What Is Aciphex?
Aciphex is a medication that utilizes rabeprazole to manage stomach acid production. This medication is a proton pump inhibitor or "acid pump inhibitor," which reduces the amounts of acid produced by the stomach. Aciphex is available by prescription only and should only be taken under the recommendation of a doctor.
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Features
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The main ingredient in Aciphex is rabeprazole sodium. This medication is used to decrease acid production in the stomach. Rabeprazole can also promote the healing of erosive esophagitis, which is damage to the esophagus caused by stomach acids.
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Uses
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This medication is widely used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms. It is also used to treat other stomach acid-related conditions like Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. It can be administered with antibiotics to help prevent gastric ulcers that were caused by infections with helicobacter pylori.
Dosing
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Aciphex should be used in a specific regimen designed by a person's doctor. This medication should be swallowed whole, taken with or without food and should never be crushed, split or chewed. The usual recommended dose for a healthy adult or adolescent over 12 years of age is one tablet daily for anywhere between four and eight weeks.
Side Effects
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Common side effects associated with Aciphex use are upset stomach, diarrhea, headache, insomnia, nervousness, abdominal pain, flatulence, constipation and rashes. Serious allergic reactions include difficulty breathing, hives and swelling of the face or throat. Medical help should be sought immediately if allergic reactions occur.
Characteristics
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Aciphex comes in light-yellow tablet form. Each tablet contains 20 mg of rabeprazole. Each tablet is produced with a delayed-release enteric-coating. Rxlist.com defines enteric-coating as, "coating with a material that permits transit through the stomach to the small intestine before the medication is released." Each tablet has "ACIPHEX 20" imprinted on one side.
Warnings
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Aciphex should not be used by pregnant women or women trying to become pregnant because it may harm the fetus. It is not recommended that breastfeeding women take Aciphex because it is unknown whether the medication passes into breast milk. This medication should not be used for people known to have allergic reactions to rabeprazole.
References
- Photo Credit "A Bucketful of Sugar" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: Lee Nachtigal under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
