Antacids

[Papa Verine]

Hey everybody,

I read A lot about the acid blockers like Tagamet being used as potentiators, but will ordinary antacids like Calcium Carbonate and Magnesium Hydroxide (TUMS, Rolaids) work just as well?

Maybe this is a stupid question, I don't know...

[upstate_007]

Hey everybody,

I read A lot about the acid blockers like Tagamet being used as potentiators, but will ordinary antacids like Calcium Carbonate and Magnesium Hydroxide (TUMS, Rolaids) work just as well?

Maybe this is a stupid question, I don't know...

Not that I know of. I have no idea why, I guess its a specific chemical thing. I think it may be because stuff like Tums just acts on what is actually in your stomach while meds like Tagamet affect your body's production of acids and such chemically. That's my best guess.

[Poppylvr]

Hey everybody,

I read A lot about the acid blockers like Tagamet being used as potentiators, but will ordinary antacids like Calcium Carbonate and Magnesium Hydroxide (TUMS, Rolaids) work just as well?

Maybe this is a stupid question, I don't know...
Papa V. one of our pharm techs can explain it more precisely, but no, regular antacids wil not potentiate opiates. The reason cimetidine or Tagament does is that it alters the action of a particular enzyme in our bodies. That enzyme helps the body detoxify certain chemicals, so if the enzyme is busy doing other things, it cannot break down the opiate which will lead to an improved and longer lasting high.
HTH

[I-Nod]

^^^ But... (speaking particularly about poppy tea/ grounds) would the alkaloids be absorbed better if the stomach's pH is at a certain level? Just throwing this out there... I'm, by far, no expert in chemistry or biology.

[resorcinol]

Assuming that GI tract pH has no effect on opiate absorbtion (which probably isn't entirely true), antacids that are simple bases wouldn't work like tagamet. Tagemet works by inhibiting cyp2d6 enzymes.

Amphetamines and methylphenidate are greatly potentiated by simple bases though -- a high GI tract pH increases amphetamine uptake and decreases amphetamine excretion in urine. I find this potentiation to be quite potent; once when I took my daily Focalin with tums it was much stronger. I realized that night that it was probably the tums I took with my first dose that day.

[dugwylor]

^^^ But... (speaking particularly about poppy tea/ grounds) would the alkaloids be absorbed better if the stomach's pH is at a certain level? Just throwing this out there... I'm, by far, no expert in chemistry or biology.
On other sites people actually swear by this, taking a couple of Tums before they dose, with the exact idea of raising that pH for a little bit. Gastric acid is about a 2 or a 3. One guy claims that it definitely increases oral bioavailability (no source cited, of course). I do wonder if some opiates have a hard time with direct acid. For example, I've been told that when making tea brews, if using a strong acid to lower the pH (6 being apparently ideal) to dilute it beforehand so that pockets of concentrated acid don't destroy your delicious alkaloids.

[OxiContinKing]

So would taking tums AND tagament lead to any noticable effects?

I have asked this question numerous times before, with no answer, so Ill give it another shot :

Is there a maxiumin dose for tagamet? like, only takin one tagamet before i dose no longer leads to potenation for me, i have to take atleast three to feel any potenation effects.

My question is this : is there a maximum dose for tagamet? Like, is there a point with tagament, that say, takign 4 pills wont make a difference from taking 3? get what Im saying? Its early, and my dose hasnt kicked in yet, so the brain isnt exactly rollin right...

And i know taking a shit load of tagament cant be healthy, so where would you guys draw the line? I feel horrible already having to take 3.

I really need to go and talk to my counselor and get a nice increase, and leave the tagament alone (maybe for special occasions) that way I am back on a 'stable' dose.

Getting high off our methadone is kinda defeating the purpose that we are there, isnt it? If you want to take it serious, anyway.

For those of you who are considering using potenators, be sure to use them sporadically. If you use them daily, and then lets say that you run out, and dont have any available, you will dose and it wont seem adequate enough, and there is nothing like 'maintaining' but not being able to 'maintain'. So if anything, use potenators maybe once a week, for a treat or something. Try not to get in the daily habit (like I did) of taking them. They are about 10 bucks a pack here, and having to take 3 a day, added 60 bucks every two weeks to my 'habit'.