Shop products for Bismuth Subsalicylate 
Combination drugs: Bisma-Rex®, Helidac®, Moorland®, Roter®
Bismuth subsalicylate is a nonprescription drug used to relieve indigestion without constipation, nausea, and abdominal cramps. It is also used to control diarrhoea and traveller’sdiarrhoea. Bismuth subsalicylate is used together with prescription antibiotics and stomach acid-blocking drugs to treat gastric and duodenal ulcers associated with Helicobacter pylori infection.
Summary of
Interactions with Vitamins, Herbs, and Foods
In some cases, an herb or supplement may appear in more than one category, which may seem
contradictory. For clarification, read the full article for details about the summarized
interactions.
 Avoid: Adverse interaction—Avoid these supplements
when taking this medication because taking them together may cause undesirable or dangerous
results. |
Salicylate-containing herbs* such as meadowsweet, poplar, willow, and wintergreen Sarsaparilla |
| Depletion or interference |
None known |
| Side effect reduction/prevention |
None known |
| Supportive interaction |
None known |
| Reduced drug absorption/bioavailability |
None known |
An asterisk (*) next to an item in the summary indicates that the interaction is supported only by weak, fragmentary, and/or contradictory scientific evidence.
Interactions with Herbs
Sarsaparilla
(Smilax spp.)
Sarsaparilla may increase the absorption of digitalis and bismuth, increasing the chance of
toxicity.1
Salicylate-containing herbs
Bismuth subsalicylate contains salicylates. Various herbs including meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria), poplar
(Populus tremuloides),willow (Salix
alba), and wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) contain salicylates as well.
Though similar to aspirin, plant salicylates have been shown
to have different actions in test tube studies.2 Furthermore, salicylates are
poorly absorbed and likely do not build up to levels sufficient to cause negative interactions
that aspirin might.3 No reports have been published of negative interactions
between salicylate-containing plants and aspirin or aspirin-containing drugs.4
Therefore concerns about combining salicylate-containing herbs remain theoretical, and the
risk of causing problems appears to be low.
References
1. Bradley PR (ed). British Herbal Compendium, vol 1. Bournemouth, Dorset, UK: British Herbal Medicine Association, 1992, 194–6.
2. Wichtl M, Bisset NG, eds. Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals. Stuttgart: Medpharm GmBH Scientific Publishers.
3. Janssen PL, Katan MB, van Staveren WA, et al. Acetylsalicylate and salicylates in foods. Cancer Lett 1997:114(1–2):163–4.
4. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. (1997) American Herbal Product Association’s Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1997, 154–5.
