Bismuth subsalicylate

Drugbox
IUPAC_name = 2-Hydroxy-4"H"-1,3,2-benzodioxabismin-4-one


CAS_number = 14882-18-9
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PubChem = 16682734
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chemical_formula = C₇H₅BiO₄
molecular_weight = 362.11 g/mol
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Bismuth subsalicylate, with a chemical formula C₇H₅BiO₄, ["Merck Index", 11th Edition, 1299.] is a drug used to treat nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea, and other temporary discomforts of the stomach and gastrointestinal tract. Bismuth subsalicylate does exhibit antibacterial activity; however, it is not derived from another living biological source, which does not classify it as an 'antibiotic.' Commonly known as pink bismuth, it is the active ingredient in popular medications such as Pepto-Bismol and (modern) Kaopectate.

As a salt of salicylic acid, bismuth salicylate displays anti-inflammatory action and also acts as an antacid.

There are some adverse effects. It can also cause a black tongue and black stools in some users of the drug, when it combines with trace amounts of sulfur in their saliva and gastrointestinal tract. [ [http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a607040.html Drug information page] at the National Institutes of Health] This discoloration is temporary and harmless.

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. [ [http://www.reyessyndrome.org/aspirin.htm Aspirin or Salicylate-Containing Medications] , reyessyndrome.org] 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. [ [http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/disease/illness.htm CDC warning about breastfeeding while taking medications] ]

While bismuth is technically radioactive, its half life is so long, on the order of hundreds of billions of years, [cite journal | last = Marcillac | first = Pierre de | coauthors = Noël Coron, Gérard Dambier, Jacques Leblanc, and Jean-Pierre Moalic | year = 2003 | month = April | title = Experimental detection of α-particles from the radioactive decay of natural bismuth | journal = Nature | volume = 422 | pages = 876–878 | doi = 10.1038/nature01541 ] that it is safe for all medical and other ordinary purposes.

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