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Avoid Maalox Mix-Ups

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Choosing the wrong liquid Maalox product for your condition can have harmful consequences, warns the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Consumers may be confused by the similar packaging and labeling of liquid Maalox and Maalox Total Relief. Both products are available without a prescription (over-the-counter) and feature the Maalox name, but they contain different ingredients for the relief of different symptoms.

“Maalox Total Relief and Maalox are not interchangeable and shouldn’t be used in place of each other,” says Carol Holquist, R.Ph., director of FDA’s Division of Medication Error Prevention and Analysis.

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Serious Side Effects

FDA has received five reports of serious medication errors in consumers who used Maalox Total Relief by mistake when they had intended to use one of the Maalox liquid antacid products.

Maalox Total Relief is not appropriate for individuals who want to use an antacid, especially if they have a history of ulcers in the stomach or intestine (gastrointestinal ulcer disease) or a bleeding disorder. The bismuth subsalicylate in Maalox Total Relief is chemically related to aspirin and can cause similar side effects, such as bleeding, in some people.

Due to the potential for serious side effects from product confusion, the maker of Maalox brand products has agreed to

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Advice for Consumers

“Whether it’s Maalox or another over-the-counter product, reading the product label is an important first step consumers can take to be certain they are using the proper product,” says Holquist. FDA also recommends the following:

FDA encourages health care professionals and consumers to report any side effects, product quality problems, product use errors, or therapeutic failure with the use of medical products to FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail, by fax, or by phone.

This article appears on FDA's Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.

Date Posted: February 17, 2010

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For more information about food, medicine, cosmetic safety and other topics for your health, visit FDA.gov/consumers.