Ulcers
Pantoprazole is used to treat and help heal duodenal and gastric ulcers.
Depending on the position of the ulcer it is called a gastric or duodenal ulcer. A gastric ulcer occurs in the stomach. A duodenal ulcer occurs in the duodenum which is the tube leading out of the stomach.
These can be caused in part by too much acid being made in the stomach.
Your doctor may also prescribe a course of antibiotics for you. Most people who have a peptic ulcer also have bacteria called Helicobacter pylori in their stomach. When Pantoprazole is taken with antibiotics, the combination therapy will kill the Helicobacter pylori and let your ulcer heal.
Pantoprazole can also be used to prevent ulcers in patients taking certain pain medicines called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Reflux disease
Pantoprazole is also used to treat reflux oesophagitis or reflux disease. This can be caused by "washing back" (reflux) of food and acid from the stomach into the food pipe, also known as the oesophagus.
Reflux can cause a burning sensation in the chest rising up to the throat, also known as heartburn.
Pantoprazole is also used to prevent reflux oesophagitis from coming back.
Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
Pantoprazole is used to treat a rare condition called Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, where the stomach produces very large amounts of acid, much more than in ulcers and reflux disease.
How Pantoprazole works
Pantoprazole belongs to a group of medicines called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs).
Pantoprazole works by decreasing the amount of acid the stomach makes, to give relief from the symptoms and allow healing to take place.
Your doctor may have prescribed Pantoprazole for another reason. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why Pantoprazole has been prescribed for you.
There is no evidence that Pantoprazole is addictive.
This medicine is available only with a doctor's prescription.
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if you have any problems while taking Pantoprazole, even if you do not think the problems are connected with the medicine or are not listed in this leaflet.
Like other medicines, Pantoprazole can cause some side effects. If they occur, most are likely to be minor and temporary. However, some may be serious and need medical attention.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following and they worry you:
• headache
• diarrhoea
• skin problems such as itchiness and rash
• nausea
• stomach pain
• excessive gas in the stomach or bowel
• dizziness
• swelling of the legs
• fever
• depression
• blurred vision
• muscle pain
Other side effects not listed above may occur in some people. Tell your doctor if you notice anything making you feel unwell when you are taking, or soon after you have finished taking Pantoprazole.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you do not understand anything in this list.
Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.
What it looks like
Pantoprazole is available as a 20mg and 40mg tablet. The tablets are yellow and oval shaped and have an acid-resistant coating called an enteric coating.
Pantoprazole 20mg tablets are available in blister packs of 30 tablets.
Pantoprazole 40mg tablets are available in blister packs of 30 tablets.
Ingredients
The active ingredient in Pantoprazole tablets is pantoprazole sodium sesquihydrate. Pantoprazole 20mg tablets contain the equivalent of 20mg of pantoprazole and the 40mg tablets contain the equivalent of 40mg of pantoprazole.
Pantoprazole tablets also contain sodium carbonate, mannitol, crospovidone, povidone, calcium stearate, hypromellose, titanium dioxide, iron oxide yellow (CI 77492), propylene glycol, methacrylic acid copolymer, polysorbate 80, sodium lauryl sulphate and triethyl citrate.
Pantoprazole tablets do not contain gluten, lactose, sucrose, tartrazine or other azo dyes.