<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Hi Folks, I have been reading with great interest all the posts TO THE LIST about taking ALKA SELZER GOLD when unplanned gluten challenges occur. I would just like to point out that it is estimated that close to half of adult human beings secrete insufficient Hydrochloric Acid (stomach acid) for adequate metabolism of nutrients and for efficient digestion. If you take a very powerful antacid such as ALKA SELZER GOLD when you have a normal amount of acid in your stomach, I think it is likely that you will cause yourself digestive problems. If you are one of those that chronically have insufficient Hydrochloric Acid in your system, taking ALKA SELZER GOLD would probably result in interference with normal metabolism and some essential nutrients would probably not be extracted from your food and absorbed by your body. I have a chronic problem with insufficient Hydrochloric Acid so I experimented with ALKA SELZER GOLD before writing this to the list and it caused me to experience severe indigestion even though I had just taken Betain Hydrochloride, which is a Hydrochloric Acid supplement I take with each meal. I not only experienced severe indigestion after taking ALKA SELZER GOLD, I also suffered bloating and intestinal gas and my next bowel movement was not normal. I am not a doctor and my experiment was certainly not a 'double-blind study'. My opinions about medications would have to be considered completely unprofessional and I have not sought advice about this from my doctor because I do not plan to take ALKA SELZER GOLD as a regular thing. All of this is merely my speculation. I have read articles that stressed that the American people overuse antacids and that more of them are sold in the United States than the rest of the world put together. Joe Clemens, Port Angeles, Washington, USA [log in to unmask]