What is Aluminum Hydroxide used for?
Last updated September 7, 2026.
**Aluminum hydroxide is an antacid that neutralizes acid already in your stomach to relieve heartburn, acid indigestion, and sour stomach, and at prescription doses it can lower blood phosphate levels in advanced kidney disease.** It acts within minutes but wears off in about an hour or two, so it fits occasional symptoms rather than daily acid control. Many products pair it with magnesium hydroxide, because aluminum alone tends to cause constipation and magnesium tends to loosen stools. It binds other medicines in the gut, so separate it from antibiotics, thyroid medicine, and iron by at least two hours. If you are using an antacid most days for more than two weeks, or you have kidney disease, the right next step is a conversation with a clinician rather than a higher dose.
What to do
- Match the dose to the label: Follow the Drug Facts limits for how many doses you take in 24 hours, and shake liquid products before measuring.
- Space out other medicines: Take antibiotics such as doxycycline or ciprofloxacin, levothyroxine, and iron at least two hours away from your antacid dose.
- Watch the two-week mark: If you still need an antacid most days after two weeks, ask a clinician about a longer-acting option such as an H2 blocker or proton pump inhibitor.
- Check your kidneys first: Tell a clinician before regular use if you have kidney disease, since your body clears aluminum through the kidneys.
- Track your triggers: Note late meals, large portions, alcohol, and lying down soon after eating, since changing those often reduces how often you reach for an antacid.
- Get urgent care for red flags: Trouble swallowing, vomiting blood, black stools, unplanned weight loss, or chest pressure with sweating or shortness of breath need prompt medical attention, not an antacid.
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