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Pepcid Uses

Pepcid uses include the treatment of conditions related to the esophagus, stomach, and intestines. Among these conditions are ulcers, GERD, and pathological hypersecretory conditions. A few off-label Pepcid uses include preventing acid-related pneumonia during surgeries, preventing ulcers in people in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a hospital, and treating H. pylori infections.

 

Uses of Pepcid: An Overview

Pepcid® (famotidine) is a medication that is available both in prescription and over-the-counter forms. It is used to treat conditions related to the esophagus, stomach, and intestines. Some specific Pepcid uses include the treatment or prevention of the following conditions:
 
  • Duodenal ulcers
  • Gastric ulcers (stomach ulcers)
  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  • Pathological hypersecretory conditions (which occur when too much stomach acid is produced), such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.
     
Over-the-counter Pepcid AC® and Pepcid Complete® are approved to treat the following conditions in people 12 years of age and older:
 
  • Heartburn
  • Acid indigestion
  • Sour stomach.
     

Pepcid Uses for Ulcers

Ulcers can occur in several places in the digestive tract.
 One common place is in the duodenum (the upper part of the intestine just after the stomach). This type of ulcer is called a duodenal ulcer. Another common place to have an ulcer is the stomach. This is called a stomach ulcer or gastric ulcer. "Peptic ulcer" is a term that includes both duodenal ulcers and stomach ulcers.
 
There are many causes of ulcers, including medications, infections, and diseases. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin or ibuprofen are a common cause of stomach ulcers. The bacteria Helicobacter pylori (or H. pylori) can also cause ulcers. Certain conditions that cause increased stomach acid production cause ulcers as well.
 
Some common ulcer symptoms include abdominal pain (or stomach pain) and heartburn symptoms -- both of which are especially common at night -- and loss of appetite. Symptoms of bleeding ulcers can include dizziness, vomiting blood, and blood in the stool (seen as dark-colored stools). However, some people may not have any symptoms of an ulcer.
 
Pepcid is approved to help heal both duodenal and stomach ulcers. However, duodenal ulcers are the only type of ulcers that Pepcid is approved to help prevent.
  
(Pepcid Uses Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;