Pepto-Bismol

Pepto-Bismol is an over-the-counter medication produced by the Procter and Gamble company used to treat minor digestive system upset. Its active ingredient is bismuth subsalicylate. The primary symptoms aided by Pepto-Bismol are nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea, and other temporary discomforts of the stomach and gastrointestinal tract.

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Pepto-Bismol are made in chewable tablets and swallowable caplets, but is best known for its original formula which is a thick liquid. This original formula is a medium pink color with a strong wintergreen flavor. These traits have become generally associated with the medicine to the degree that something may be described as "Pepto-Bismol pink" or as tasting like "Pepto-Bismol". These are generally considered uncomplimentary traits, because of the unpleasant associations with the medication and the general malaise associated with stomach problems. Also, the drug is commonly referred to as "pink stuff'.

History

Pepto-Bismol was originally sold as a remedy for infant diarrhea by Norwich Pharmaceutical Company under the name Bismosal: Mixture Cholera Infantum, changing to Pepto-Bismol in 1919, and transferring to Procter and Gamble with their 1982 acquisition of Norwich Eaton Pharmaceuticals.