Simethicone

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Simethicone
Simethicone structure.svg
Systematic (IUPAC) name
Poly(dimethylsiloxane), silicon dioxide
Clinical data
AHFS/Drugs.com monograph
Pregnancy
category
  • A
Legal status
Routes of
administration		 Oral
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability not absorbed from the gut
Protein binding 0%
Metabolism Not metabolized
Biological half-life Unknown
Excretion feces
Identifiers
CAS Number 8050-81-5 YesY
ATC code A03AX13 (WHO)
PubChem CID: 6433516
ChEMBL CHEMBL1200838 N
Chemical data
Formula (C2H6OSi)n · (SiO2)m
Molecular mass variable
 NYesY (what is this?)  (verify)

Simethicone is an orally administered anti-foaming agent used to reduce bloating, discomfort or pain caused by excessive gas — mainly swallowed air, with small amounts of hydrogen and methane[1][2]— in the stomach or intestines. Simethicone is a mixture of polydimethylsiloxane and hydrated silica gel.

Chemical action and pharmaceutical effects

Simethicone is an anti-foaming agent that decreases the surface tension of gas bubbles, causing them to combine into larger bubbles in the stomach that can be passed more easily. Simethicone does not reduce or prevent the formation of gas in the digestive tract, rather, it increases the rate at which it exits the body.[3] However, simethicone can relieve pain caused by gas in the intestines by decreasing foaming, which then allows for easier passing of flatulence.

Simethicone is not absorbed by the body into the bloodstream, and is therefore considered relatively safe. National Institutes of Health (NIH)[4] reports there are usually no side effects when simethicone is taken as directed. Although simethicone has also been promoted as a treatment for colic in babies, randomised controlled trials have not demonstrated efficacy for this use; despite traditional views on the subject, colic does not appear to be caused by gas.[5][6]

Availability

Simethicone is generally available over the counter under many brand names in varying dosage sizes and combinations with other drugs, including:

Side effects

The most common adverse effects of simethicone are gastrointestinal symptoms, including mild diarrhea, nausea, regurgitation, and vomiting.[9]

References

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External links

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  1. ↑ http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/digestive_disorders/gas_in_the_digestive_tract_85,P00369/
  2. ↑ http://www.badgut.org/information-centre/intestinal-gas.html
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ PubMed Health, produced by National Center for Biotechnology, a division of the National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health; see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000747/
  5. ↑ University of Michigan clinical trial for simethicone used for colic
  6. ↑ Patient.info on colic
  7. ↑ Product information (German)
  8. ↑ Product information (German)
  9. ↑ from Micromedex Dug Information. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
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