Buy Generic Pantoprazole
No gastrointestinal disease associated with increased acidity of gastric juice can be treated without drugs from the proton pump inhibitor category. Pantoprazole is the second most popular drug in the world, used to treat gastric ulcers and duodenal ulcers, as well as a number of other conditions in both children and adults. Today, pantoprazole is almost a must-have drug for most countries in the world. It is produced by a huge number of pharmaceutical companies, both large and small, which sell it under a variety of trade names. More than 20 years have passed since the expiration of the patent protection of pantoprazole, so today the pharmaceutical market is not limited to the branded drug, which was developed in the late 1970s by the Swiss pharmaceutical company Nycomed. At that time, this drug was sold exclusively under the brand name Contraloc. However, today anyone can buy generics of pantoprazole.
Generics of pantoprazole are cheaper drugs with a similar main active ingredient and a similar principle of action on the body. Of course, since generics are essentially a copy of the original drug, all indications, contraindications, side effects and features of interaction with other drugs remain the same as those of the original drug. Only auxiliary substances that don’t have any noticeable effect on the patient's body may differ. Generic names of pantoprazole are very different. Among them, the most common is a combination of the name of the active ingredient and the manufacturer, for example, Pantoprazole Sandoz or Pantoprazole Centurion. A significant advantage of buying generics of pantoprazole is that they are available to the consumer at a significantly lower price. Considering that a fairly large category of patients with gastric ulcer or duodenal ulcer need to take the drug to avoid relapse of the disease for two to three years, the issue of the cost of the drug is more than relevant. Fortunately, today you can easily buy cheap pantoprazole without fear of encountering the low quality of this medicine. It is well-studied, easy to produce, and its numerous generics are in no way inferior to the prototype medicine.
A convenient way to purchase generic pantoprazole is to buy this medicine in online pharmacies. Buy pantoprazole 20 mg online, as well as pantoprazole 40 mg online, is not difficult. This medicine is available in the assortment of the vast majority of online pharmacies, including both American and foreign national and international online pharmacies. In fact, this medicine is included in the list of essential drugs. Therefore, regardless of which pharmacy you choose, it is most likely to be presented there, and in several purchase options - from different manufacturers. Buying pantoprazole online allows you to choose the most attractive generic in terms of cost and reliability of the manufacturer, as well as choose the pharmacy that offers the most favorable terms of delivery of the medicine. Also, many patients are pleased with the opportunity to consult a pharmacist about the prescription received from the doctor and clarify some points regarding the intake of this medicine – for example, its combination with other drugs.
Where To Buy Pantoprazole Over The Counter
Some patients who have encountered such an unpleasant disease as a stomach or duodenal ulcer are concerned about the question of how I can buy pantoprazole 40 mg over the counter. The fact is that not all people learn about their disease from the doctor who has the right to issue them a prescription for the corresponding medicine. In addition, many patients who have already encountered a stomach ulcer in the past understand when they have an exacerbation of this disease and when they need to take pantoprazole again. At the same time, they don’t want to waste their time and money on a visit to the doctor or cannot even afford it. There may also be a situation when you can only make an appointment with a gastroenterologist, for example, in a month, and it is better to start treatment immediately when unpleasant symptoms appear. In such cases, the desire to buy generic pantoprazole over the counter is quite justified. This can be done. Although in the United States this drug has a prescription status, in many other countries the pharmaceutical legislation is much more lenient. First of all, this applies to India, pantoprazole generics from which are presented in large quantities in online pharmacies – both national Indian and large international ones. If a US resident wants to buy pantoprazole otc, placing an order in an Indian online pharmacy or in an international online pharmacy is the easiest way to do it.
What Is Pantoprazole?
Pantoprazole is an antiulcer agent, the pharmacological group of this drug is proton pump inhibitors. This substance is a substituted derivative of benzimedazole, a white or almost white crystalline powder, soluble in water. Its solubility increases with increasing acidity of the environment. Pantoprazole blocks the final stage of hydrochloric acid secretion, reduces the level of basal and stimulated (regardless of the type of irritant) secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. In duodenal ulcer associated with Helicobacter pylori, such a decrease in gastric secretion increases the sensitivity of this pathogenic microorganism to antibiotics. Pantoprazole also has its own antimicrobial activity against Helicobacter pylori. The drug also disrupts the transfer of hydrogen ions from the parietal cell to the lumen of the stomach and blocks the final stage of hydrophilic secretion of hydrochloric acid.
The fact that pantoprazole promotes the anti-Helicobacter effect of other drugs makes it an important component of the therapy of gastric and duodenal ulcers associated with Helicobacter pylori.
The therapeutic effect of pantoprazole after a single dose occurs quickly and lasts for 24 hours. The drug provides a rapid reduction in symptoms and healing of the duodenal ulcer. After two weeks of treatment with a dosage of 40 mg daily, complete healing of the duodenal ulcer is observed in almost 90% of patients. After four weeks of treatment with a similar dosage, complete healing of the gastric ulcer is observed in 88% of patients. At the same time, the recurrence rate of peptic ulcer after treatment is still more than 50%. Carcinogenicity studies indicate that long-term use of pantoprazole is associated with an increased risk of ECL cell hyperplasia and the development of gastric carcinoid, adenoma and liver carcinoma, neoplastic processes in the thyroid gland. These are the most serious disadvantages of this drug.
Indications for the use of pantoprazole are gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer in the acute phase, erosive gastritis (including that associated with the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), stress ulcers and their complications (bleeding, perforation, penetration). The drug is also used in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori (in combination with antibacterial therapy), in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease and erosive reflux esophagitis.
Pantoprazole dosage
| Indication | Dosage | Duration | Form of Release | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer (monotherapy) | 40 mg per day (possible increase to 80 mg/day) | Duodenal ulcer: 14–28 days; Gastric ulcer: 4–8 weeks | Enteric-coated tablets, film-coated (20 mg and 40 mg) | |
| Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) | 40 mg per day (possible increase to 80 mg/day) | 4–8 weeks | Enteric-coated tablets, film-coated (20 mg and 40 mg) | |
| Erosive and ulcerative forms of reflux esophagitis | Up to 80 mg per day | Not specified | ||
| Eradication of Helicobacter pylori (as part of combination therapy) | Dosage depends on other drugs; no universal recommendation | 7–14 days | ||
| Intravenous administration (when oral administration is impossible) | 40 mg | Not specified | Lyophilisate for solution for intravenous administration (40 mg) | Recommended only if oral administration is impossible |
The dosage of pantoprazole for monotherapy of gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer, gastroesophageal reflux disease is usually 40 mg per day. It is possible to increase the dose to 80 mg per day, especially in erosive and ulcerative forms of reflux esophagitis. The duration of the course for duodenal ulcer is from 14 to 28 days, for gastric ulcer and gastroesophageal reflux disease – from 4 to 8 weeks. There is no universal advice on dosage for Helicobacter pylori eradication, since the drug is used as part of complex therapy, and its dosage depends on what other drugs are used in combination with pantoprazole. The duration of eradication therapy is from 7 to 14 days. Pantoprazole is produced as enteric-coated tablets, film-coated, in dosages of 20 and 40 mg. In addition, the drug is available in the form of a lyophilisate for the preparation of a solution for intravenous administration in a dosage of 40 mg. However, intravenous use of the drug is recommended only if oral administration is impossible for some reason.
Pantoprazole Side Effects
Side effects of pantoprazole are quite common. The most common side effect from the gastrointestinal tract is diarrhea. Less common are dry mouth, increased appetite, nausea, belching, vomiting, flatulence, abdominal pain, constipation, and increased transaminase activity. From the nervous system and sensory organs, the patient may experience headache. Less common are asthenia, dizziness, drowsiness, insomnia, and in some cases—depression, anxiety, paresthesia, photophobia, visual impairment, and tinnitus. From the hematopoietic system, agranulocytosis may develop. Quite often, the digestive system reacts to pantoprazole with benign polyps of the fundic glands of the stomach. From the liver and biliary tract, an increase in the activity of liver enzymes may be observed, and rarely an increase in the level of bilirubin. Skin and subcutaneous tissue may experience itching, dermatitis, and rarely urticaria. Common reactions include weakness, fatigue, general malaise, slight increase in body temperature, and peripheral edema. Rarely, one patient experiences more than two side effects of the drug at the same time.
An illustrative table of pantoprazole side effects is provided below:
| System Affected | Common Side Effects | Less Common Side Effects | Rare Side Effects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gastrointestinal Tract | Diarrhea | Dry mouth, increased appetite, nausea, belching, vomiting, flatulence, abdominal pain, constipation, increased transaminase activity | Benign polyps of the fundic glands of the stomach |
| Nervous System and Sensory Organs | Headache | Asthenia, dizziness, drowsiness, insomnia | Depression, anxiety, paresthesia, photophobia, visual impairment, tinnitus |
| Hematopoietic System | Agranulocytosis | ||
| Liver and Biliary Tract | Increased liver enzyme activity | Increased bilirubin levels | |
| Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue | Itching, dermatitis | Urticaria | |
| General Reactions | Weakness, fatigue, general malaise, slight increase in body temperature, peripheral edema |
It should be noted that before starting treatment with pantoprazole, malignant diseases of the esophagus and stomach should be excluded, because symptomatic improvement in the condition may delay proper diagnosis and treatment. The diagnosis of reflux disease should be confirmed endoscopically. The drug is not recommended for patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia. In elderly patients with impaired renal function, it is not recommended to exceed a dosage of 40 mg per day. In severe liver failure, the dosage regimen should be adjusted: one tablet every other day under the control of liver enzyme levels.
Pantoprazole Vs Omeprazole
Pantoprazole and omeprazole are the two most popular drugs today from the category of proton pump inhibitors used to treat gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer. Pantoprazole and omeprazole are in the same category, have the same mechanism of action, similar indications and side effects. Which drug is better and in what cases? First, let's look at the general information.
Omeprazole is the very first proton pump inhibitor, it began to be used in the late 1980s. Today, it is the most popular drug in the world against gastric ulcer. Pantoprazole appeared on the pharmaceutical market about 10 years later and is not much behind its main competitor in popularity.
As for the mechanism of action, omeprazole begins to act faster and binds to the proton pump in a shorter time. However, the difference is not of particular clinical importance. Omeprazole reaches maximum inhibition of the monotonous pump 20 minutes after administration, and pantoprazole - 30 minutes. Pantoprazole has a higher bioavailability value, by almost 30%. However, numerous clinical studies show that the clinical efficacy of omeprazole 20 mg per day and pantoprazole 40 mg per day is comparable. Nevertheless, omeprazole and pantoprazole have comparable antisecretory activity (at doses of 20 mg per day and 40 mg per day, respectively) and safety profile. Pantoprazole is recommended for patients for whom it is important that the proton pump inhibitor is better combined with NSAIDs.