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Overdose
Overdose with Prilosec has been rare, but any medication taken in excess can have serious consequences. If you suspect an overdose, seek medical attention immediately.
Symptoms of Prilosec o
verdose may include:
- Blurred vision, confusion, drowsiness, dry mouth, flushing, headache, nausea, rapid heartbeat, sweating, vomiting
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Other medical problems
Before taking Prilosec,
- tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to Prilosec or any other drugs.
- tell your doctor if you have or have ever had liver disease.
- tell y
our doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking Prilosec, call your doctor.
- tell your doctor if you use tobacco products. Cig
arette smoking may decrease the effectiveness of this drug.
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How to Use
Prilosec works best when taken before meals. It can be taken with an antacid.
The capsule should be swallowed whole. It should not be opened, chewed, or crushed.
If you have diffic
ulty swallowing capsules, you can empty the contents of the Prilosec capsule onto a tablespoonful of applesauce, mix, and swallow with a glass of cool water. Use cool, soft applesauce and do not chew
or crush the pellets. Use the mixture immediately. Do not store it for future use.
Avoid excessive amounts of caffeine while taking this drug.
It may take several days for Prilosec
to begin relieving stomach pain. Be sure to continue taking the drug exactly as prescribed even if it seems to have no effect.
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Side Effects of This Medicine
Although side effects from Prilosec are not common, they can occur. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
- headache
- diarrhea
- constipation
- upset stomach
- vomiting
- stomach pain
- cough
- cold symptoms
- dizziness
- mild rash
If you experience the following symptom, call your doctor immediatel
y:
- severe skin rash with swelling and peeling
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Why is this medication prescribed?
Prilosec is prescribed for the short-term treatment (4 to 8 weeks) of stomach ulcer, duodenal ulcer (near the exit from the stomach), and erosive esophagitis (inflammation of the esophagus), and for t
he treatment of heartburn and other symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (backflow of acid stomach contents into the canal leading to the stomach). It is also used to maintain healing of erosiv
e esophagitis and for the long-term treatment of conditions in which too much stomach acid is secreted, including Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, multiple endocrine adenomas (benign tumors), and systemic
mastocytosis (cancerous cells).
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Possible food and drug interactions when taking this medication
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to c
hange the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking Prilosec, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:
- Anticoagulants (blood thinners) or
- Diazepam (e.g., Valium) or
- Phenytoin (e.g., Dilantin)¡XUse with Prilosec may cause high blood levels of these medicines, which may increase the cha
ce of side effects
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