Take pantoprazole tablets immediately before a meal, preferably in the morning. Pantoprazole tablets may be taken with food or on an empty stomach.

Swallow the tablet whole. Do not crush, break, or chew the tablet.

It may take several days before this medicine begins to relieve stomach pain. To help relieve this pain, antacids may be taken with pantoprazole, unless your doctor has told you not to use them.

Take this medicine for the full time of treatment, even if you begin to feel better. Also, keep your appointments with your doctor for check-ups so that your doctor will be better able to tell you when to stop taking this medicine.

Dosing

The dose of pantoprazole will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of pantoprazole. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

• For oral dosage form (delayed-release tablets):
  • To treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD):
    • Adults 40 milligrams (mg) once a day, preferably in the morning for up to eight weeks. Your doctor may advise you to continue taking the medicine for an additional eight weeks if your condition does not improve after the first eight weeks.
    • Children Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
  • To treat gastric ulcers:
    • Adults 40 mg once a day, preferably in the morning for four weeks.
    • Children Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
  • To treat duodenal ulcers:
    • Adults 40 mg once a day, preferably in the morning for two weeks.
    • Children Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
• For injection dosage form:
  • To treat GERD:
    • Adults 40 mg injected into a vein once a day for seven to ten days.
    • Children Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

Missed dose

If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage

To store this medicine:

• Keep out of the reach of children.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• Do not store in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the medicine to break down.
• Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of children.

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For pantoprazole, the following should be considered:

Allergies Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to pantoprazole. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy Pantoprazole has not been studied in pregnant women. However, studies in animals have shown that pantoprazole causes problems. Before taking this medicine, make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or if you may become pregnant.

Breast-feeding It is not known whether pantoprazole passes into human breast milk. Since this medicine has been shown to cause unwanted effects in animals, it may be necessary for you to take another medicine or to stop breast-feeding during treatment. Be sure you have discussed the risks and benefits of the medicine with your doctor.

Children Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing the use of pantoprazole in children with use in other age groups.

Older adults This medicine has been tested and has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.

Other medicines 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. Tell your health care professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.

• Liver disease This condition may cause pantoprazole to build up in the body