About Famotidine 40 mg Tablet
Famotidine 40 mg Tablet contains Famotidine 40 mg. Famotidine is an H2 blocker that reduces the amount of acid made in the stomach. It is used to treat heartburn, acid reflux and stomach or duodenal ulcers. It can be taken with or without food.
Uses of Famotidine 40 mg Tablet
- Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and heartburn
- Stomach and duodenal ulcers
- Conditions that cause too much stomach acid, such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
Benefits
In acid reflux and ulcers
It lowers stomach acid, easing heartburn and stomach pain and helping ulcers and an irritated food pipe to heal.
Side effects
Most side effects are mild. Talk to your doctor if any of them bother you or do not go away.
Common
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Constipation
- Diarrhoea
Get medical help if you notice
- Confusion, agitation or hallucinations (more likely in older people or those with kidney disease) — contact your doctor
- Fast, pounding or irregular heartbeat — seek medical help
- Yellow eyes or skin — contact your doctor
- Allergic reaction: rash, swelling of the face or lips, difficulty breathing — seek emergency care
How to use
Take it exactly as your doctor prescribed. Swallow the tablet with water; it can be taken with or without food. If you take it once a day, your doctor may advise taking it at bedtime.
How it works
It blocks histamine H2 receptors on the acid-making cells of the stomach, so they release less acid.
Safety advice
Alcohol Caution
No direct interaction is known, but alcohol irritates the stomach and can make acidity worse.
Pregnancy Consult your doctor
Use only if your doctor advises it. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Consult your doctor
It passes into breast milk. Ask your doctor before using it while breastfeeding.
Driving Caution
It can cause dizziness in some people. Do not drive if you feel affected.
Kidney Caution
The dose usually needs to be lowered in kidney disease, as side effects affecting the brain and heart rhythm are more likely.
Liver Consult your doctor
Tell your doctor if you have liver disease.
If you miss a dose
If you miss a dose, take it when you remember. If it is nearly time for the next dose, skip the missed one. Do not take two doses together.
Quick tips
- Tell your doctor if you have kidney disease, as the dose may need changing.
- See your doctor if you have trouble swallowing, weight loss, vomiting blood or black stools.
- Avoiding heavy, spicy or late meals can help reflux symptoms.
- Do not use it for longer than your doctor advises.
Substitutes
Same salts in the same strength from other makers. Only switch brands on your doctor's or pharmacist's advice; our pharmacist checks every order against the prescription.
Fact box
- Chemical class
- Thiazole derivative
- Therapeutic class
- Gastrointestinal / acid control
- Action class
- H2 receptor antagonist
- Habit forming
- No
- Prescription
- Required
Interactions with other medicines
Tell your doctor and pharmacist about every medicine, vitamin and herbal product you take.
| Medicine | What can happen |
|---|---|
| Tizanidine (a muscle relaxant) | Tizanidine levels may rise, causing low blood pressure and drowsiness |
| Some HIV medicines, such as atazanavir | Their absorption may be reduced |
| Ketoconazole and itraconazole | Less may be absorbed because there is less stomach acid |
| Dasatinib (a cancer medicine) | Less may be absorbed; avoid together unless your doctor advises |
This page is general information to help you understand your medicine. It is not a substitute for advice from your doctor or pharmacist. Do not start, stop or change a medicine on your own.
Written by the Asthra Health Care team from the approved prescribing information (Famotidine prescribing information (CDSCO-approved labelling); US FDA famotidine labelling; NICE BNF: famotidine). Pharmacist review pending.