rabeprazole

Generic Name: rabeprazole (ra BEP ra zole)Brand Names: Aciphex

What is rabeprazole?

Rabeprazole decreases the amount of acid produced in the stomach.

Rabeprazole is used to treat symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and other conditions involving excessive stomach acid such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Rabeprazole is also used to promote healing of erosive esophagitis (damage to your esophagus caused by stomach acid).

Rabeprazole may also be given with an antibiotic to prevent gastric ulcer caused by infection with helicobacter pylori (H. pylori).

Rabeprazole may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What is the most important information I should know about rabeprazole?

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to rabeprazole or to similar medicines such as lansoprazole (Prevacid), esomeprazole (Nexium), omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid), or pantoprazole (Protonix).

Some conditions are treated with a combination of rabeprazole and antibiotics. To best treat your condition, use all of your medications as directed by your doctor. Be sure to read the medication guide or patient instructions provided with each of your medications. Do not change your doses or medication schedule without advice from your doctor.

Take this medication for the entire length of time prescribed by your doctor. Your symptoms may get better before your treatment is completed.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking rabeprazole?

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to rabeprazole or to similar medicines such as lansoprazole (Prevacid), esomeprazole (Nexium), omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid), or pantoprazole (Protonix).

Before taking rabeprazole, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs or if you have severe liver disease. You may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take this medication.

Some conditions are treated with a combination of rabeprazole and antibiotics. To best treat your condition, use all of your medications as directed by your doctor. Be sure to read the medication guide or patient instructions provided with each of your medications. Do not change your doses or medication schedule without advice from your doctor.

FDA pregnancy category B. This medication is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether rabeprazole passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take rabeprazole?

Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Rabeprazole is usually given for 4 to 8 weeks only. Your doctor may recommend a second course of treatment if you need additional healing time.

When treating H. pylori infection, rabeprazole may be needed for only 7 days. Follow your doctor's instructions.

Take this medicine with a full glass (8 ounces) of water.

Rabeprazole may be taken with or without food.

Do not crush, break, or chew a rabeprazole tablet. Swallow the pill whole. It is specially made to release medicine slowly in the body. Breaking or crushing the pill would cause too much of the drug to be released at one time. Take this medication for the entire length of time prescribed by your doctor. Your symptoms may get better before your treatment is completed. Store rabeprazole at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, wait until then to take the medicine and skip the missed dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Symptoms of a rabeprazole overdose are not known.

What should I avoid while taking rabeprazole?

Follow your doctor's instructions about any restrictions on food, beverages, or activity while you are using rabeprazole.

Rabeprazole side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Less serious side effects may include:

• headache;

• upset stomach or diarrhea;

• insomnia or nervousness; or

• a rash or itching.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Rabeprazole Dosing Information

Usual Adult Dose for Duodenal Ulcer:

20 mg orally once a day, after the morning meal. The usual duration of therapy is four weeks in most patients, however, some patients may require additional therapy to achieve ulcer healing.

Usual Adult Dose for Erosive Esophagitis:

20 mg orally once a day, after the morning meal. Therapy should be continued for 4 to 8 weeks.

Usual Adult Dose for Gastric Ulcer:

20 mg orally once a day, after the morning meal. Therapy should be continued for 4 to 8 weeks.

Usual Adult Dose for Duodenal Ulcer Prophylaxis:

20 mg orally once a day, after the morning meal. Studies evaluating maintenance therapy for duodenal ulcers have not extended beyond 12 months.

Usual Adult Dose for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease:

20 mg orally once a day, after the morning meal. Therapy should be continued for 4 to 8 weeks.Maintenance therapy may be required in some patients as part of relapse of erosive esophagitis or ulcerative gastroesophageal reflux disease is not uncommon. Studies have shown rabeprazole 20 mg orally once a day for 52 weeks to provide 86% to 90% maintenance of healing.

Usual Adult Dose for Helicobacter pylori Infection:

Three drug regimen: rabeprazole 20 mg, amoxicillin 1000 mg, and clarithromycin 500 mg orally two times daily with morning and evening meals for 7 days.In triple therapy studies, rabeprazole 20 mg was combined with either clarithromycin 500 mg and metronidazole 400 mg, or amoxicillin 1000 mg and clarithromycin 500 mg, or amoxicillin 1000 mg and metronidazole 400 mg each given orally twice a day for 7 days. These combinations provided eradication rates of 100%, 95%, and 90% respectively.In dual therapy studies, rabeprazole 20 mg was combined with clarithromycin 500 mg orally twice a day for 7 days which provided an eradication rate of 63%.

Usual Adult Dose for Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome:

Initial: 60 mg orally once a day, after the morning meal. Maintenance: Doses up to 100 mg orally once a day or 60 mg orally twice a day have been administered. Patients have been treated continuously for up to one year.

Usual Pediatric Dose for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease:

12 years or above: 20 mg orally once a day, after the morning meal. Therapy should be continued for 8 weeks.

What other drugs will affect rabeprazole?

The following drugs can interact with rabeprazole. Tell your doctor if you are using any of these:

• atazanavir (Reyataz);

• a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin);

• clopidogrel (Plavix);

• digoxin (digitalis, Lanoxin);

• ketoconazole (Nizoral); or

• cyclosporine (Gengraf, Sandimmune, Neoral).

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with rabeprazole. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about rabeprazole.

• Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
• Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Copyright 1996-2006 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 2.07. Revision Date: 11/17/2009 2:56:55 PM.