Common questions about rabeprazole

Rabeprazole is a type of medicine called a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). Proton pumps are enzymes in the lining of your stomach that help it make acid to digest food. Rabeprazole prevents proton pumps from working properly, and so reduces the amount of acid your stomach makes.

You should start to feel better within 2 to 3 days. But it may take up to 4 weeks for rabeprazole to work fully, so you may still have some symptoms during this time.

If you take rabeprazole for more than 3 months, the levels of magnesium in your blood may fall.

Low magnesium can make you feel tired, confused and dizzy, and cause muscle twitches, shakiness and an irregular heartbeat. If you get any of these symptoms, tell your doctor.

Taking rabeprazole for more than a year may increase your chances of certain side effects, including:

• bone fractures
• gut infections
• vitamin B12 deficiency – symptoms include feeling very tired, a sore and red tongue, mouth ulcers and pins and needles

If you take rabeprazole for longer than a year, your doctor will regularly check your health to see if you should carry on taking it.

It's not known if rabeprazole works less well the longer you take it. If you feel it is not working any more, talk to your doctor.

There is some research to suggest that taking medicines to reduce stomach acid, like PPIs and H2 blockers, may slightly increase the chance of developing stomach cancer. It also suggested that it could be more likely in people taking them for longer than 3 years. But studies involving more people need to be done to be sure that PPIs and H2 blockers cause stomach cancer, rather than something else causing it.

PPIs, like most medicines, have side effects so it's best to take them for the shortest time possible.

It’s also important to speak to your doctor if you notice any of these symptoms which can be signs of stomach cancer:

• having problems swallowing (dysphagia)
• feeling or being sick
• feeling full very quickly when eating
• losing weight without trying to

Speak to your doctor or pharmacist if you are concerned.

There are 4 other medicines that are similar to rabeprazole. They are:

• lansoprazole
• omeprazole
• esomeprazole
• pantoprazole

Like rabeprazole, these medicines are proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). They work in the same way as rabeprazole by reducing acid in your stomach. They generally work as well as and have similar side effects to rabeprazole. However, they may be given in different doses to rabeprazole.

Sometimes, if rabeprazole is not working for you or you get side effects, your doctor may suggest trying a different PPI.

There are other prescription medicines and medicines that you can buy that treat indigestion and heartburn. Antacids like calcium carbonate (Tums), sodium bicarbonate, Maalox and Milk of Magnesia relieve indigestion and heartburn by reducing the damage that acid can do to your stomach. They give quick relief that lasts for a few hours. They're ideal for occasional bouts of stomach acid symptoms.

Some antacids, such as Gaviscon, have an extra ingredient called alginic acid. They work by lining your stomach so that juices from it do not splash up into your food pipe. They're especially good for relieving acid reflux.

Antacids are available from pharmacies and supermarkets.

Histamine antagonists (also known as H2 blockers) reduce the amount of acid made in your stomach, but they do this in a different way to proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). They include famotidine (Pepcid), cimetidine (Tagamet) and nizatidine.

In general, PPIs like rabeprazole are used first because they are better than H2 blockers at reducing stomach acid. However, if a PPI does not suit you (for example, because of side effects), your doctor may prescribe an H2 blocker.

You can buy famotidine and nizatidine without a prescription from pharmacies.

You can take rabeprazole with an antacid (for example Gaviscon) if you need to.

Rabeprazole does not affect any type of regular contraception including the combined pill.

It may reduce the effectiveness of one type of emergency contraception called ellaOne (ulipristal) so a different type may be recommended instead.

If using rabeprazole makes you sick (vomit) or you have severe diarrhoea for more than 24 hours, your contraceptive pills may not protect you from pregnancy. Look at the pill packet to find out what to do.

Find out what to do if you're on the pill and you're sick or have diarrhoea.

Occasionally rabeprazole can make you feel dizzy, sleepy or cause blurred vision. If this happens to you, do not drive, cycle or use machinery or tools until you feel better .

It's an offence to drive a car if your ability to drive safely is affected. It's your responsibility to decide if it's safe to drive. If you're in any doubt, do not drive.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you're unsure whether it's safe for you to drive while taking raberprazole. GOV.UK has more information on the law on drugs and driving.

Alcohol does not affect the way rabeprazole works, but it can make your stomach produce more acid than normal. This can irritate your stomach lining and make your symptoms worse.

You can eat and drink normally while taking rabeprazole, but it's best to take it before a meal.

However, you should avoid foods that seem to make your symptoms worse, such as rich, spicy and fatty foods. You should also cut down on caffeinated drinks, such as tea, coffee and cola, as well as alcohol.

It may be possible to ease symptoms caused by too much stomach acid by making a few changes to your diet and lifestyle.

• Maintain a healthy weight by eating healthily.
• Do not eat foods that can make your symptoms worse, such as rich, spicy and fatty foods, and acidic foods like tomatoes, citrus fruits, salad dressings and fizzy drinks.
• Cut down on caffeinated drinks, such as tea, coffee and cola.
• Cut down on alcohol.
• Quit smoking if you can.
• If you have symptoms at night, try not to eat for at least 3 hours before you go to bed.
• Propping your head and shoulders up when you go to bed can stop stomach acid coming up while you sleep. This helps to stop stomach acid from moving upwards towards your throat.