Famotidine (Pepcid AC) is a histamine-2 (H2) antagonist that's used to treat conditions that cause too much stomach acid to build up, such as heartburn and stomach or intestinal ulcers (sores). It starts to work within an hour and lasts for several hours. It's available as a tablet and a liquid, and is taken by mouth twice per day. Side effects of famotidine (Pepcid AC) include headache, dizziness, and constipation.
Over-the-counter (OTC) famotidine
Prevention and treatment of heartburn (gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD)
Prescription famotidine
Gastric ulcer (open sore in the stomach)
Duodenal ulcer (open sore in the first part of the small intestine)
Heartburn (GERD)
Erosive esophagitis due to GERD (inflammation of the esophagus)
Other conditions that cause too much stomach acid secretion (i.e., Zollinger-Ellison syndrome)
Famotidine (Pepcid AC) is a histamine-2 (H2) antagonist. It works by lowering the amount of stomach acid released by certain cells in the lining of your stomach.
Source:Â DailyMed
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.
Starts to work within an hour and lasts for up several hours
Available as both a generic and over-the-counter option
If needed, can be used with some other acid-lowering medications, such as antacids (e.g., calcium carbonate (Tums)) or PPIs
Generally well-tolerated with little side effects
Available as a oral suspension, a good option for people who can't swallow tablets
Antacids start to work more quickly than famotidine (Pepcid AC)
PPIs work better at healing and preventing stomach ulcers than famotidine (Pepcid AC).
Needs to be taken twice daily for most conditions
Not the best option for people with kidney problems
Famotidine (Pepcid AC) can be taken with or without food. If it's upsetting your stomach, try taking it with food to help.
Famotidine (Pepcid AC) can interact with a lot of medications, especially those that need an acidic environment in your stomach for better absorption into your body. Make sure to tell you provider about all of the medications you're taking before starting famotidine (Pepcid AC). Don't start any new medications while taking famotidine (Pepcid AC) without talking to your provider or pharmacist first. They will make sure all of your medications are safe for you.
More tips for the oral suspension (liquid) only:
Shake the bottle well for 5 to 10 seconds before each dose. Make sure to only use a medication dose cup or syringe from the pharmacy to measure out your dose. Don't use household spoons because they aren't accurate and might cause you to take the wrong dose.
Store the suspension at room temperature in the original bottle it came in from the pharmacy for up to 30 days. After 30 days, throw away the medication bottle, even if there's still some medication left.
More tips for over-the-counter famotidine (Pepcid AC) only:
Don't use famotidine (Pepcid AC) with other acid-lowering therapy unless your provider specifically said it was safe to do so.
Ask your provider if it's safe for you to take famotidine (Pepcid AC) if you: 1) had heartburn for over 3 months; 2) have heartburn with lightheadedness, sweating, or dizziness; 3) have chest pain or shoulder pain with shortness of breath, sweating, pain spreading to arms, neck, or shoulders or lightheadedness; 4) frequent chest pain; 5) frequent wheezing with heartburn; 6) unexplained weight loss; 7) nausea or vomiting; 8) stomach pain; 9) kidney problems; 10) have trouble or pain swallowing food; 11) are vomiting with blood; 12) have bloody or black stools. These might be signs of a more serious problem that might require different treatment.
Stop using famotidine (Pepcid AC) if your heartburn continues or worsens or you feel you need to take famotidine (Pepcid AC) for more than 14 days.
Famotidine (Pepcid AC) 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.
Risk factors: Kidney problems
Famotidine (Pepcid AC) can cause certain brain-related side effects, such as confusion, delirium, hallucinations (seeing things that aren't real), agitation, seizures, and weakness. The risk is higher in people with kidney problems because it's more difficult for their kidneys to metabolize (break down) famotidine (Pepcid AC), which raises the blood levels of famotidine (Pepcid AC) and can cause side effects. If you've kidney problems, your provider might lower your dose of famotidine (Pepcid AC). Talk to your provider if you have kidney problems and are interested in taking famotidine (Pepcid AC).
Rarely, heartburn can be warning signs of a more serious stomach problem or cancer. Sometimes, taking heartburn medications, like famotidine (Pepcid AC), can mask these warning signs. If your heartburn symptoms don't go away after you've completed treatment with famotidine (Pepcid AC), contact your provider. You might need to undergo testing to see if you have a more serious problem like stomach cancer.
Over-the-counter (OTC):
OTC famotidine is available as 10 mg and 20 mg tablets.
Adults and children age 12 years and older
Prevent heartburn: The typical dose is to take 10 mg to 20 mg by mouth 10 to 60 minutes (for 20 mg tablets) or 15 to 60 minutes (for 10 mg tablets) before eating food or drinking liquids that can cause heartburn. The maximum daily dose ranges from 20 mg to 40 mg of famotidine.
Treat heartburn: The typical dose is 10 mg to 20 mg by mouth when you feel heartburn symptoms. The maximum daily dose ranges from 20 mg to 40 mg of famotidine.
Children younger than 12 years old
Ask your child's provider.
Prescription:
Prescription famotidine is available as 20 mg and 40 mg tablets, and a liquid suspension.
Adults and children (who weigh 88 lbs or more)
Stomach (gastric) ulcer: The typical dose is 40 mg by mouth once daily for up to 2 months.
Small intestines (duodenal) ulcer: The typical dose is 40 mg by mouth once daily or 20 mg by mouth twice daily for up to 2 months.
Lower the risk of small intestine ulcer occuring again: The typical dose is 20 mg by mouth daily for 1 year or as directed by your provider.
Heartburn: The typical dose is 20 mg by mouth twice daily for up to 6 weeks.
Erosive esophagitis: The typical dose is 20 mg to 40 mg by mouth twice daily for up to 3 months.
Other conditions that cause too much stomach acid secretion: The typical starting dose is 20 mg by mouth every 6 hours. The maximum dose is 160 mg every 6 hours.
Children (famotidine oral suspension only)
Your child's provider will determine your child's dose based on their body weight.
Stomach or small intestines ulcer (age 1 to 17 years old): The typical starting dose is to take 0.5 mg/kg by mouth once daily, or 0.25 mg/kg twice daily for 2 months. 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.
Heartburn (age 1 to 17 years old): The typical dose range is to take 0.5 mg/kg by mouth twice daily for 1.5 to 3 months. The maximum dose is 40 mg twice daily
Heartburn (age 3 months to less than 1 years old): The typical starting dose is to take 0.5 mg/kg by mouth twice daily for up to 2 months. The maximum dose is 1 mg/kg twice daily. Don't take more than 40 mg daily.
Heartburn (birth to less than 3 months old): The typical starting dose is to take 0.5 mg/kg by mouth once daily for up to 2 months. The maximum dose is 1 mg/kg once daily.
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.
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.
Severe allergy to other histamine-2 (H2) antagonist
Over-the-counter (OTC) famotidine
Prevention and treatment of heartburn (gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD)
Prescription famotidine
Gastric ulcer (open sore in the stomach)
Duodenal ulcer (open sore in the first part of the small intestine)
Heartburn (GERD)
Erosive esophagitis due to GERD (inflammation of the esophagus)
Other conditions that cause too much stomach acid secretion (i.e., Zollinger-Ellison syndrome)
Heartburn related to indigestion and sour stomach - OTC only
Erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) - prescription only
Gastric and duodenal ulcers - prescription only
Conditions that cause too much stomach acid (such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome) - prescription only
Short-term treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Other medical conditions that cause too much stomach acid (e.g., Zollinger-Ellison syndrome)
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