| Systematic (IUPAC) name | |
|---|---|
| 2-hydroxy-2H,4H-benzo[d]1,3-dioxa-2-bismacyclohexan-4-one | |
| Clinical data | |
| AHFS/Drugs.com | Consumer Drug Information |
| Licence data | EMA:Link |
| Pregnancy cat. | ? |
| Legal status | OTC |
| Routes | Oral |
| Identifiers | |
| ATC code | ? |
| Chemical data | |
| Formula | C7H5BiO4 |
| Mol. mass | base: 361 gm/mol |
| (what is this?) (verify) |
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Pepto-Bismol is an over-the-counter drug currently produced by the Procter and Gamble company in the United States of America and in Canada to treat minor digestive system upset. Its active ingredient is bismuth subsalicylate. The primary symptoms aided by Pepto-Bismol are nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea, and other temporary discomforts of the stomach and gastrointestinal tract. It has been nicknamed the pink stuff in various advertising campaigns.
Children should not take medication with bismuth subsalicylate while recovering from influenza or chicken pox, as epidemiologic evidence points to an association between the use of salicylate-containing medications during certain viral infections and the onset of Reye's syndrome.[1] For the same reason, it is typically recommended that nursing mothers not use medication containing bismuth subsalicylate (such as Pepto-Bismol) because small amounts of the medication are excreted in breast milk and pose a theoretical risk of Reye's syndrome to nursing children.[2]
Pepto-Bismol is made in chewable tablets[3] and swallowable caplets,[4] but is best known for its original formula which is a thick liquid. This original formula is a medium pink color with a strong wintergreen or cherry flavor.
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Bismuth subsalicylate (the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol and (modern) Kaopectate) is used as an antidiarrheal and to treat some other gastro-intestinal diseases (oligodynamic effect).
The means by which this appears to work is still not well documented. It is thought to be some combination of:
Children are usually more sensitive to the effects of salicylates, especially if they have a fever or have lost large amounts of body fluid because of vomiting, diarrhea, or sweating.
The bismuth in this medicine may cause severe constipation in children. In addition, it can combine with trace amounts of sulfur in saliva and the gastrointestinal tract, blackening the user's tongue and stool. This condition is harmless and subsides within a few days.[5]
In addition, Pepto-Bismol should not be used to treat nausea or vomiting in children or teenagers who have or are recovering from the flu or chickenpox, because there is circumstantial evidence of an association with Reye's syndrome.[6]
Pepto-Bismol was invented in 1901 by a doctor in New York. It was originally sold as a remedy for infant diarrhea by Norwich Pharmacal Company under the name Bismosal: Mixture Cholera Infantum, changing to Pepto-Bismol in 1919, and transferring to Procter and Gamble with their 1982 acquisition of Norwich Eaton Pharmaceuticals.
Pepto-Bismol is utilized in the treatment of birds inundated by crude oil. For example, birds coated with oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster received forced gastric infusions of Pepto-Bismol in efforts to rid their intestinal tracts of oil ingested while preening feathers of the contaminant. [7]
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