Magnesium Silicate
Excipient (pharmacologically inactive substance)
What is Magnesium Silicate?
Magnesium silicate (MgSiO3) when hydrated is most commonly known as "talc". In the pharmaceutical industry it is used as an anticaking agent to improve powder flow in tablet compression. Talc is used cosmetically in talcum and baby powder as an adsorbent. Talc has been reported to be used in some food products, and is generally recognized as safe by the FDA.[1]
Natural talc contains asbestos, a substance that may lead to lung cancer. However, talcum products used in cosmetics have been free of asbestos since the 1970s.[2] Some studies have reported small increases in ovarian cancer with the use of asbestos-free talcum powder, but studies are conflicting and the results are not definitive. The American Cancer Society suggests corn starch-based cosmetics might be an alternative in those concerned about talc use.[2]
[1] FDA’s SCOGS database; Magnesium silicate, Report No. 61, 1979.; ID Code: 1343-88-0; http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/fcn/fcnDetailNavigation.cfm?rpt=scogsListing&id=61; accessed August 18, 2011.
[2] American Cancer Society. Talcum Powder and Cancer. http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CancerCauses/OtherCarcinogens/AtHome/talcum-powder-and-cancer. Accessed August 18, 2011.
Top Medications Containing Magnesium Silicate
- Carisoprodol 350 mg (Caraco Pharmaceutical Laboratories,Ltd.)
- Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride 500 mg (Cobalt Laboratories Inc)
- Citalopram Hydrobromide 20 mg (Amneal Pharmaceuticals)
- Cyclobenzaprine Hydrochloride 10 mg (Amneal Pharmaceuticals)
- Gabapentin 600 mg (Glenmark Generics Inc.)
- Gabapentin 300 mg (Greenstone Limited)
- Gabapentin 300 mg (Actavis Elizabeth LLC)
- Lexapro 10 mg (Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)
- Lexapro 20 mg (Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)
- Lyrica 75 mg (Pfizer U.S. Pharmaceuticals Group)
- Methylin 10 mg (Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals)
- Methylin 20 mg (Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals)
- Nabumetone 500 mg (Teva Pharmaceuticals USA)
- Naproxen Sodium 220 mg (Goldline Laboratories, Inc.)
- Nucynta tapentadol 50 mg (Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)
- Nucynta tapentadol 75 mg (Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)
- Nucynta tapentadol 100 mg (Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)
- OxyContin 80 mg (Purdue Pharma LP)
- OxyContin 20 mg (Purdue Pharma LP)
- OxyContin 40 mg (Purdue Pharma LP)
