Pantoprazole 20mg

The usual dose is one tablet a day. If you forget to take your pantoprazole tablet, do not try to make up for it by taking a double dose. Instead, take your next normal dose at the usual time. Your tablets should be taken one hour before a meal, preferably before breakfast when your stomach is empty. Do not chew or break them and swallow the tablet whole with water.

Pantoprazole 20 mg

Pantoprazole 20 mg  gastro resistant tablets are effective for the short-term treatment of heartburn and acid reflux in adults. Sometimes a higher dosage is required for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, stomach ulcers and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Pantoprazole 40 mg and 80 mg dosages require a prescription. Your doctor may increase your dose if it’s not working well enough or you may be advised to take a higher dose to begin with, usually for a couple of months and then go down to a lower dosage.

Stop taking this medicine immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms of a serious allergic reaction:

• Tongue and/or throat swelling
• Difficulty swallowing
• Hives
• Breathing difficulties
• Allergic facial swelling
• Severe dizziness with rapid heartbeat and heavy sweating
• Blistering of the skin and rapid deterioration of your general condition
• Erosion (including slight bleeding) of eyes, nose, mouth/lips or genitals (Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, Lyell Syndrome, Erythema multiforme)
• Sensitivity to light
• Yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes or fever, rash, and enlarged kidneys

Common Side Effects

• Benign polyps in the stomach – which may affect up to 1 in 10 people

Uncommon Side Effects

• Headache
• Feeling dizzy
• Diarrhoea
• Nausea
• Bloating and passing gas
• Constipation
• Dry mouth
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain and discomfort
• Skin rash, exanthema, eruption; itching
• Feeling weak, fatigue, sleep disorders
• Fracture of the hip, wrist or spine
• Generally feeling unwell

Pantoprazole may not be suitable for everyone. It’s important to tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you have any of the following conditions because you may need to be monitored or in some cases, treatment may need to stop. This includes:

• Severe liver problems
• You take NSAIDs medicines continuously – particularly those ages 65 years and older, a history of stomach or duodenal ulcers or of stomach or intestinal bleeding
• Have reduced body stores or risk factors for reduced vitamin B12
• Take a medicine containing atazanavir (for the treatment of HIV-infection)
• Due to have a specific blood test (Chromogranin A)
• Had a skin reaction after treatment with a medicine like pantoprazole that reduces stomach acid
• A rash on your skin, especially in areas exposed to the sun
• Any other ill-effects like pain in your joints

Immediately tell your doctor if you notice any of the following symptoms: 

• Unintentional weight loss
• Vomiting repeatedly
• Difficulty swallowing
• Vomiting blood
• Pale skin and feeling weak (anaemia)
• Pain in your chest
• Pain in your stomach
• Blood in your poo
• Severe and/or persistent diarrhoea

This is because pantoprazole can alleviate the symptoms of cancer and cause a delay in diagnosing the disease. Your doctor may need to do some tests to rule out malignant disease.

It’s possible that the levels of magnesium in your blood may fall if you take this medicine for more than three months. Low magnesium can also lead to a reduction in potassium or calcium levels in the blood. If you feel fatigue, disorientation, experience convulsions or involuntary muscle contractions, dizziness or increased heart rate, see your doctor urgently.

You should also tell your doctor if you have osteoporosis or if you are taking corticosteroids because long-term use of a proton pump inhibitor medicine can also increase your risk of bone fractures in the hip, wrist or spine.

You’re likely to be monitored by your doctor if you take this medicine for more than a year and you should report any changes or new symptoms.

There may be interactions when taking pantoprazole gastro resistant tablets. This means that it may alter the way some medicines work or the medicines you take could affect the way pantoprazole works. You should inform your pharmacist or doctor if you are taking any prescription and non-prescription medicines, as well as any herbal, supplements or vitamins including:

• Ketoconazole, itraconazole and posaconazole (treats fungal infections)
• Erlotinib (treats certain types of cancer)
• Warfarin and phenprocoumon
• Methotrexate (treats cancer and autoimmune diseases)
• Atazanavir (treats HIV-infection)
• Fluvoxamine (treats depression and other psychiatric diseases)
• Rifampicin (treats infections)
• St. John’s wort (treats mild depression)

Evidence is limited for pantoprazole in pregnancy therefore it is not generally recommended. Your doctor will likely consider whether the benefit for you is greater than the potential risk for your unborn child or baby. You may be offered an alternative treatment if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant.

A small amount of evidence has found that pantoprazole is excreted into breast milk in tiny amounts. It is unlikely that pantoprazole will cause any side effects in your baby and your baby will not absorb a lot into their body from the breast milk. You should speak with your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan on breastfeeding before taking any medicine.

For more information about pantoprazole acid reflux treatment, take a look at the patient information leaflet: Pantoprazole 20mg Gastro-resistant Patient Information Leaflet

• https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/pantoprazole/