Can You Mix Alka-Seltzer With Juice?

Not everyone appreciates the taste of Alka-seltzer when dissolved solely in water. This can spawn a couple of ideas such as the thoughts of swapping water for juice. In this article, the pharmacist will explain if it’s okay for you to mix Alka-Seltzer with juice. 

We will also discuss the components of Alka-Seltzer and how it reacts with water to produce the desired effects. Including how this will change should water be substituted for orange juice, lemonade, or any other kind of juice. 

What Is Alka-Seltzer?

Alka-Seltzer is an effervescent antacid tablet. Being an effervescent tablet, you need to add it to water to dissolve completely.

Adding the tablet to water will make it fizz or bubble, producing gases in the process and a sparkling clear solution at the end. 

It comes as round white tablets in a variety of flavors. A pack of Alka-Seltzer Original Flavor often contains 24 effervescent tablets, made up of 12 pouches, each pouch containing 2 tablets.  

Alka-Seltzer is intended for use in treating minor pains, headaches, body pains, heartburn, and stomach upset.

Ingredients in Alka-Seltzer

It contains three active ingredients: aspirin, sodium bicarbonate(baking soda), and anhydrous citric acid. 

How Does Alka-Seltzer Work?

When you add Alka-Seltzer to water, the sodium bicarbonate in it will react with the citric acid present to produce carbon dioxide, water, and a salt called sodium citrate. 

The carbon dioxide produced is what’s responsible for the fizz or bubbles that come out of the mixture. 

Though aspirin is the main active ingredient in the product, you should know that it does not contribute in any way to the fizziness of Alka-Seltzer.

The bubbles produced help to distribute the aspirin and antacid throughout the stomach. Thereby making the absorption process very fast, and relief to be felt within the shortest amount of time.

Can I Put Alka-Seltzer In Juice?

No, It is not recommended to put Alka-Seltzer in any form of juice due to the interaction between acids in the juice and the sodium bicarbonate antacid in Alka-Seltzer. 

Mixing Alka-Seltzer with any kind of juice can alter the way it works, which can then render it ineffective. It can also affect the rate at which it dissolves. 

This particular aspect was demonstrated at a California Science Fair. When a student tested to determine the liquid capable of dissolving Alka-Seltzer the fastest.

The test was done by dissolving Alka-Seltzer in four different liquids: water, Sprite, apple juice, and Lemon-Lime Gatorade. The result showed that water was the most efficient liquid in dissolving the drug faster after it fully dissolved the med in 63 seconds.

Sprite recorded the slowest dissolution time as it took 86 seconds to fully dissolve the tablet. While Apple juice and Gatorade had standard deviations that indicated their dissolving time may be similar to that of Sprite.

This little experiment goes to buttress the choice of water as the ideal liquid for dissolving Alka-Seltzer. Water also remains the only liquid recommended by the manufacturer for dissolving the tablets, as stated in the directions for use section of the drug’s leaflet.

What Happens If I Add Alka-Seltzer to Lemonade or Orange Juice?

If you are taking Alka-Seltzer for relief from heartburn or stomach upset, you should not mix it with any juice, be it orange juice or lemonade. This is because all juices made from citrus fruits (lime, lemon, tangerine, orange, grapefruit, etc.) are very rich in citric acid.

Alka-Seltzer already contains citric acid at an amount that is sufficient to completely neutralize the sodium bicarbonate in it. 

Hence, adding this medication to orange juice(pH: 3.69 – 4.34) or lemonade(pH: 2 – 3) will offset the balance between citric acid and sodium bicarbonate, thereby leaving you with excess acid in the stomach.

Remember that your aim for taking Alka-Seltzer in this case is to get relief from heartburn or stomach upsets. These two conditions are often caused by excess acid in the stomach. 

So, if you take a drug that is supposed to neutralize the excess acid in your stomach and then add it to more acid. You are basically rendering it ineffective in treating that intended condition. 

Also, by introducing more acid into your body, you risk worsening the heartburn or stomach upset.

However, this may not be a problem if you are taking the drug to gain relief from headaches or body pain. The reason is that sodium bicarbonate does not have any direct painkilling effect. Other than reducing gastric acid and preventing the irritation it causes on body tissues.

What is the Correct Way of Taking Alka-Seltzer?

The best way to take Alka-Seltzer is to add 2 tablets to 4 ounces of clean water and to allow it dissolve completely before drinking. 

It is also recommended that you rinse the cup with more water and drink it to get all the drugs into your system.

The medication is dosed as 2 tablets to be taken every four hours. Adults and children 12 years and above are not to exceed 8 tablets in 24 hours.  Children under 12 years of age and adults above 60 years are advised not to exceed 4 tablets in 24 hours. 

The tablets should not be swallowed whole or licked.  Alka-Seltzer can be taken either with food or without food. 

Side Effects and Precautions When Taking Alka-Seltzer

Even though Alka-Seltzer is very safe and effective, it is not devoid of side effects. Taking appropriate precautions and sticking to the recommended dose will go a long way to prevent these unwanted effects. 

The common side effects of this drug include allergic reactions which manifest as hives, itching, swelling of the face and tongue, etc. It could be very serious or fatal in rare cases.

Hence, Alka-Seltzer should not be taken by people who are allergic to aspirin or any other ingredient in the formulation. 

It should also not be given to children who are recovering from chicken pox or any other flu-like condition. This is because Aspirin can cause a rare condition called Reye’s syndrome in children.

Alka-Seltzer can also cause stomach and bleeding problems. The aspirin in it is an NSAID and one of its side effects is stomach irritation. It can worsen peptic ulcer and asthma.

Aspirin also prevents blood clotting, hence its use in preventing heart attack. The catch here is that it can make you more susceptible to bleeding. 

These risks are higher in elderly people (60 years and above), and people who drink alcohol more than 3 times a day while on this medication. 

Also in people who have previous bleeding problems and those currently taking anticoagulant medications.

Final Thoughts

References

1. Alka-Seltzer. (n.d.). Alka-Seltzer Original. Retrieved November 12, 2023, from https://www.alkaseltzer.com/original/products/original
2. DailyMed. (n.d.). Alka-Seltzer- Aspirin, Citric Acid, Sodium Bicarbonate Tablet, Effervescent. Retrieved November 12, 2023, from https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/fda/fdaDrugXsl.cfm?setid=5be36a7f-7d1f-468d-9c29-92c8cd3ef1bc&type=display
3. Drugs.com. (2023, June 23). Alka-Seltzer. Retrieved November 12, 2023, from https://www.drugs.com/cdi/alka-seltzer.html
4. MedlinePlus. (n.d.). Sodium Bicarbonate. Retrieved November 12, 2023, from https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682001.html
5. Li, Z., Wang, Z., Shen, B., Chen, C., & Ding, X. (2020). The benefits and risks of aspirin use in the gastrointestinal tract: Analysis of recent studies. Oncology Letters, 20(2). doi:10.3892/ol.2020.11640. Retrieved November 12, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7400979/
6. MedlinePlus. (n.d.). Aspirin. Retrieved November 12, 2023, from https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682878.html