What is Prevacid?

Prevacid is a prescription medication that is effective for many people in fighting heartburn associated with acid reflux disease and healing damage to your esophagus.

How does it work?

Prevacid is a type of medication called a proton pump inhibitor, commonly known as a PPI. There are cells in the lining of your stomach that contain pumps which produce the acid your body uses during digestion. The burning pain from acid reflux disease is caused when this stomach acid backs up, or refluxes, into the esophagus. Prevacid helps prevent stomach acid production by turning off many of the acid-producing pumps. In doing so, Prevacid helps reduce the amount of acid backing up into your esophagus.

For many people, taking one dose of Prevacid a day can relieve the heartburn symptoms for up to 24 hours. Prevacid also helps heal damage the acid may have caused to your esophagus. Continuing to take Prevacid, if prescribed, can maintain healing of the damage caused by acid reflux disease so that damage doesn't recur.

How to take Prevacid?

There are more ways of taking Prevacid than any other proton pump inhibitor. Both Prevacid doses, 15mg and 30mg, are available in capsule form. If you have trouble swallowing pills, the capsules can be opened and sprinkled into 1/4 cup of apple, tomato or orange juice, or on a tablespoon of applesauce, Ensure® pudding, cottage cheese, yogurt, or strained pears. Make sure to drink and eat food sprinkled with Prevacid right away and be careful not to crush or chew the capsules or the granules. (Please note: If you are going to sprinkle Prevacid granules, you should only do so in the juices and foods listed above.)

Side effects of Prevacid

Like all medications, Prevacid has some side effects. However, most people do not have any side effects at all. Studies show that the most common side effects of Prevacid are diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nausea. Symptom relief does not rule out serious stomach conditions.

Side effects of Prevacid

Prevacid helps heal gastric ulcers (stomach ulcers), duodenal ulcers (ulcers in the first part of the small intestine), and even stomach ulcers caused by the continuous use of certain pain medications called NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen).

PREVPAC® (lansoprazole/amoxicillin/clarithromycin) is a multiple-drug treatment that reduces the risk of duodenal ulcers from returning by eliminating Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) — the bacteria believed to cause approximately 90% of duodenal ulcers.