Always follow instructions from your doctor, or the instructions inside the pack on how to take it.
Dosage and strength
Rabeprazole tablets contain 10mg or 20mg of rabeprazole.
The usual dose to treat:
- heartburn, acid reflux and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease is 10mg to 20mg a day
- stomach ulcers is 20mg a day
- Zollinger-Ellison syndrome is 60mg to 120mg a day
How to take it
You’ll usually take rabeprazole once a day, first thing in the morning. If your doctor prescribes it twice a day, take 1 dose in the morning and 1 dose in the evening.
It's best to take rabeprazole before a meal. Swallow your tablets whole with a drink of water or squash.
Sometimes your doctor will increase your dose of rabeprazole if it's not working well enough.
Depending on the reason you take rabeprazole, you may take a higher dose to begin with, usually for a month or two. After this, your doctor may recommend that you take a lower dose.
How long to take it
Depending on your condition, you may only take rabeprazole for a few weeks or months. Sometimes you might need to take it for longer, even many years.
Some people do not need to take rabeprazole every day and take it only when they have symptoms. Once you feel better (often after a few days or weeks), you can stop taking it.
Taking rabeprazole for a short time to treat symptoms is not suitable for everyone though. Speak to your doctor about what's best for you.
If you forget to take it
If you usually take it:
- once a day – take the missed dose as soon as you remember, unless your next dose is due in less than 12 hours, in which case skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the usual time
- twice a day – take the missed dose as soon as you remember unless it’s 4 hours or less until your next dose. In this case, take your next dose as normal
Do not take 2 doses to make up for a forgotten dose.
If you often forget doses, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to remember your medicine.
Stopping rabeprazole
Usually, you can stop taking rabeprazole without reducing your dose first.
If you've taken rabeprazole for a long time, speak to your doctor before you stop taking it. Stopping the medicine suddenly could make your stomach produce a lot more acid, and make your symptoms return.
Reducing the dose gradually before stopping completely will prevent this happening.
If you take too much
Taking 1 or 2 extra doses of rabeprazole is unlikely to cause you any problems.
If you take an extra dose, you might get some of the common side effects. If this happens or you're concerned, contact your doctor.