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- Mayo Clinic: Sodium Bicarbonate (Oral Route, Intravenous Route, Subcutaneous Route)
- Mayo Clinic: Sodium Bicarbonate (Oral Route, Intravenous Route, Subcutaneous Route)--Precautions
- Mayo Clinic: Sodium Bicarbonate (Oral Route, Intravenous Route, Subcutaneous Route)--Side Effects
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Is Sodium Bicarbonate Safe to Drink?
Although adverse reactions are possible, sodium bicarbonate -- baking soda -- is generally safe to drink to reduce stomach acid, ease gastrointestinal ulcers and to raise the pH of your blood and urine. Take sodium bicarbonate if your doctor diagnoses a condition and prescribes the remedy. Do not use baking soda without medical supervision to reduce the risk of side effects.
Heartburn Relief
Take sodium bicarbonate as your doctor’s prescription instructs 23. The general recommendation for heartburn is 1/2 tsp. of baking soda diluted in one glass of water every two hours. That dose is for individuals older than 12 years of age. Your child’s pediatrician has to determine the safe dosage for her if she is younger.
- Take sodium bicarbonate as your doctor’s prescription instructs 2.
- The general recommendation for heartburn is 1/2 tsp.
pH Adjustment
Hazards of Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate
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When your doctor prescribes baking soda for acidic urine and blood, he also tells you how much of it to take every day. In general, the dose starts at 1 tsp. of sodium bicarbonate mixed in one glass of water daily. If lab results show your fluids remain acidic, your doctor increases the amount of baking soda, not exceeding 4 tsp. daily.
- When your doctor prescribes baking soda for acidic urine and blood, he also tells you how much of it to take every day.
- If lab results show your fluids remain acidic, your doctor increases the amount of baking soda, not exceeding 4 tsp.
Considerations
Sodium bicarbonate, as the name indicates, is a salt. If a medical condition limits how much sodium you can eat, baking soda may not be the ideal antacid for you. The substance can also affect the therapeutic properties of other medicines, rendering them ineffective. Taking them two hours from each other can prevent negative interactions. Besides, sodium bicarbonate is for short-term use and not recommended for addressing chronic problems. Certain gastrointestinal symptoms may be related to appendicitis. Do not use sodium bicarbonate until your doctor rules out the inflammation as the cause of your discomfort.
- Sodium bicarbonate, as the name indicates, is a salt.
- Besides, sodium bicarbonate is for short-term use and not recommended for addressing chronic problems.
Potential Side Effects
How to Fight a Sore Throat
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Report to your doctor if you feel different or unwell when you take sodium bicarbonate. She needs to determine whether the substance causes side effects in you and what to do about it. Adverse reactions include headaches, muscle pain and depressed breathing. You may also feel uncharacteristically nervous, tired or moody. In addition, baking soda can induce excessive urination, nausea and loss of appetite. Besides, swollen feet and legs are possible.
- Report to your doctor if you feel different or unwell when you take sodium bicarbonate.
- She needs to determine whether the substance causes side effects in you and what to do about it.
Related Articles
References
- Mayo Clinic: Sodium Bicarbonate (Oral Route, Intravenous Route, Subcutaneous Route)
- Drugs.com: Sodium Bicarbonate (Oral Route, Intravenous Route, Subcutaneous Route)
- Mayo Clinic: Sodium Bicarbonate (Oral Route, Intravenous Route, Subcutaneous Route)--Precautions
- Mayo Clinic: Sodium Bicarbonate (Oral Route, Intravenous Route, Subcutaneous Route)--Side Effects
- Krustrup P, Ermidis G, Mohr M. Sodium bicarbonate intake improves high-intensity intermittent exercise performance in trained young men. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2015;12:25. doi:10.1186/s12970-015-0087-6
- McNaughton LR, Siegler J, Midgley A. Ergogenic effects of sodium bicarbonate. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2008;7(4):230–236. doi:10.1249/JSR.0b013e31817ef530
- Hadzic M, Eckstein ML, Schugardt M. The impact of sodium bicarbonate on performance in response to exercise duration in athletes: A systematic review. J Sports Sci Med. 2019;18(2):271–281.
- Wan JJ, Qin Z, Wang PY, Sun Y, Liu X. Muscle fatigue: general understanding and treatment. Exp Mol Med. 2017;49(10):e384. doi:10.1038/emm.2017.194
- Carr AJ, Slater GJ, Gore CJ, Dawson B, Burke LM. Effect of sodium bicarbonate on [HCO3-], pH, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2011;21(3):189–194. doi:10.1123/ijsnem.21.3.189
- Schwalfenberg GK. The alkaline diet: is there evidence that an alkaline pH diet benefits health?. J Environ Public Health. 2012;2012:727630. doi:10.1155/2012/727630
- Mero AA, Hirvonen P, Saarela J. et al. Effect of sodium bicarbonate and beta-alanine supplementation on maximal sprint swimming. J Int Soc Sports Nutr . 2013;10:52. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-10-52
- Edge J, Bishop D, Goodman C. Effects of chronic NaHCO3 ingestion during interval training on changes to muscle buffer capacity, metabolism, and short-term endurance performance. J Appl Physiol. 2006;101(3):918–925. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01534.2005
- Driller MW, Gregory JR, Williams AD, Fell JW. The effects of chronic sodium bicarbonate ingestion and interval training in highly trained rowers. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2013;23(1):40–47. doi:10.1123/ijsnem.23.1.40
- Saunders B, Sale C, Harris RC, Sunderland C. Sodium bicarbonate and high-intensity-cycling capacity: variability in responses. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2014;9(4):627–632. doi:10.1123/ijspp.2013-0295
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Emma Watkins writes on finance, fitness and gardening. Her articles and essays have appeared in "Writer's Digest," "The Writer," "From House to Home," "Big Apple Parent" and other online and print venues. Watkins holds a Master of Arts in psychology.