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famotidine
Used for Duodenal Ulcer, Gastric Ulcer, GERD, Heartburn
Used for Duodenal Ulcer, Gastric Ulcer, GERD, Heartburn
Famotidine (Pepcid) is a type of acid reducer called a histamine-2 (H2) antagonist. It helps treat problems caused by too much stomach acid. Over-the-counter famotidine (Pepcid or Pepcid AC) can help with heartburn in people who are 12 and up. Prescription-only famotidine is for people with more ongoing stomach acid problems and stomach or gut ulcers. This medication is taken by mouth once or twice a day. It usually starts to work within an hour and lasts several hours. Side effects include headache, dizziness, and constipation.
What is Famotidine (Pepcid)?
What is Famotidine (Pepcid) used for?
-
Over-the-counter famotidine:
- Prevention and relief of heartburn (gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD)
-
Prescription famotidine:
- Stomach ulcers
- Intestinal ulcers
- Heartburn (GERD)
- Erosive esophagitis (inflammation of the esophagus) due to GERD
- Other conditions that cause too much stomach acid (e.g., Zollinger-Ellison syndrome)
How Famotidine (Pepcid) works
Famotidine (Pepcid) is a histamine-2 (H2) antagonist. It works by blocking proteins in your stomach called H2 receptors. This lowers the amount of acid that's made and released in the stomach.
When does Famotidine (Pepcid) start working?Time passed since treatment started:
Drug facts
| Common Brands | Pepcid, Pepcid AC, Pepcid AC Maximum Strength |
|---|---|
| Drug Class | Histamine H2 antagonist |
| Controlled Substance Classification | Not a controlled medication |
| Generic Status | Lower-cost generic available |
| Availability | Prescription or over-the-counter |
Side effects of Famotidine (Pepcid)
The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.
Common Side Effects
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
Less Common Side Effects
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Upset stomach
- Dry mouth
- Dry skin
- Itchy skin
More on Famotidine (Pepcid) side effects
The following Famotidine (Pepcid) side effects have also been reported
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:
Rare
Abdominal pain
back, leg, or stomach pain
bleeding or crusting sores on lips
blistering, burning, redness, scaling, or tenderness of skin
blisters on palms of hands and soles of feet
changes in vision or blurred vision
confusion
coughing or difficulty in swallowing
dark-colored urine
dizziness
fainting
fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat
fever and/or chills
flu-like symptoms
general feeling of discomfort or illness
inflammation of blood vessels
joint pain
light-colored stools
mood or mental changes, including anxiety, agitation, confusion, hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there), mental depression, nervousness, or severe mental illness
muscle cramps or aches
nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite
peeling or sloughing of skin
red or irritated eyes
shortness of breath
skin rash or itching
slow heartbeat
sores, ulcers, or white spots on lips, in mouth, or on genitals
sudden difficult breathing
swelling of face, lips, mouth, tongue, or eyelids
swelling of hands or feet
swollen or painful glands
tightness in chest
troubled breathing
unusual bleeding or bruising
unusual tiredness or weakness
unusually slow or irregular breathing
yellow eyes or skin
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Less common or rare
decrease in sexual desire
decreased sexual ability (especially in patients with Zollinger-Ellison disease who have received high doses of cimetidine for at least 1 year)
difficult urination
dizziness
drowsiness
dryness of mouth or skin
headache
increased or decreased urination
increased sweating
loss of hair
ringing or buzzing in ears
swelling of breasts or breast soreness in females and males
trouble in sleeping
Not all of the side effects listed above have been reported for each of these medicines, but they have been reported for at least one of them. All of the H2-blockers are similar, so any of the above side effects may occur with any of these medicines.
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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Pros and cons of Famotidine (Pepcid)
Pros
- Available over the counter (OTC) for heartburn
- Effects can last for up to several hours after taking
- Generally well-tolerated with few side effects and risks
- Can take with antacids if needed (e.g., calcium carbonate (Tums))
Cons
- Can take 1 to 3 hours to fully work
- OTC version not for children under 12 years old
- Higher risk of certain side effects in older adults and people with kidney problems
- Might not work as well as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for relieving heartburn and healing stomach ulcers
Pharmacist tips for Famotidine (Pepcid)
General tips for famotidine (Pepcid):
- Swallow famotidine (Pepcid) tablets whole with a full glass of water. Don't chew them because this can change how the medication works in your body. If you have trouble swallowing, talk to a healthcare professional about your options.
- If you need more or better relief, talk to a healthcare professional for help. They might recommend a different kind of acid reducer for you. They can make sure it's safe to take other acid reducers before you do this on your own.
- Ask a pharmacist to check that famotidine (Pepcid) is safe to take with your other medications. Famotidine (Pepcid) can change how well your body can absorb some medications. This includes certain antiviral and antifungal medications.
Tips for over-the-counter famotidine (Pepcid):
- You can take famotidine (Pepcid) with or without food. But for preventing heartburn, it works best when you take it 10 to 60 minutes before eating or drinking something that might cause heartburn.
- Ask a healthcare professional if it's safe for you to take famotidine (Pepcid) if you've had heartburn for more than 3 months. Also ask if you have chest pain often. These can be signs of a serious problem that needs to get checked out.
- Before taking famotidine (Pepcid), call a healthcare professional if you have chest or shoulder pain, or pain that spreads to your arms or neck. Get help right away if this pain or heartburn happens with trouble breathing, wheezing, sweating, or dizziness. These can be signs of a heart attack, which needs emergency care.
- Talk to a healthcare professional before taking famotidine (Pepcid) if you have weight loss you can't explain, nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain. Get medical help right away if you vomit blood or have black or bloody stools. These can be signs of a serious problem that needs medical care.
- If you have kidney problems, ask a healthcare professional if famotidine (Pepcid) is safe for you. You might be at higher risk of certain side effects.
- Stop taking famotidine (Pepcid) and talk to a healthcare professional if your heartburn doesn't get better or gets worse. Also stop and get medical advice if you feel you need to take it for more than 14 days in a row. You might need to get checked out to see what's causing your symptoms.
Tips for prescription famotidine:
- Take the medication with or without food. If it's upsetting your stomach, try taking it with food next time to help.
- For famotidine once daily: Take the medication once daily before bedtime.
- For famotidine twice daily: Take the medication in the morning and then later before bedtime.
Tips for the liquid form of prescription famotidine:
- The pharmacist will make the liquid form of famotidine for you when you pick it up from the pharmacy. They'll give you a dosing cup or an oral syringe to measure your dose. Don't use kitchen spoons because they aren't accurate and you could take the wrong dose.
- Before each time you take liquid famotidine, shake the bottle well for 5 to 10 seconds first. This makes sure the medication is mixed well.
- Keep the liquid medication in its original bottle at room temperature for up to 30 days. The pharmacist will write the expiration date on the bottle. After that date, throw the bottle away, even if there's medication left inside.
More on Famotidine (Pepcid) tips
Risks and warnings for Famotidine (Pepcid)
Famotidine (Pepcid) can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Confusion and other side effects related to the nervous system in some people
- Risk factors: Older adults | People with kidney problems
Some older adults taking famotidine (Pepcid) have felt confused, tense, restless, or weak. Other side effects included seizures and hallucinations (seeing things that aren't real).
These side effects have also happened in some people with kidney problems. When the kidneys don't work well, famotidine (Pepcid) can build up in the body and raise the risk of side effects. If you have kidney problems, tell your prescriber so they can adjust your dose to keep you safe.
Call your care team right away if you notice any of these side effects while taking famotidine (Pepcid).
Masking of possible stomach cancer
Heartburn can sometimes be a sign of a more serious stomach problem, like stomach cancer. Medications like famotidine (Pepcid) can relieve heartburn and hide this warning sign.
If your heartburn doesn't fully go away or comes back after you've finished famotidine (Pepcid), talk to your primary care provider. They might suggest some lab tests to check for a more serious gut problem.
Famotidine (Pepcid) dosage
The average cost for 30 tablets of 20mg of Famotidine (Pepcid) is $10.59 with a free GoodRx coupon. This is 82.23% off the average retail price of $59.60.
Typical dosage for Famotidine (Pepcid)
Over-the-counter famotidine (Pepcid AC)
- 10 mg tablets - for people 12 years and older
- Heartburn prevention: The typical dose is 10 mg by mouth 10 to 60 minutes before eating food or drinking beverages that can cause heartburn. Don't take more than 2 tablets (20 mg) in a 24-hour period.
- Heartburn relief: The typical dose is 10 mg by mouth when you feel heartburn symptoms. Don't take more than 2 tablets (20 mg) in a 24-hour period.
- 20 mg tablets - for people 12 years and older
- Heartburn prevention: The typical dose is 20 mg by mouth 15 to 60 minutes before eating food or drinking beverages that can cause heartburn. Don't take more than 2 tablets (40 mg) in a 24-hour period.
- Heartburn relief: The typical dose is 20 mg by mouth when you feel heartburn symptoms. Don't take more than 2 tablets (40 mg) in a 24-hour period.
Prescription famotidine
-
- People weighing 88 lbs or more
- Stomach ulcer: The typical dose is 40 mg by mouth once daily for up to 8 weeks.
- Intestinal (gut) ulcer: The typical dose is 40 mg by mouth once daily or 20 mg by mouth twice daily for up to 8 weeks.
- Heartburn or GERD: The typical dose is 20 mg by mouth twice daily for up to 6 weeks.
- Erosive esophagitis due to GERD: The typical dose is 20 mg or 40 mg by mouth twice daily for up to 12 weeks.
- Lowering the risk of another gut ulcer (adults only): The typical dose is 20 mg by mouth daily for 1 year or as directed by your prescriber.
- Other conditions that cause too much stomach acid (adults only): The typical starting dose is 20 mg by mouth every 6 hours. Your prescriber will adjust your dose based on your needs. The maximum dose is 160 mg every 6 hours.
- People weighing 88 lbs or more
-
Liquid suspension (40 mg/5 mL)
-
Adults
- Stomach ulcer: The typical dose is 40 mg by mouth once daily for up to 8 weeks.
- Gut ulcer: The typical dose is 40 mg by mouth once daily or 20 mg by mouth twice daily for up to 8 weeks.
- Lowering the risk of another gut ulcer: The typical dose is 20 mg by mouth daily for 1 year or as directed by your prescriber.
- Heartburn or GERD: The typical dose is 20 mg by mouth twice daily for up to 6 weeks.
- Erosive esophagitis due to GERD: The typical dose is 20 mg or 40 mg by mouth twice daily for up to 12 weeks.
- Other conditions that cause too much stomach acid: The typical starting dose is 20 mg by mouth every 6 hours. Your prescriber will adjust your dose based on your needs. The maximum dose is 160 mg every 6 hours.
-
Children ages 1 year and older
- Stomach or gut ulcer: The typical starting dose is 0.5 mg/kg of body weight by mouth once daily, or 0.25 mg/kg twice daily. The prescriber can adjust the dose if needed. The maximum dose is 1 mg/kg once daily at bedtime, or 0.5 mg/kg twice daily. Don't take more than 40 mg daily. Take for a total of 8 weeks.
- Heartburn or GERD: The typical dose is 0.5 mg/kg of body weight by mouth twice daily for 6 to 12 weeks. The maximum dose is 40 mg twice daily.
-
Children ages 3 months to less than 1 years old
- Heartburn or GERD: The typical starting dose 0.5 mg/kg of body weight by mouth twice daily for up to 8 weeks. The maximum dose is 1 mg/kg twice daily. Don't take more than a total of 40 mg daily.
-
Children from birth to less than 3 months old
- Heartburn or GERD: The typical starting dose 0.5 mg/kg of body weight by mouth once daily for up to 8 weeks. The maximum dose is 1 mg/kg once daily.
-
For prescription famotidine, your dose might differ if you have kidney problems.
Prescription famotidine is also available as an injection that's given into the vein for people in the hospital.
More on Famotidine (Pepcid) dosage
Interactions between Famotidine (Pepcid) and other drugs
Famotidine (Pepcid) may interact with certain medications or supplements. Always let your doctor and pharmacist know about any other medications or supplements (including prescribed and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and dietary or herbal supplements) that you are currently taking. The list below does not include all possible drug interactions with Famotidine (Pepcid). Please note that only the generic name of each medication is listed below.
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking any of these medicines, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with a medication in this class or change some of the other medicines you take.
- Bepridil
- Cisapride
- Dofetilide
- Dronedarone
- Mesoridazine
- Pimozide
- Piperaquine
- Saquinavir
- Sparfloxacin
- Terfenadine
- Thioridazine
- Ziprasidone
Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Acalabrutinib
- Alfentanil
- Alosetron
- Alprazolam
- Amiodarone
- Amisulpride
- Amprenavir
- Anagrelide
- Apomorphine
- Aripiprazole
- Aripiprazole Lauroxil
- Arsenic Trioxide
- Atazanavir
- Benzhydrocodone
- Buprenorphine
- Bupropion
- Buserelin
- Capecitabine
- Carmustine
- Ceritinib
- Chloroquine
- Citalopram
- Clarithromycin
- Clofazimine
- Clopidogrel
- Clozapine
- Codeine
- Crizotinib
- Dabrafenib
- Dasatinib
- Degarelix
- Delamanid
- Delavirdine
- Deslorelin
- Deutetrabenazine
- Dihydrocodeine
- Domperidone
- Donepezil
- Doxifluridine
- Duloxetine
- Efavirenz
- Eliglustat
- Encorafenib
- Entrectinib
- Erlotinib
- Escitalopram
- Fentanyl
- Fingolimod
- Fluconazole
- Fluorouracil
- Fluoxetine
- Formoterol
- Fosamprenavir
- Foscarnet
- Fostemsavir
- Gefitinib
- Glasdegib
- Gonadorelin
- Goserelin
- Histrelin
- Hydrocodone
- Hydroxychloroquine
- Hydroxyzine
- Inotuzumab Ozogamicin
- Ivabradine
- Ivosidenib
- Ketoconazole
- Ledipasvir
- Lefamulin
- Lemborexant
- Lenvatinib
- Levofloxacin
- Lofexidine
- Macimorelin
- Meperidine
- Methadone
- Metronidazole
- Mirtazapine
- Morphine
- Morphine Sulfate Liposome
- Moxifloxacin
- Nafarelin
- Neratinib
- Octreotide
- Ondansetron
- Osilodrostat
- Osimertinib
- Oxaliplatin
- Oxycodone
- Oxymorphone
- Ozanimod
- Panobinostat
- Pasireotide
- Pazopanib
- Pentazocine
- Pimavanserin
- Piperaquine
- Pitolisant
- Ponesimod
- Posaconazole
- Quetiapine
- Ribociclib
- Rilpivirine
- Secretin Human
- Selpercatinib
- Sertraline
- Sevoflurane
- Siponimod
- Solifenacin
- Sotalol
- Sufentanil
- Sulpiride
- Sunitinib
- Tacrolimus
- Tegafur
- Theophylline
- Tizanidine
- Tolazoline
- Tramadol
- Trazodone
- Triclabendazole
- Triptorelin
- Ubrogepant
- Vandetanib
- Vemurafenib
- Vinflunine
- Vismodegib
- Voclosporin
- Zalcitabine
- Zuclopenthixol
How much does Famotidine (Pepcid) cost?
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Famotidine (Pepcid) contraindications
Contraindications are specific health conditions or situations in which a person should not take a medication due to safety concerns. If you have any of the following conditions or if any of the following apply to you, let your healthcare provider know because Famotidine (Pepcid) will not be safe for you to take.
- Serious allergy to other histamine-2 (H2) antagonists
What are alternatives to Famotidine (Pepcid)?
There are a number of medications that your doctor can prescribe in place of Famotidine (Pepcid). Compare a few possible alternatives below.
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Famotidine (Pepcid) images
