Prilosec

Prilosec reduces stomach acid, stops heartburn, and heals ulcers. Take Prilosec on an empty stomach.

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Prilosec Overview

Reviewed: July 6, 2012
Updated: 

Prilosec is both an over-the-counter and a prescription medication. The over-the-counter form is used to treat heartburn. The prescription form is used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), certain types of ulcers, Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome, erosive esophagitis (EE), and infections caused by the bacteria H. pylori. This medication page refers to the prescription form of Prilosec.

Prilosec belongs to a group of drugs called proton pump inhibitors, which work by reducing the amount of acid made in the stomach.

This medication comes in delayed-release capsule form and in packets to be mixed with water to form a liquid (suspension). It is taken once or twice daily, one hour before a meal.

Common side effects of Prilosec include constipation, gas, nausea, vomiting, and headache.

Prilosec can cause dizziness, drowsiness, and blurred vision. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Prilosec affects you.

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What are you taking for?

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  • Other
  • Duodenal Ulcer
  • Esophagitis
  • Gastroesophageal Reflux
  • Heartburn
  • Helicobacter Infections
  • Stomach Ulcer
  • Zollinger-ellison Syndrome

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  • A couple weeks
  • A month or so
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Prilosec Cautionary Labels

precautionsprecautions

Uses of Prilosec

Prilosec is a prescription medicine used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), certain types of ulcers, Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome, erosive esophagitis (EE), and infections caused by the bacteria H. pylori.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Manufacturer

Prilosec Drug Class

Prilosec is part of the drug class:

Side Effects of Prilosec

Serious side effects have been reported with Prilosec. See the “Prilosec Precautions” section.

Common side effects of Prilosec include:

  • headache
  • abdominal pain
  • nausea
  • diarrhea
  • vomiting
  • gas
  • respiratory system propblems
  • fever

This is not a complete list of Prilosec side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Prilosec Interactions

Tell your doctor about all of the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription drugs, vitamins and herbal supplements. Prilosec may affect how other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how Prilosec work. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

  • atazanavir (Reyataz)
  • nelfinavir (Viracept)
  • saquinavir (Fortovase)
  • cilostazol (Pletal)
  • ketoconazole (Nizoral)
  • voriconazole (Vfend)
  • ampicillin (Unasyn)
  • products that contain iron
  • warfarin (Coumadin)
  • digoxin (Lanoxin, Lanoxincaps)
  • tacrolimus (Prograf)
  • diazepam (Valium)
  • phenytoin (Dilantin)
  • disulfiram (Antabuse)
  • clopidogrel (Plavix)
  • St. John's wort

This is not a complete list of Prilosec drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Prilosec Precautions

Serious side effects have been reported with Prilosec including the following:

  • Serious allergic reactions. Tell your doctor if you any or all of the following symptoms of a serious allergic reaction:
    • rash
    • face swelling
    • throat tightness
    • difficulty breathing

People who are taking multiple daily doses of proton pump inhibitor medicines for a long period of time may have an increased risk of fractures of the hip, wrist or spine.

Do not take Prilosec if you are allergic to Prilosec or to any of its ingredients or are allergic to any other proton pump inhibitor.

Prilosec Food Interactions

Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Prilosec there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving Prilosec.

Inform MD

Before taking Prilosec, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

  • have liver problems
  • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
  • are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed

Tell your doctor about all of the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription drugs, vitamins and herbal supplements.

Prilosec and Pregnancy

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X - are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Prilosec falls into category C. There are no good studies that have been done in humans with Prilosec. In animals, pregnant animals were given this medication and had some babies born with problems. However, this medication may sometimes still help human mothers and their babies more than it might cause harm.

Prilosec and Lactation

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed.

Prilosec has been detected in human breast milk. Because of the possibility for adverse reactions in nursing infants from Prilosec, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or to stop use of this medication. Determining the importance of the drug to the mother should be considered.

Prilosec Usage

Take Prilosec exactly as prescribed.

This medication comes in delayed capsule form and in packets to be mixed with water to form a liquid (suspension). It is taken once or twice daily, one hour before a meal.

Swallow Prilosec capsules whole. Never chew or crush Prilosec capsules.

If you have difficulty swallowing Prilosec capsules, you may open the capsule and empty the contents into a tablespoon of applesauce. Be sure to swallow the applesauce right away. Do not store it for later use.

If you miss a dose of Prilosec, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take 2 doses of Prilosec at the same time.

Prilosec Dosage

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

  • the condition being treated
  • other medical conditions you have
  • other medications you are taking
  • how you respond to this medication
  • your age

Short-Term Treatment of Active Duodenal Ulcer

The recommended adult oral dose range of Prilosec is 20 mg once daily. Most patients heal within four weeks. Some patients may require an additional 4 weeks of therapy.

H. pylori Eradication for the Reduction of the Risk of Duodenal Ulcer Recurrence

Triple Therapy (omeprazole/clarithromycin/amoxicillin) — The recommended adult oral regimen is Prilosec 20 mg plus clarithromycin 500 mg plus amoxicillin 1000 mg each given twice daily for 10 days. In patients with an ulcer present at the time of initiation of therapy, an additional 18 days of Prilosec 20 mg once daily is recommended for ulcer healing and symptom relief.

Dual Therapy (Prilosec/clarithromycin) — The recommended adult oral regimen is Prilosec 40 mg once daily plus clarithromycin 500 mg three times daily for 14 days. In patients with an ulcer present at the time of initiation of therapy, an additional 14 days of Prilosec 20 mg once daily is recommended for ulcer healing and symptom relief.

Gastric Ulcer

The recommended adult oral dose is 40 mg once daily for 4-8 weeks.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

The recommended adult oral dose for the treatment of patients with symptomatic GERD and no esophageal lesions is 20 mg daily for up to 4 weeks. The recommended adult oral dose for the treatment of patients with erosive esophagitis and accompanying symptoms due to GERD is 20 mg daily for 4 to 8 weeks.

Maintenance of Healing of Erosive Esophagitis

The recommended adult oral dose is 20 mg daily. 

Pathological Hypersecretory Conditions

The dosage of Prilosec in patients with pathological hypersecretory conditions varies with the individual patient. The recommended adult oral starting dose is 60 mg once daily. Doses should be adjusted to individual patient needs and should continue for as long as clinically indicated. Doses up to 120 mg three times daily have been administered. Daily dosages of greater than 80 mg should be administered in divided doses. Some patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome have been treated continuously with Prilosec for more than 5 years.

Pediatric Patients
For the treatment of GERD and maintenance of healing of erosive esophagitis, the recommended daily dose for pediatric patients 1 to 16 years of age is based on weight and ranges from 5 mg to 20 mg.
The safety and effectiveness of Prilosec for the treatment of GERD in patients <1 year of age have not been determined.

Prilosec Overdose

If you take too much Prilosec, call your local Poison Control Center or seek emergency medical attention right away.

If Prilosec is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.

Other Requirements

  • Store Prilosec at room temperature between 20°-25°C (68°-77°F).
  • Keep the container of Prilosec closed tightly.
  • Keep Prilosec and all medicines out of the reach of children.