Alka-Seltzer 1228109 222761579 2008-06-30T23:55:35Z SJP 2716074 Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/24.0.110.173|24.0.110.173]] to last version by Cyu0616 (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]]) [[Image:Alka Seltzer in water.JPG|thumbnail|250px|Cherry Alka Seltzer Plus Tablet dissolving in water]] '''Alka-Seltzer''' is a name owned by the [[Germany|German]] [[Bayer Corporation]] for a line of [[medication]]s sold [[Over-the-counter drug|over the counter]] and taken by means of rapidly dissolving tablets that form an [[effervescent]] solution in water. ==Product information== The original Alka-Seltzer was invented in 1931 <ref>Florida Institute of Technology. (Unknown). History of Radio. In http://www.lib.fit.edu/. Retrieved 3/7/08, from http://www.lib.fit.edu/pubs/librarydisplays/A%20History%20of%20Radio%20web%20site.htm.</ref> and is a remedy for [[headache]], [[indigestion]], gas, stomach cramps, and heartburn. Sodium bicarbonate in Alka-Seltzer also makes it effective in treating mild blood [[acidosis]] associated with [[allergy]] (see citation). Alka-Seltzer is a combination of [[aspirin]] (acetylsalicylic acid, C<sub>9</sub>H<sub>8</sub>O<sub>4</sub>), [[sodium bicarbonate]] (NaHCO<sub>3</sub>), and [[citric acid]] (C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>8</sub>O<sub>7</sub>), designed to treat pain and simultaneously neutralize excess [[stomach]] [[acid]] (the "Alka" being derived from the word "[[alkali]]"). It is provided in the form of large effervescent tablets, about 1 [[inch]] (25 mm) in diameter, which are dissolved (two at a time for the usual adult dosage) in a glass of water. As the tablets dissolve, the base (bicarbonate) and the acid (citric acid) react vigorously producing [[carbon dioxide]] gas (hence the "[[Seltzer]]"), which also produces enough agitation to allow the active ingredients to dissolve slowly. The patient then ingests the resulting solution. The product has been extensively [[advertising|advertised]] since the beginning of the [[mass media]] era in the U.S. It was formerly marketed as something of a cure-all; at one time its ads even suggested taking it for "the blahs." Subsequent regulation has taken into consideration that aspirin is a relatively powerful drug which is not tolerated by everyone and should not generally be taken at all by children or adolescents due to its linkage to [[Reye's syndrome]]; the product is no longer marketed in this fashion. At one time the product was available in both long glass tubes and foil packets; the latter is the primary way the product is provided today, with two tablets in each packet. [[Image:Alka Seltzer tablet.JPG|left|thumbnail|250px|Alka Seltzer Plus packaging and tablet]] As the sale of the original product has declined, Bayer HealthCare (formerly Miles Laboratories) has put the famous brand onto newer products, such as the ''Alka-Seltzer Plus'' line of remedies for the [[common cold]]. Some of the newer products are now neither effervescent nor aspirin-based. This is because the years spent building the brand through advertising are still yielding benefits; many Americans still remember [[catch phrase]]s from its ads such as "I can't believe I ate the ''whole'' thing!", "Mamma mia, that's-a ''spicy'' meat-a-ball!", "Try it, you'll ''like'' it!" and "Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz, oh what a relief it is!"; a similar slogan in the [[United Kingdom]] referred to "plunk, plunk, [[physics|fizz-ics]]"{{Fact|date=March 2008}}. ==Chemistry of the effervescence== The aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is not an active ingredient in the effervescent action of Alka-Seltzer, but the baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and citric acid are active. {| style="margin-left: 2.5em; text-align: center" |- | C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>8</sub>O<sub>7</sub> | + | 3NaHCO<sub>3</sub> | → | 3H<sub>2</sub>O | + | 3CO<sub>2</sub> | + | Na<sub>3</sub>C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>5</sub>O<sub>7</sub> |- style="font-size: smaller; line-height: 1em" | [[citric acid]] | + | [[baking soda]] | → | [[water]] | + | [[carbon dioxide]] | + | [[sodium citrate]] |} The carbon dioxide is released as a gas. == Notes == <references/> ==External links== * [http://www.alka-seltzer.com/ Official website] * [http://www.speedysroadtrip.com/ Alka-Seltzer's Great American Road Trip] [[Category:Aspirin]] [[Category:Bayer brands]] [[Category:Gastrointestinal system drugs]] [[de:Alka-Seltzer]] [[pt:Alka-Seltzer]] [[sv:Alka-Seltzer]] [[tr:Alka-Seltzer]]