Coats, Soothes, Relieves
Written: Mar 17 '04 (Updated Mar 18 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fast relief from stomach pain
Cons: Not as convenient as tablets; Price per dose is high
The Bottom Line: Pepto Bismol is a good product for relieving stomach pain, but it cannot handle the more extreme problems, like acid reflux
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| Bryan_Carey's Full Review: Pepto-Bismol Original Formula Liquid |
Pepto Bismol is one of America’s most trusted medicines for relieving upset stomachs and other digestion- related ailments. First invented more than 100 years ago by a New York doctor, Pepto- Bismol was originally a product of the Norwich Pharmacal Company. Today, the popular pink liquid is produced by Procter and Gamble of Cincinnati, Ohio.
What does This Product Relieve?:
Pepto Bismol provides relief from the discomfort of an upset stomach, heartburn, indigestion, nausea, and diarrhea. The liquid goes directly to your stomach and helps provide quick relief, often in a matter of seconds after taking it.
Directions for Use:
After shaking the bottle well, for adults and children 12 years of age or older, a 30 ml (2 tablespoons) dose can be taken every 30 minutes to one hour as needed. For children between 9 and 12, the recommended dosage is 15 ml (1 tablespoon); for children 6 to 9, 10 ml (2 teaspoons); and for children 3 to 6, 5 ml (1 teaspoon). Children under 3 should only take with the advice of a physician. The limit on daily dosages is a total of eight.
Ingredients
Pepto Bismol is made with the active ingredient Bismuth Subsalicylate, with 262 mg per 15 ml dose. This ingredient is formulated to relieve and upset stomach and diarrhea.
The inactive ingredients in Pepto Bismol include benzoic acid, flavor, magnesium aluminum silicate, methylcellulose, red 22, red 28, saccharin sodium, salicylic acid, sodium salicylate, sorbic acid, and water.
Customer Service:
Questions about Pepto Bismol should be directed to the customer service support line, 1-800-717-3786. The on- line web site, pepto-bismol.com, can also be helpful, but the information found on the web site is limited and very general. For more specific issues and concerns, you will need to call the toll- free number.
Final Thoughts:
Pepto Bismol is one of the oldest trademarked medications still in use in the United States. The triangular bottle and the pink- colored liquid are two of the most recognized features in the over the counter medicine market.
Pepto Bismol is easy to take, since it is liquid, and easy to measure because a small plastic cup is included with each purchase that sits upside down on the bottle cap for easy storage. I have used Pepto Bismol for many, many years, having first been introduced to it by my mother as a young adolescent. One thing about Pepto Bismol that always bothered me when I first tried it as a kid was the mint flavor. Not that the wintergreen mint taste is bad, but the taste doesn’t match the color. As a young kid, I often wondered why a medicine that tasted like mint was colored pink rather than green. I don’t know the history on this, but I think Pepto Bismol is pink because the manufacturers felt that this softer color was more compatible with the image of the product as a helpful, soothing reliever of pain and discomfort. And given the popularity and success of Pepto Bismol, it isn’t likely that Procter and Gamble will change the color to green anytime soon.
Pepto Bismol comes with a child- proof cap that is helpful and a good idea for this type of medicinal product. Pepto Bismol is one of the few medicines that is safe for most children, but it’s still not something you would want your young child to grab and start gulping. The mint flavor is appealing to many small kids, because it tastes like candy. With the child- proof cap, you can feel a little safer with small kids in the house. Opening the cap requires that two plastic tabs on opposite sides of the bottle be squeezed in before you turn. This is enough of a deterrent to make the product safe from curious youngsters.
Pepto Bismol is a good product for relieving upset stomachs. It creates a protective coating around the wall of your stomach literally within seconds after swallowing. However, it is not as powerful as other stomach remedies and therefore it has limited use. It doesn’t reduce acid like Pepcid AC and other medicines. I have found it helpful for eliminating a bad case of indigestion, like that which is caused by eating too fast and from eating on the run. But for the heavy- duty cases of stomach problems, like those caused by acid reflux and other diseases, Pepto Bismol has limited effects and it can sometimes take multiple doses to have the desired effect. I have to reach for the powerful medicine, in instances like that.
This product tastes fairly good, even though it is a little thick and chalky and it often coats your mouth just as much as your stomach, requiring a good flush with water to remove the residue. Many people claim that they do not like the taste of Pepto Bismol, and I cannot completely understand why. I agree that the mint flavor is not as pleasant as a bowl of mint ice cream or a mint julep. But it could be much worse.
I have heard some people voice their concerns that Pepto Bismol can cause Reye Syndrome in kids. The manufacturer warns that children who are suffering from a bout with the flu or who are recovering from chicken pox should not use this product at all and that products containing aspirin are especially suspect to causing Reye Syndrome. Pepto Bismol doesn’t contain any aspirin, but Procter & Gamble has decided to include this warning on the label anyway, just to play it safe. It’s nice that Procter & Gamble wanted to point this out to concerned parents, but if Pepto Bismol doesn’t directly cause Reye Syndrome (like P&G claims), then why bother pointing this out on the bottle? Are they trying to cover up for the fact that it might cause this disease, or are they just paranoid about lawsuits that are frivolous in nature but still financially damaging? It’s hard to say.
Side effects of taking Pepto Bismol include a temporary darkening of the tongue or stool. I have to admit, I don’t usually stare at my “stool” as it floats in the toilet so I have never noticed any black stuff there. But I have noticed it on my tongue. The black substance is bismuth sulfide and it forms when the bismuth in Pepto Bismol combines with sulfur from saliva. Because of my problems with sinuses (during the winter), I have a little larger than normal concentration of sulfur in my saliva, so it’s not uncommon for me to experience this side effect after taking Pepto Bismol. However, this is a harmless occurrence, so there is no need to worry. It will be gone in a short time after usage ceases.
Pepto Bismol comes in 4, 8, 12, and 16 oz. sizes. Prices for these four sizes are approx. $2.99, $3.99, $4.99, and $5.99 respectively. The small size, in my opinion is a waste of money and effort. It is the mostly costly per ounce, which is expected, but it’s also worthless for one other important reason: it doesn’t last. Four ounces is equal to 120 ml, and as the directions state, children and adults 12 and over are supposed to take a 30 ml dose. Doing the simple math, this means that a 4 oz. bottle is good for only 4 doses! If you have a bad case of heartburn, indigestion, or other symptoms, this smaller size bottle might not even be enough for one single treatment.
Overall, Pepto Bismol is a pretty good product for relieving stomach pain and indigestion quickly. I like it better than some of the popular tablet forms of heartburn relief (like Rolaids, Tums, and even Pepto Bismol tablets), event though it is a little less convenient than these other products. I cannot comment on its effectiveness in relieving diarrhea, because I have never used it for that purpose. But it does do a good job at eliminating moderate cases of stomach discomfort and it starts relieving pain in seconds. Just a small dose is all it takes to feel instant relief.
Recommended:
Yes
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