Pantoprazole is a medicine that reduces the amount of acid your stomach makes.
It's used for heartburn, acid reflux and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) – GORD is when you keep getting acid reflux. It's also taken to prevent and treat stomach ulcers.
Sometimes, pantoprazole is taken for a rare condition caused by a tumour in the pancreas or gut called Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.
Pantoprazole comes as tablets.
It's available on prescription. You can also buy lower-strength 20mg tablets from pharmacies for treating heartburn or acid reflux in adults.
Key facts
- You'll usually take pantoprazole once a day in the morning.
- The most common side effects are headaches and diarrhoea. These tend to be mild and go away when you stop taking the medicine.
- You should start to feel better in 2 to 3 days, but it may take up to 4 weeks for pantoprazole to fully control your symptoms.
- If you've bought pantoprazole without a prescription and your symptoms do not improve after 2 weeks, see a doctor before taking any more.
- Pantoprazole is not usually recommended during pregnancy.