Alumag D is an antacid suspension with an added antispasmodic. It combines aluminium hydroxide and magnesium oxide, which neutralise stomach acid, with dicyclomine, which relaxes gut muscle. It is used for indigestion and heartburn accompanied by cramping.
What is Alumag D?
The South African Medicine Price Registry lists Alumag D as a Schedule 2 suspension — available from a pharmacy without a prescription:
| Ingredient | Amount per 10 ml | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Dried aluminium hydroxide | 400 mg | Neutralises stomach acid |
| Light magnesium oxide | 200 mg | Neutralises stomach acid |
| Dicyclomine hydrochloride | 5 mg | Antispasmodic — relaxes gut muscle |
The “D” marks the dicyclomine, which is what separates it from a plain antacid.
The pairing of aluminium and magnesium is deliberate and worth knowing: aluminium salts tend to constipate; magnesium salts tend to loosen the stool. Combining them largely cancels both effects out, which is why most antacid suspensions contain both.
Dicyclomine is an anticholinergic antispasmodic. It relaxes the smooth muscle of the gut, easing cramping and spasm. That addition is useful where discomfort is crampy rather than purely burning — but it also brings a set of cautions that a plain antacid does not have, and those are the reason this is Schedule 2 rather than a general-sale product.
Antacids work fast and briefly. They neutralise acid already present, giving relief within minutes and lasting an hour or two. They do nothing to reduce acid production.
What is Alumag D commonly used for?
- Indigestion with cramping — the combination it is designed for.
- Heartburn and acid reflux, short-term.
- Acid indigestion after meals.
- Stomach discomfort with spasm or colicky pain.
- Irritable bowel symptoms with cramping and acid discomfort, in some use.
- Trapped wind and bloating, where cramping is a feature.
It is for occasional, short-term use. If you need an antacid most days, that is a signal rather than a routine — persistent reflux usually responds far better to a medicine that reduces acid production, such as omeprazole, and it also deserves a look at why it is happening.
Practical measures matter alongside: smaller meals, not lying down within three hours of eating, raising the head of the bed, losing excess weight, and reducing alcohol, smoking and late eating.
Persistent cramping abdominal pain needs assessment, not indefinite antispasmodics. And a crucial general point about antacids: never take one for undiagnosed abdominal pain that is severe, or accompanied by vomiting and no bowel movement — masking the pain of an obstruction or a surgical problem delays diagnosis.
How Alumag D fits into this medicine category
| Group | Examples | Speed and role |
|---|---|---|
| Antacid + antispasmodic | Alumag D | Minutes; acid plus cramping |
| Plain antacids | Aluminium/magnesium suspensions, Eno | Minutes; acid only |
| Alginates | Gaviscon-type | Minutes; raft that blocks reflux |
| H2 blockers | Famotidine, cimetidine | About an hour; several hours |
| Proton pump inhibitors | Omeprazole | Days to full effect; strongest, longest |
| Antispasmodics alone | Hyoscine (Hyospasmol), mebeverine | Cramping only |
| Prokinetics | Metoclopramide (Adco-Contromet) | Nausea and stomach emptying |
If your problem is acid without cramping, a plain antacid avoids the anticholinergic cautions entirely. See the digestive and stomach medicines hub.
What to check before using Alumag D
The dicyclomine is what needs checking. Anticholinergic medicines are not suitable for everyone, and the reasons are specific.
Do not use it if you have:
- Obstruction of the stomach, bowel or urinary tract.
- Paralytic ileus or severe ulcerative colitis with toxic megacolon.
- Myasthenia gravis.
Speak to a pharmacist or doctor if you:
- Have glaucoma, particularly narrow-angle glaucoma.
- Have an enlarged prostate or difficulty passing urine — an antispasmodic can tip a man with prostate enlargement into acute retention.
- Have reflux disease specifically. Dicyclomine relaxes the valve at the top of the stomach as well, which can worsen reflux — an important point, since people take it for reflux.
- Have heart disease, a rapid heart rate or heart failure.
- Have kidney disease. This matters especially with the aluminium and magnesium, which accumulate when the kidneys are impaired. Magnesium excess causes muscle weakness, low blood pressure and slowed heart rate; aluminium accumulation is a concern in dialysis patients.
- Have liver disease.
- Are elderly. Anticholinergics contribute to confusion and falls in older people, and the effects of several such medicines add up.
- Take other anticholinergic medicines — some antidepressants, antihistamines, antipsychotics, Parkinson’s or bladder medicines.
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding. Dicyclomine is generally avoided in breastfeeding — infants are highly sensitive to it.
- Are treating an infant. Dicyclomine must not be given to babies under six months, where it has caused serious respiratory and neurological effects.
Separate it from other medicines by about two hours. Antacids reduce the absorption of many, including tetracycline and quinolone antibiotics, iron, thyroid medicine, bisphosphonates, digoxin and HIV medicines such as dolutegravir.
Shake the bottle well before each dose, and take it after meals and at bedtime.
Possible cautions and when to ask a pharmacist or doctor
Common effects are dry mouth, blurred vision, drowsiness, dizziness, constipation or loose stools, nausea and sometimes a fast heartbeat.
Get emergency help for:
- Inability to pass urine, with a full painful lower abdomen — acute urinary retention.
- Severe eye pain, blurred vision with halos around lights, and a red eye — possible acute angle-closure glaucoma.
- Confusion, hallucinations or marked agitation, particularly in older people.
- Severe abdominal pain, a swollen tense abdomen, or vomiting with no bowel movement.
- Vomiting blood, or black tarry stools.
- Chest pain with breathlessness or sweating — heart attack pain is frequently mistaken for indigestion.
- Marked muscle weakness, confusion or a slow heartbeat — possible magnesium excess, especially with kidney disease.
Contact your doctor if:
- You need it most days, or for more than two weeks.
- Heartburn wakes you at night, or comes with a persistent cough or hoarseness.
- You have difficulty or pain swallowing, or food sticking.
- There is unintentional weight loss, persistent vomiting, or loss of appetite.
- You are over 45 with new indigestion.
- Cramping pain persists or is worsening.
- You have kidney disease and have been using it regularly.
Related medicine guides
Frequently asked questions
What is Alumag D used for? Indigestion and heartburn accompanied by cramping. It combines two antacids with dicyclomine, an antispasmodic.
What does the D stand for? Dicyclomine, the antispasmodic that distinguishes it from a plain antacid.
How quickly does it work? The antacid effect is within minutes and lasts an hour or two.
Why does it contain both aluminium and magnesium? Aluminium constipates and magnesium loosens. Combining them largely cancels both effects.
Can I take it with my other medicines? Separate them by about two hours. Antacids reduce absorption of many medicines, including some antibiotics, iron, thyroid medicine and HIV treatment.
Can I give it to a baby? No. Dicyclomine must not be given to infants under six months, where it has caused serious effects.
Can it make reflux worse? It can. Dicyclomine relaxes the valve at the top of the stomach as well as the gut, which can worsen reflux in some people.
Can I use it with kidney disease? Ask your doctor. Aluminium and magnesium accumulate when the kidneys are impaired.