.

Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

Tums is calcium carbonate and 10mg famotidine. Alternative forms of both are available.

Until you get the order changed...

Crush finely

Use HOT water to dissolve it.

Mix with 10ml regular temp water and give in tube.

Voila :)

Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
Tums is calcium carbonate and 10mg famotidine. Alternative forms of both are available.

I looked up Tums after this post. From what I read, Tums is just calcium Carbonate. Tums Dual Action contains the both active ingredients you described. Apparently, there are two formulations of Tums on the OTC market. :)

Specializes in Intensive Care Unit.

Why not good ol Protonix?

Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
Why not good ol Protonix?
As BostonFNP said, it depends on why Tums is prescribed, aside from the fact that protonix and famotidine are two different classes that have a similar action. From my reading, Tums can be used as a cheap calcium supplement--apparently cheaper than those drugs used approved as calcium substitutes only.
Specializes in Pedi.
I looked up Tums after this post. From what I read, Tums is just calcium Carbonate. Tums Dual Action contains the both active ingredients you described. Apparently, there are two formulations of Tums on the OTC market. :)

I did the same thing because when I worked in the hospital, if a patient was ordered for Tums, it was ordered as "Calcium Carbonate".

Specializes in retired LTC.
Why not good ol Protonix?
Is protonix crush-able??
Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.
Is protonix crush-able??

Nope. But my hospital stocks protonix granules for this purpose

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