What is Prevacid?

Prevacid (lansoprazole) belongs to a group of drugs called proton pump inhibitors. It 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.

Over-the-counter Prevacid OTC is used to treat frequent heartburn that happens 2 or more days per week.

Prevacid is not for immediate relief of heartburn symptoms.

Important information

Prevacid is not for immediate relief of heartburn symptoms.

Heartburn is often confused with the first symptoms of a heart attack. Seek emergency medical attention if you have chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, nausea, sweating, and a general ill feeling.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to take Prevacid if you have liver disease, or low levels of magnesium in your blood.

Some conditions are treated with a combination of Prevacid and antibiotics. Use all medications as directed by your doctor. Read the medication guide or patient instructions provided with each medication. Do not change your doses or medication schedule without your doctor’s advice.

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 lansoprazole. Wait at least 30 minutes after taking this medicine before you take sucralfate.

Take Prevacid for the full prescribed length of time. Your symptoms may improve before the infection is completely cleared.

Prevacid 24HR should be taken only once every 24 hours for 14 days. It may take up to 4 days for full effect. Do not take more than one tablet every 24 hours.

Allow at least 4 months to pass before you start another 14-day treatment with Prevacid 24HR. Call your doctor if you have additional symptoms and need treatment before the 4 months has passed.

Before taking this medicine

Heartburn is often confused with the first symptoms of a heart attack. Seek emergency medical attention if you have chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, nausea, sweating, and a general ill feeling.

You should not use Prevacid if you are allergic to lansoprazole.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to use Prevacid if you have other medical conditions, especially:

liver disease;
low levels of magnesium in your blood;
osteoporosis or low bone mineral density (osteopenia).

Do not use over-the-counter Prevacid OTC without the advice of a doctor if you have:

trouble or pain with swallowing;
bloody or black stools; vomit that looks like blood or coffee grounds;
heartburn that has lasted for over 3 months;
frequent chest pain, heartburn with wheezing;
unexplained weight loss;
nausea or vomiting, stomach pain; or
an electrolyte imbalance or metabolic disorder.

Taking a proton pump inhibitor such as Prevacid may increase your risk of bone fracture in the hip, wrist, or spine. This effect has occurred mostly in people who have taken the medication long term or at high doses, and in those who are age 50 and older. It is not clear whether Prevacid is the actual cause of an increased risk of fracture.

Some conditions are treated with a combination of Prevacid and antibiotics. Use all medications as directed by your doctor. Read all patient information, medication guides, and instruction sheets provided to you. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

This medicine is not expected to harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

It is not known whether lansoprazole passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medicine without a doctor’s advice if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Some forms of Prevacid may contain phenylalanine. Tell your doctor if you have phenylketonuria.

Do not give Prevacid to a child younger than 1 year old. Prevacid OTC is not approved for use by anyone younger than 18 years old.

How should I take Prevacid?

Use Prevacid exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.

Prevacid is usually taken before eating. Prevacid OTC should be taken in the morning before you eat breakfast.

Shake the oral suspension (liquid) well just before you measure a dose. Measure liquid medicine with the dosing syringe provided, or with a special dose-measuring spoon or medicine cup. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.

Do not crush, chew, break, or open a delayed-release capsule. Swallow it whole.

If you are unable to swallow a delayed-release capsule whole:

Open the capsule and sprinkle the medicine into a spoonful of pudding, applesauce, yogurt, cottage cheese, or strained pears. Swallow this mixture right away without chewing. Do not save the mixture for later use.
You may also dissolve the medicine 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.
The delayed-release capsule contents may also be given through a nasogastric (NG) feeding tube. Open the capsule and sprinkle the medicine into 40 milliliters of apple juice (do not use any other liquid). Inject all of this mixture through the NG tube and into the stomach. Then flush the tube with more apple juice to wash the contents down.

Do not break, chew, or cut an orally disintegrating tablet, and do not swallow it whole. Allow the tablet to dissolve in your mouth without chewing. If desired, you may drink liquid to help swallow the dissolved tablet.

If you are unable to dissolve the orally disintegrating tablet in your mouth:

Place a 15-milligram tablet into an oral syringe and draw 4 milliliters of water into the syringe. If using a 30-milligram tablet, draw 10 milliliters of water into the syringe.
Shake the syringe gently until the tablet is dispersed. Then empty the syringe into your mouth within 15 minutes after mixing. Refill the syringe with water, shake gently, and empty into your mouth.
The Prevacid disintegrating tablet may also be given through a nasogastric (NG) feeding tube as follows: Disperse the tablet in an oral syringe as directed above. Then inject the mixture through the NG tube into the stomach within 15 minutes. Flush the tube with 5 more milliliters of water to wash the contents down.

Take this medicine for the full prescribed length of time. Your symptoms may improve before your condition is completely treated.

Prevacid OTC should be taken only once daily for 14 days. Do not take more than one tablet every 24 hours. It may take up to 4 days for full effect. Allow at least 4 months to pass before you start another 14-day treatment with Prevacid OTC.

Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve or if they get worse while you are taking this medicine. If you take Prevacid OTC, call your doctor if your heartburn gets worse over the 14-day treatment, or if you need treatment more than once every 4 months.

If you use Prevacid for longer than 3 years, you could develop a vitamin B-12 deficiency. Talk to your doctor about how to manage this condition if you develop it.

Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light. Do not freeze the liquid medicine.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention.

What should I avoid while taking Prevacid?

If you also take sucralfate (Carafate), avoid taking it at the same time you take Prevacid. Wait at least 30 minutes after taking Prevacid before you take sucralfate.

This medicine can cause diarrhea, which may be a sign of a new infection. If you have diarrhea that is watery or bloody, call your doctor. Do not use anti-diarrhea medicine unless your doctor tells you to.

Prevacid side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to Prevacid: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have:

severe stomach pain, diarrhea that is watery or bloody;
seizure (convulsions);
kidney problems – urinating more or less than usual, blood in your urine, swelling, rapid weight gain; or
symptoms of low magnesium – dizziness, confusion; fast or uneven heart rate; tremors (shaking) or jerking muscle movements; feeling jittery;muscle cramps, muscle spasms in your hands and feet; cough or choking feeling.

Common Prevacid side effects may include:

nausea, stomach pain;
diarrhea, constipation; or
headache.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

Prevacid dosing information

Usual Adult Dose for Erosive Esophagitis:

Initial dose: 30 mg orally once a day for up to 8 weeks. Alternatively, if the patient is unable to use oral route the dose may be given as an IV infusion of 30 mg per day administered over 30 minutes for up to 7 days.

Maintenance dose: 15 mg orally once a day.

Usual Adult Dose for Duodenal Ulcer:

15 mg orally once a day 30 minutes before eating. Therapy should be continued for up to 4 weeks.

Usual Adult Dose for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease:

15 mg orally once a day. Therapy should be continued for up to 8 weeks.

Usual Adult Dose for Gastric Ulcer:

30 mg orally once a day 30 minutes before eating. Therapy should be continued for 4 to 8 weeks.

Usual Adult Dose for Multiple Endocrine Adenomas:

60 mg orally once a day. Doses up to 90 mg orally 2 times a day have been used. The manufacturer reports that some patients have been treated continuously for as long as four years.

Usual Adult Dose for Systemic Mastocytosis:

60 mg orally once a day. Doses up to 90 mg orally 2 times a day have been used. The manufacturer reports that some patients have been treated continuously for as long as four years.

Usual Adult Dose for Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome:

60 mg orally once a day. Doses up to 90 mg orally 2 times a day have been used. The manufacturer reports that some patients have been treated continuously for as long as four years.

Usual Adult Dose for Helicobacter pylori Infection:

Triple therapy: Prevacid 30 mg is combined with 1 g of amoxicillin and 500 mg of clarithromycin given orally every 12 hours for 10 or 14 days. Most investigators recommend treatment with at least two antimicrobial agents in order to achieve eradication. Monotherapy with Prevacid is ineffective and should be avoided.

Dual therapy: Prevacid 30 mg is combined with 1 gram of amoxicillin given orally every 8 hours for 14 days. Refer to the monograph for amoxicillin and/or clarithromycin for dosing information specific to elderly or renally-impaired patients.

Usual Adult Dose for Duodenal Ulcer Prophylaxis:

15 mg orally once a day 30 minutes before eating. Studies evaluating maintenance therapy for duodenal ulcers have not extended beyond 12 months.

Usual Adult Dose for NSAID-Induced Gastric Ulcer:

30 mg orally once a day for 8 weeks.

Usual Adult Dose for NSAID-Induced Ulcer Prophylaxis:

15 mg orally once a day for up to 12 weeks.

Usual Pediatric Dose for Aspiration Pneumonia:

Study (n=120)
Greater than 3 to 11 years: 30 mg at 9 p.m. the night before surgery, and 30 mg at 5:30 a.m. the day of surgery.

Usual Pediatric Dose for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease:

Short term treatment of GERD (up to 12 weeks):
1 to 11 years:
Less than or equal to 30 kg = 15 mg once daily
Greater than 30 kg = 30 mg once daily

12 to 17 years: 15 mg once daily for up to 8 weeks

Usual Pediatric Dose for Erosive Esophagitis:

Short term treatment (up to 12 weeks):
1 to 11 years:
Less than or equal to 30 kg = 15 mg once daily
Greater than 30 kg = 30 mg once daily, up to 30 mg twice daily.

Short term treatment (up to 8 weeks):
12 to 17 years: 30 mg once daily
An additional 8 weeks may be tried in those patients who fail to respond or for a recurrence.
Maintenance: 15 mg once daily

What other drugs will affect Prevacid?

Ask a doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to use Prevacid if you are also using any of the following drugs:

ampicillin;
atazanavir;
clarithromycin;
digoxin;
iron-containing medicines (ferrous fumarate, ferrous gluconate, ferrous sulfate, and others);
ketoconazole;
methotrexate;
mycophenolate mofetil;
nelfinavir;
tacrolimus;
theophylline; or
warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven).

This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with lansoprazole, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.