F.A.Q. & History

alt Frequently Asked Questions:

Acid indigestion, gas and heartburn are common consequences of over eating too much or food that is too spicy. Below are some commonly asked questions about heartburn, acid-indigestion and gas, with links to further information from government offices and other independent medical and research institutions.

Q: How many Americans suffer from heartburn?
A: The American College of Gastroenterology states that symptoms are experienced at least once a month by more than 60 million Americans. For more information, see http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/gerd/info.asp

Q: What foods cause acid indigestion?
A: There are many foods that cause it, and their effect changes with the other foods you eat, according to the National Medical Library. Lifestyle changes are the first suggestion of many physicians. If you suffer from acid indigestion or GERD, go easy on alcohol, caffeine, carbonated beverages, chocolate, citrus fruits and juices, tomatoes or spicy or fatty foods. The NLM has a page on the condition, and foods that can occasionally trigger them, at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000265.htm

Q: Is gas normal? What causes gas?
A: We all produce it. The Mayo Clinic's page on the causes of gas has a full list of foods that can cause gas: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gas-and-gas-pains/DS00080/DSECTION=causes

Q: What types of heartburn are there?
A: The National Institute of Health's National Digestive Diseases Information Clearing House has a page on the types of heartburn, including Gastroesophageal Reflux (GER) or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). GER is also called acid reflux; GERD is the term for a condition that happens more than twice a week. LINK http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gerd/

Q: I get heartburn frequently, but otherwise feel OK.
A: Talk to your physician; while it may be just a nuisance, it could be something else. The American College of Gastroenterology has a page on all the factors to consider at http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/gerd/word.asp

Note: The information above is provided to help better understand the background of Gelusil. It is not intended to be a substitute for medical help. Please call your physician immediately if you think you have an emergency.

A History of Gelusil, the "Different Antacid"

Around the world, the "Gelusil" brand has become renowned for relief from an anxious stomach. Introduced in the late 1930s as a liquid and initially sold in a blue-glass wide-mouthed bottle, through its 70 years it has not only become a staple of medicine cabinets, but it has become a word associated with relief.

Gelusil was created by the pharmaceutical company first known as William R. Warner & Co. (later Warner-Chilcott, then Warner-Lambert) and was formally filed as a trademark in 1939. Warner was a pioneering pharmaceutical company known for the innovation of coating pills with sugar. Gelusil's early slogan was "the different antacid" because it was both an antacid and anti-gas.

As one of the leading products of its time, Gelusil became synonymous with anything that might need relief from a stomach ache, even politics. Chicago Alderman Fred Roti said he needed to use Gelusil because of his disagreements with Mayor Jane Byrne, saying that he's "taken more Gelusil since you've been mayor than any of them."

Actors, Musicians and Authors

The product Gelusil has been a popular accompaniment to musicians on tour, and it is mentioned in noted biographies of jazzman Charles Mingus, singer Lena Horne and composer Marvin Hamlisch. Gelusil was even backstage during the creation of Jesus Christ Superstar. Folk singer and songwriter Pete Seeger, in his book account of participating in the Civil Rights era called Everybody Says Freedom, writes that he took Gelusil along with him for his "freedom ride" performances in the Deep South. While these were not official endorsements, they are a measure of how much Gelusil is a part of the American fabric.

In fiction, Gelusil is often a background prop for complex (and sometimes glamorous) characters who suffer upset stomach or stress; best-selling writers including Stephen King, Arthur Hailey, Anne Tyler, T.C. Boyle and Harold Robbins have mentioned Gelusil in their novels. Gelusil shows up in the movies too. In the 1972 film The Hot Rock, Robert Redford plays a criminal mastermind who takes Gelusil in order to stop his jitters while working with fellow diamond thieves.

Even in non-fiction, Gelusil is shorthand for stomach happiness. Food critic Sherrie A. Inness carried Gelusil as part of her culinary adventures in the book Pilaf, Pozole, and Pad Thai: American Women and Ethnic Food. And Gael Greene joked in her New York magazine essay "How Not to Be Humiliated in Snob Restaurants" that you should "carry your Gelusil in a discreet flask" at restaurants where you are unsure of the food.

Gelusil for G-Men

Gelusil became part of American history in 1970, when Washington, D.C. investigative columnists Jack Anderson and Charles Elliott discovered umpteen bottles of Gelusil while searching through the trash of long-time Federal Bureau of Investigation director J. Edgar Hoover. An account of the incident appears in Anderson's de-classified F.B.I. files. After the story ran, it was a war of words over Gelusil, with Hoover's supporters firing back in letters to the editor, asking how many "bottles of Gelusil" the reporters had consumed in their "mediocre life."

Gelusil is not just an American product. In 1953, Warner introduced Gelusil Suspension to the U.K. citing its "pleasantly flavoured" taste. Today, it is sold around the world. The brand is popular in India, and is sold in countries as varied as Thailand and the Philippines.

In 2000, Pfizer and Warner-Lambert combined, bringing Gelusil into Pfizer's family of healthcare brands. In 2006, Pfizer sold Gelusil to Johnson & Johnson. On Sept. 2, 2008, Sarasota, Florida-based WellSpring Pharmaceutical Corporation purchased Gelusil. Gelusil is now among a family of other respected and classic American pharmacy brands that include the nausea relieving product Emetrol for Nausea, the athlete's foot remedy Micatin and the moisturizing cream Glaxal Base.