What is pantoprazole?
Pantoprazole is in a group of drugs called proton pump inhibitors. It decreases the amount of acid produced in the stomach. Pantoprazole is used to treat erosive esophagitis (damage to the esophagus from stomach acid), and other conditions involving excess stomach acid such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Pantoprazole may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.
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What is the price of this medication and similar alternatives?
This pricing information is subject to change at the sole discretion of DS Pharmacy. For the most current and up-to-date pricing information, please visit drugstore.com.
| Pantoprazole Sodium 20MG Enteric-coated Tablets | TEVA PHARMACEUTICALS USA | 30/$109.99 or 90/$319.95 |
| Pantoprazole Sodium 40MG Enteric-coated Tablets | WYETH | 90/$324.98 or 270/$950.86 |
| Protonix 20MG Enteric-coated Tablets | WYETH | 30/$127.89 or 90/$353.61 |
| Protonix 40MG Enteric-coated Tablets | WYETH | 30/$125.99 or 90/$351.97 |
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What are the possible side effects of pantoprazole?
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic
reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Less serious side effects are more likely to occur, such as:
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nausea, vomiting;
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gas, stomach pain;
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diarrhea; or
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headache.
Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your
doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.
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How should I take pantoprazole?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Pantoprazole can be taken with or without food. Do not crush, chew, or break a delayed-release (enteric-coated) tablet. Swallow the pill whole. The enteric-coated pill has a special coating to protect your stomach. Breaking the pill could damage this coating, causing too much of the drug to be released at one time.
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What is the most important information I should know about pantoprazole?
Do not stop taking pantoprazole even if you begin to feel better. Your symptoms may improve before the condition is fully treated. Do not crush, chew, or break a delayed-release (enteric-coated) tablet. It is specially made to release the medicine slowly into your body. The oral granules should be mixed only with applesauce or apple juice to make swallowing easy. Do not use any other type of liquid or soft food. Pantoprazole granules may also be given with apple juice through a nasogastric (NG ) tube.
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What happens if I miss a dose?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
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What other drugs will affect pantoprazole?
Before taking pantoprazole, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs: atazanavir (Reyataz); a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin); ampicillin (Omnipen, Principen); ketoconazole (Nizoral); or iron (Feosol, Mol-Iron, Fergon, Femiron, others). This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with pantoprazole. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.
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Can I take this if I am pregnant or trying to get pregnant or if I am breastfeeding?
Pantoprazole has been assigned to pregnancy category B by the FDA. Animal data have failed to reveal evidence of fetal harm after rats or rabbits were given doses 88 and 40 times the recommended human dose (based on body surface area), respectively. There are no data from controlled human studies. Pantoprazole should only be used during pregnancy when need has been clearly established.
There are no data on the excretion of pantoprazole into human milk. Pantoprazole and its metabolites are excreted in the milk of rats. The manufacturer recommends that due to the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants, a decision should be made to discontinue nursing or discontinue the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother.
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Who should NOT use this medication?
- Known hypersensitivity to pantoprazole, any ingredient in the formulation, or to other substituted benzimidazoles (e.g., esomeprazole, lansoprazole, omeprazole, rabeprazole).
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What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. An overdose of pantoprazole is not expected to produce life-threatening symptoms.
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What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking pantoprazole?
Do not take this medication if you are allergic to pantoprazole. Before taking pantoprazole, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs. Some conditions must be treated long-term with pantoprazole. The chronic use of pantoprazole has caused stomach cancer in animal studies, but it is not known if this medication would have the same effects in humans. Talk with your doctor about your specific risk of developing stomach cancer. Long-term treatment with pantoprazole may also make it harder for your body to absorb vitamin B-12, resulting in a deficiency of this vitamin. Symptoms of a vitamin B-12 deficiency may develop slowly and include pale skin, weakness, tired feeling, shortness of breath, and a fast heart rate. Talk with your doctor if you need long-term pantoprazole treatment and you have concerns about vitamin B-12 deficiency.
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Can I stop taking the medication if I feel better?
As a general rule, you should always take your medications exactly as prescribed and do not change the dosage or stop taking the medication without first discussing it with your healthcare provider.
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I am on so many medications; do I have to take them all?
This is called polypharmacy—many different medications being used at the same time by one person. Sometimes, being on multiple medications is acceptable and appropriate but at other times it may be problematic. If you are receiving your medications from multiple physicians you need to ensure that they all know what medications you are taking. The best way to do this is to make a list of all the medications you are currently using, including all nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs (if possible, also include all the diseases you have been diagnosed with). Give a copy to every doctor who takes care of you so they have it on file, this way they can avoid duplicating medications and perhaps even try to consolidate some. After every doctor's visit remember to update the list accordingly. Also, as much as you possibly can, try to use the same pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions, this way any potential drug interactions can be caught and averted.
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Where can I get more information?
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