Prevacid (Lansoprazole) Patient Information: How Should I Take the Drug at RxList

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May 27, 2012

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Heartburn »

Overview of Heartburn

The esophagus is a tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. It is made of muscles that work to push food toward the stomach in rhythmic waves. Once in the stomach, food is prevented from refluxing (moving back into the esophagus), by a special area of circular muscle located at the junction of the esophagus and stomach, called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). A pressure difference across the diaphragm, the flat muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen, also tends to keep stomach contents in the stomach.

The stomach combines food, acids, and enzymes together to begin digestion. There are special protective cells that line the stomach to prevent the acid from causing inflammation. The esophagus does not have this same protection; if stomach products reflux back into the esophagus, they can cause inflammation to the lining.

Heartburn Causes

Heartburn is actually a symptom of G...

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Prevacid Patient Information including How Should I Take

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking lansoprazole (Prevacid)?

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to lansoprazole.

Before taking lansoprazole, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have any type of liver disease. You may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take lansoprazole.

Some conditions are treated with a combination of lansoprazole 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 lansoprazole 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 lansoprazole may contain phenylalanine. Tell your doctor if you have phenylketonuria.

Do not give this medication to a child younger than 1 year old.

How should I take lansoprazole (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.

Lansoprazole should be taken before eating.

Do not crush or break 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 delayed-release 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 lansoprazole 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 lansoprazole 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 lansoprazole 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 lansoprazole 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 lansoprazole 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 lansoprazole at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

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