The most important information about Prevacid
Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have any type of liver disease. You may not be able to use Prevacid, or you may need a dosage adjustment or special tests during treatment.
Some conditions are treated with a combination of Prevacid and antibiotics. To best treat your condition, use all of your medications as directed by your doctor. Be sure to read the medication guide or patient instructions provided with each of your medications. Do not change your doses or medication schedule without advice from your doctor.
Take this medication for the entire length of time prescribed by your doctor. Your symptoms may get better before your treatment is completed. This medication comes in different forms (capsules, disintegrating tablets, granules). Follow the dosing instructions for the specific form you are taking.
What is Prevacid
Prevacid decreases the amount of acid produced in the stomach.
Prevacid is used to treat and prevent stomach and intestinal ulcers, erosive esophagitis (damage to the esophagus from stomach acid), and other conditions involving excessive stomach acid such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.
Prevacid may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking Prevacid?
Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have any type of liver disease. You may not be able to use Prevacid, or you may need a dosage adjustment or special tests during treatment.
Some conditions are treated with a combination of Prevacid and antibiotics. To best treat your condition, use all of your medications as directed by your doctor. Be sure to read the medication guide or patient instructions provided with each of your medications. Do not change your doses or medication schedule without advice from your doctor.
FDA pregnancy category B. This medication is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether Prevacid passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Some forms of Prevacid may contain phenylalanine. Tell your doctor if you have phenylketonuria.
Do not give this medication to a child younger than 1 year old.
How to take Prevacid
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.
Take each dose with a full glass (8 ounces) of water. Prevacid should be taken before eating. Do not crush, break, or open a delayed-release capsule. Swallow the pill whole. It is specially made to release medicine slowly in the body. Breaking or opening the pill would cause too much of the drug to be released at one time.
If you are unable to swallow a capsule whole: Open the capsule and sprinkle the medicine into a spoonful of pudding, applesauce, yogurt, cottage cheese, strained pears, or a nutritional drink such as Ensure. Swallow this mixture right away without chewing. Do not save the mixture for later use. Discard the empty capsule.
You may also dissolve the medicine from a Prevacid capsule in 2 ounces (1/4 cup) of apple juice, orange juice, or tomato juice. Stir this mixture and drink all of it right away. To make sure you get the entire dose, add a little more juice to the same glass, swirl gently and drink right away.
Dissolve the oral granules in 2 tablespoons of water. Use only water when mixing Prevacid oral granules. Stir this mixture and drink all of it right away. To make sure you get the entire dose, add a little more water to the same glass, swirl gently and drink right away.
To take Prevacid orally disintegrating tablet: Use dry hands to remove the tablet and place it in your mouth. It will begin to dissolve right away. Allow the tablet to dissolve in your mouth without chewing, swallowing several times as it dissolves.
The Prevacid orally disintegrating tablet may be taken with an oral syringe as follows: Place the dry tablet into a 15-milliliter oral syringe and draw 10 milliliters of water into the syringe. Shake until the tablet is dissolved and then empty the syringe into your mouth. Refill the syringe with water, shake gently, and empty into your mouth.
The disintegrating tablet can also be given through a nasogastric (NG) feeding tube as follows: Place a 15-milligram tablet in a syringe and draw up 4 milliliters of water (or 10 milliliters of water if using a 30-milligram tablet). Shake until the tablet is dissolved. Attach the syringe to the NG tube and push the plunger down to empty the syringe into the tube. Then flush the tube with more water to wash the contents down.
It is important to use Prevacid regularly to get the most benefit. Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely.
Take this medication for the entire length of time prescribed by your doctor. Your symptoms may get better before your treatment is completed. Store Prevacid at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
What happens in case of missing 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.
What happens in case of overdosing
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.
An overdose of Prevacid is not expected to produce life-threatening symptoms.
What to avoid while taking Prevacid
If you also take sucralfate (Carafate), avoid taking it at the same time you take Prevacid. Sucralfate can make it harder for your body to absorb Prevacid. Wait at least 30 minutes after taking Prevacid before you take sucralfate.
The possible side effects
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.
Other less serious side effects are more likely to occur, such as:
headache;
nausea, stomach pain;
diarrhea; or
constipation.
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.
Other drugs which affect Prevacid
Before taking Prevacid, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:
theophylline (such as Elixophyllin, Respbid, Slo-Bid, Theobid, Theoclear, Theo-Dur, Uniphyl);
digoxin (Lanoxin, Lanoxicaps);
ampicillin (Omnipen, Principen);
ketoconazole (Nizoral);
iron (Feosol, Mol-Iron, Fergon, Femiron, others); or
a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin).
If you are using any of these drugs, you may not be able to use Prevacid, or you may need dosage adjustments or special tests during treatment.
There may be other drugs not listed that can affect Prevacid. 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.
Where to get more information on Prevacid
Your pharmacist has additional information about Prevacid written for health professionals that you may read.
