What is the Difference Between Antacid and Sucralfate

The key difference between antacid and sucralfate is that antacids are useful in neutralizing stomach acidity, whereas sucralfate is useful in treating stomach ulcers.

Antacids and sucralfate are important medications that treat conditions related to the stomach. However, antacids are not useful for serious conditions in the stomach, while sucralfate is useful for severe conditions such as stomach ulcers.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Antacid
3. What is Sucralfate
4. Antacid vs Sucralfate in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Antacid vs Sucralfate

What is Antacid?

Antacids are a medication we use to neutralize stomach acidity and relieve heartburns, indigestion, and upset stomach. We take these medicines orally (by mouth) to quickly relieve occasional heartburns and other symptoms of indigestion. Moreover, these drugs cannot kill the bacteria Helicobacter pylori, which can cause stomach ulcers.

When there are excessive amounts of acid in our stomach, it can damage the natural mucous barrier that protects the inner wall of the stomach. Antacids contain alkaline ions, which can neutralize this gastric acid. It reduces the damage to the stomach and relieves pain as well. Some common antacids include Alka-seltzer, Maalox, Mylanta, Rolaids, and Tums.

Most of the time, this medication is safe for people. But there can be some side effects as well. For example, antacids containing magnesium may cause diarrhoea. Brands containing calcium may cause constipation. Long time use may cause kidney diseases as well. Long-term use of brands with aluminium can cause a person to get osteoporosis as well.

What is Sucralfate?

Sucralfate is a medication useful in treating stomach ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease, radiation proctitis, and stomach inflammation. Moreover, it can be used to prevent stress ulcers. The trade name of this drug is Carafate. The routes of administration of sucralfate are oral administration and rectal administration. The bioavailability of this medication is about 3 – 5%. The metabolism of sucralfate occurs in the liver, and the excretion occurs through feces and urine.

There are some common side effects of sucralfate, which include constipation, bezoar formation, and encephalopathy. Apparently, the use of this drug during pregnancy and breastfeeding is safe. Although the mode of action of this drug is not well-known, it appears to be involved in binding to the ulcer and protecting it from further damage.

In addition to treating stomach ulcers, sucralfate is also useful in treating active duodenal ulcers, gastric ulcers, aphthous ulcers and stomatitis, stress ulcer prophylaxis, proctitis from ulcerative colitis, rectal bleeding, treating anastomotic ulcers after gastric bypass surgery, etc.

What is the Difference Between Antacid and Sucralfate?

Antacids and sucralfate are important medications that treat conditions related to the stomach. The key difference between antacid and sucralfate is that antacids are useful in neutralizing stomach acidity, whereas sucralfate is useful in treating stomach ulcers. Antacids are used to neutralize stomach acidity and to relieve heartburns, indigestion, and upset stomachs, while sucralfate is useful in treating stomach ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease, radiation proctitis, and stomach inflammation.

The below infographic presents the differences between antacid and sucralfate in tabular form for side by side comparison.

Summary – Antacid vs Sucralfate

Antacids are a medication we use to neutralize stomach acidity and to relieve heartburns, indigestion, and upset stomach. Sucralfate is a medication useful in treating stomach ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease, radiation proctitis, and stomach inflammation. The key difference between antacid and sucralfate is that antacids are useful in neutralizing stomach acidity, whereas sucralfate is useful in treating stomach ulcers.

Reference:

1. “Sucralfate Oral: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Pictures, Warnings & Dosing.” WebMD.
2. “Sucralfate: Medlineplus Drug Information.” MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
3. “Carafate Tablets (Sucralfate): Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Interactions, Warning.” RxList.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Antacid-L478” By Midnightcomm – Own work (CC BY 2.5) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Sucralfate” By Edgar181 – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia