Protonix

Protonix (pantoprazole) is a highly efficient proton pump inhibitor that works by decreasing the amount of acid produced in your stomach. It is used to treat such conditions as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, erosive esophagitis and some other ones. Your health care provider may recommend taking this drug alone or combining it with other medication for maximum effects. Make sure you always follow the instructions provided by your doctor, and never combine Protonix with other drugs without your doctor’s consent. The following medications can cause interference with Protonix, and are therefore not supposed to be taken along with it without first discussing it with your doctor: clopidogrel, atazanavir, ampicillin, blood thinners, ketoconazole, and iron. Once you start taking Protonix – make sure you take it regularly without missing doses to provide for its effectiveness. If you happened to miss a dose – make sure you take it as soon as possible. If you will need to take the next dose soon - skip the one you missed and carry on with your treatment. Missing too many of your doses is not very good for your treatment – make sure you come up with some way to remember about your doses. As most medicines, Protonix can sometimes cause side effects that are generally mild and almost never get more serious than initially. The following mild side effects are possible: stomach pain, gas, nausea, diarrhea, headache, and vomiting. Your health care provider does not need to be notified unless the side effects mentioned change in intensity and become bothersome. If that happens, a dose adjustment is likely to do the trick –and you will be able to carry on with your treatment. If you have been prescribed this medicine for long-term use, it’s important to know that Protonix can sometimes cause vitamin B-12 deficiency. It can become difficult for your body to absorb this vitamin that is quite important for its normal functioning. You will need to discuss this very important aspect of your treatment with the doctor to make sure you are benefitting from it as much as possible. Being an FDA pregnancy category B, this medicine is not expected to cause harm to an unborn baby. However, Protonix can pass into breast milk and potentially affect the health of a nursing baby. If you get pregnant during the treatment – call your doctor to learn about the options you have.