famotidine or PEPCID: Pictures & Common Dosing (2023)

FAQs

What do famotidine pills look like? ›

Famotidine Tablets USP, 20 mg are yellow, rounded square shaped, biconvex, film-coated tablets debossed with 'CC' on one side and '60' on the other side.

Famotidine helps relieve heartburn by reducing the amount of acid in the stomach. PEPCID^® is the original famotidine brand and has been clinically proven to be safe and effective at providing fast heartburn relief for 35 years when used as directed.

Usual dose: 40 mg orally once a day at bedtime OR 20 mg orally 2 times a day. Maintenance dose: 20 mg orally once a day at bedtime.

Famotidine belongs to a class of drugs known as H2 blockers. Famotidine is available under the following different brand names: Pepcid, Zantac 360, Act, Dyspep HB, Fluxid, and Acid Controller.

Prescription famotidine comes as a tablet and a suspension (liquid) to take by mouth. It is usually taken once daily at bedtime or two to four times a day. Over-the-counter famotidine comes as a tablet, a chewable tablet, and a capsule to take by mouth. It is usually taken once or twice a day.

Each light brown, D-shaped, biconvex, film-coated tablet, engraved "novo" on one side and "40" on the other, contains 40 mg of famotidine.

Famotidine has an average rating of 4.2 out of 10 from a total of 167 ratings on Drugs.com. 31% of reviewers reported a positive effect, while 60% reported a negative effect. Pepcid has an average rating of 6.0 out of 10 from a total of 10 ratings on Drugs.com.

What is famotidine? Prescription famotidine oral tablet is available as a generic drug and as a brand-name drug. The brand name is Pepcid.

A generic is considered to be just as safe and effective as the original drug, but it usually costs less. Famotidine comes in two brand-name versions: Pepcid AC and Zantac 360. They're both available over the counter. Pepcid AC and Zantac 360 are approved to relieve and prevent occasional heartburn.

The most commonly reported side effects include headache, dizziness, constipation, and diarrhea.

Is it bad to take Pepcid every day? ›

Do not take more than 2 tablets in 24 hours. If you find that you need to use PEPCID^® for more than 14 days, stop use and consult a doctor.

After treatment, patients who received famotidine demonstrated cardiac function improvements, including a slight decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared with those measures before treatment (systolic, 107±3 mmHg vs 112±3 mmHg; P<.

Adults and children weighing 40 kilograms (kg) or more—20 milligrams (mg) 1 or 2 times per day, at the morning and at bedtime, or 40 mg once a day at bedtime for up to 12 weeks. Children weighing less than 40 kg—Use and dose be determined by your doctor.

A typical adult Pepcid dosage for heartburn is 10 mg to 20 mg by mouth once or twice daily. Healthcare providers may prescribe higher doses for more severe conditions. People with kidney problems should take lower Pepcid dosages. Your healthcare provider can give you an exact dose based on your kidney function.

Sanofi has since introduced a new formula, OTC Zantac 360, made with famotidine. Antacids are among the safest drugs for acid reflux and side effects are rare. Depending on the antacid's ingredients, side effects may include diarrhea, constipation, calcium loss and kidney stones.

Do not self-medicate with famotidine if you are over the age of 40 and this is the first time you have had heartburn or indigestion; have a family history of gastric cancer; have coughing spells; use NSAIDs anti-inflammatories (such as aspirin or ibuprofen); have difficulty or pain when swallowing; already take other ...

Avoid drinking alcohol. It can increase the risk of damage to your stomach. Avoid taking other stomach acid reducers unless your doctor has told you to. However, you may take an antacid (such as Maalox, Mylanta, Gaviscon, Milk of Magnesia, Rolaids, or Tums) with famotidine.

Some affected products include atazanavir, dasatinib, certain azole antifungals (such as itraconazole, ketoconazole), levoketoconazole, pazopanib, sparsentan, among others. Do not take this medication with other products that contain famotidine or other H2 blockers (cimetidine, nizatidine, ranitidine).

Check with your doctor right away if you have the following symptoms: confusion, delirium, hallucinations, disorientation, agitation, seizures, or unusual drowsiness, dullness, tiredness, weakness, or feeling of sluggishness. These are more likely to occur if you are older or if you have a kidney disease.

What is prescription strength famotidine? ›

Prescription: Prescription famotidine is available as 20 mg and 40 mg tablets, and a liquid suspension. Stomach (gastric) ulcer: The typical dose is 40 mg by mouth once daily for up to 2 months.

Famotidine (brand name: Pepcid AC, Zantac 360) should not be used for longer than 14 days if you are treating heartburn symptoms. Talk to your healthcare provider right away if you need to use this product for longer than 14 days or you've had heartburn for longer than 3 months, as you may have a more serious problem.

Famotidine (Pepcid) and omeprazole (Prilosec) are two medications used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Both medications are effective in helping to manage GERD symptoms. Famotidine kicks in faster, but omeprazole works better and provides longer-lasting relief.

PEPCID (famotidine) tablet, 20 mg and 40 mg, is currently listed in the “Discontinued Drug Product List” section of the Orange Book.

Famotidine may not be suitable for people with certain health conditions. For example, be sure to tell your doctor if you have ever had trouble with swallowing, kidney disease, or have a condition called phenylketonuria. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, could be pregnant, plan to get pregnant, or breastfeeding.

Each tablet for oral administration contains either 20 mg or 40 mg of famotidine and the following inactive ingredients: hydroxypropyl cellulose, hypromellose, iron oxides, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, corn starch, talc, titanium dioxide, and carnauba wax.

Our study supports safety and efficacy of famotidine in treating cognitive impairment, depression and anxiety symptoms induced by COVID-19.

How to use Pepcid AC. Take this medication by mouth with or without food as directed by your doctor, usually once or twice daily. If you are taking this medication once daily, it is usually taken right before bedtime. The dosage and length of treatment are based on your medical condition and response to therapy.

For the prescription form, there is more medicine in each tablet. Your doctor will have special instructions on the proper use and dose for your medical problem. This product is available in the following dosage forms: Tablet.

Why can't you take Pepcid long term? ›

Long-term risks, however, have been a concern for years. In the past, the drugs have been linked to reduced levels of vitamin B12, magnesium, and calcium, and some studies have indicated they might increase the risk for hip fractures, pneumonia, kidney or cardiovascular disease, and dementia.

Famotidine is a histamine type 2 receptor antagonist (H2 blocker) which is commonly used for treatment of acid-peptic disease and heartburn. Famotidine has been linked to rare instances of clinically apparent acute liver injury.

In recent years, long-term PPI use has been linked to: Increased risk of stomach cancer: PPIs block the production of acid that can potentially damage the esophagus. Your body responds to this action by producing more cells to increase a hormone called gastrin that produces acid.

Which is safer, omeprazole or famotidine? Both omeprazole and famotidine are generally safe medications with short-term use as long as you follow the prescribed instructions. In general, famotidine tends to cause fewer short-term side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, and stomach upset.

The proposed mechanism of action of famotidine is the decrease in oxidative stress of the microenvironment. Famotidine treatment decreased myocardial oxidative stress and improved cardiac function, along with decrease of left ventricular wall thickness (Potnuri et al., 2016).

While transient and mild blurred vision has been reported, particularly with cimetidine,¹ severe and permanent visual loss induced by H₂-antagonists has not been reported. We describe the first case report of severe retinopathy as an adverse effect of famotidine.

This heartburn medication can cause restlessness, depression, insomnia, anxiety and muscle twitching. The acid-suppressing drug Pepcid can add to depression, anxiety and insomnia.

Famotidine oral tablet doesn't cause drowsiness, but it can cause other side effects.

Can you overdose on famotidine? Famotidine can be toxic when not dosed correctly. Some symptoms of famotidine overdose are headache, dizziness, and constipation.

Dexlansoprazole MR (30 mg daily for 4 weeks) provides significantly better symptom control as compared with placebo. Furthermore, the drug is more efficacious than placebo in relieving nocturnal heartburn and reducing GERD-related sleep disturbances when given in a dose of 30 mg daily for a period of 4 weeks.

How do I get off famotidine? ›

Over-the-Counter (OTC) Formulations:

Symptom prevention: 10 to 20 mg orally once 10 to 60 minutes prior to consuming food/beverages that cause heartburn. Maximum dose: 2 tablets/day. Maximum duration of therapy: 14 days.

Maximum Strength Pepcid AC: It contains 20 mg of famotidine to help control stomach acid for up to 24 hours. Pepcid Complete: It contains 10 mg of famotidine and fast-acting antacid ingredients to help control stomach acid for up to 12 hours.

Famotidine tablets may be given with antacids. 20 mg tablets: beige, round, unscored, film-coated tablets, debossed with “5728” on one side and “TEVA” on the other side.

Prescription famotidine oral tablet is available as a generic drug and as a brand-name drug. The brand name is Pepcid. Generic drugs usually cost less than the brand-name version. In some cases, they may not be available in all strengths or forms as the brand-name drug.

Can I take famotidine complete (Pepcid Complete) every day? Famotidine complete (Pepcid Complete) shouldn't be taken as a daily preventative medication like some other heartburn medications, because the effects of antacids are only temporary and last about 30 to 60 minutes.

Famotidine is known as an H2 blocker. It works by reducing the amount of acid in your stomach. It is used to prevent and treat heartburn and other symptoms caused by too much acid in the stomach (acid indigestion).

This medicine is a white, round, film-coated, tablet imprinted with "L194".

Each pink, film-coated, round, convex-shaped tablet, debossed "5720" and "93" bisect on one side and plain on the reverse, contains 5 mg of bisoprolol fumarate.

PEPCID^® is the original famotidine brand and, for 35 years, has been effective and safe acid reducer when used as directed. PEPCID^® is clinically proven to provide heartburn relief and is backed by 50+ clinical studies. PEPCID^® is the #1 doctor recommended OTC acid reducer brand in the market.

What is a stronger version of famotidine? ›

But research has shown that PPIs (like omeprazole) work better than H2 blockers (like famotidine) for controlling symptoms. Famotidine kicks in faster, but it might not work as well as your body gets used to the medication. Omeprazole's effects last longer, and it targets acid production at the source.

Omeprazole: Best OTC Heartburn Medication

According to Dr. Ghouri, Prilosec OTC “is usually sufficient in controlling symptoms in a majority of [heartburn] cases” and has been the #1 Doctor Recommended frequent heartburn relief medicine for 14 years.

Is weight gain a side effect of famotidine? No, weight gain wasn't reported as a side effect of famotidine treatment. Using a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) drug to treat heartburn or acid reflux may cause weight gain. But famotidine isn't a PPI drug.

The potential cardioprotective effect observed could be because of famotidine's blockade of histamine H ₂ receptors in the heart, and its ability to decrease both blood pressure and heart rate in patients appears similar to the load-reduction–dependent and–independent mechanisms employed by beta blockers and ...