What is famotidine used for?
The bottom line
Famotidine is a medication commonly used for heartburn, reflux, and other gastric conditions. The dosing of famotidine varies based on the condition being treated, and famotidine is usually taken once or twice daily. Side effects of famotidine include headache and constipation or diarrhea. Use of famotidine has not been associated with cancer development in humans.
Prevention Tips
Take medications only as prescribed. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you do not fully understand prescribing or dosing instructions.
Store medicines up, away, and out of the sight of children.
Dispose of expired medicines. Check here for safe and environmentally-friendly medication disposal instructions.
This Really Happened
A 3-year-old baby was admitted to the hospital after being very sleepy for a few days. His mother reported he had vomited and did not act normal when he was awake. The mother reported that her baby had been evaluated the previous week by his pediatrician, who had prescribed famotidine for reflux. The infant’s mother had misunderstood the dosing instructions and ended up giving her baby a dose 8 times higher than what was prescribed by the pediatrician. Fortunately, the baby was able to be stabilized. He became more alert within a few hours of hospital admission and was discharged a few days later.
What is famotidine used for?
Famotidine is a medication used to treat heartburn, gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and gastrointestinal ulcers, in both children and adults. Famotidine is available in oral and intravenous formulations and is used as both a prescription and over-the-counter drug. Common brands of famotidine include Pepcid®, Zantac 360®, Act®, Dyspep HB®, Fluxid®.
Why take famotidine at night?
Gastrointestinal reflux is most likely to occur during evening or nighttime hours. Because of this, famotidine may be most effective in controlling reflux when it is taken around the time of an evening meal. For treatment of other gastrointestinal conditions, including duodenal ulcers and esophagitis, famotidine can be taken once or twice daily.
Does famotidine cause cancer?
Currently available evidence suggests that famotidine does not cause cancer. This issue arose after over-the-counter and prescription ranitidine (the previous ingredient of Zantac®) was found to contain a potentially cancer-causing contaminant called NDMA. When this was discovered in 2020, the manufacturing and sale of all ranitidine products was discontinued in the United States. Since NDMA is not present in famotidine, Pepcid® and other products containing famotidine were not affected by this action, and famotidine is still available for sale in the United States. Zantac® now contains famotidine instead of ranitidine.
How much famotidine can I take?
The maximum recommended famotidine dose for adults and children weighing 40 kg (88 pounds) or more who have gastric or duodenal ulcers, GERD, or erosive esophagitis is 40 mg per day. Higher doses are used for treatment of certain gastrointestinal conditions, like Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, in adults. If you are planning on giving this medication to a child who weighs less than 40 kg (88 pounds), consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Can you overdose on famotidine?
Famotidine can be toxic when not dosed correctly. Some symptoms of famotidine overdose are headache, dizziness, and constipation.
What are the side effects of famotidine?
Some of the most common side effects of famotidine are headaches, dizziness, constipation, and diarrhea. In older individuals, famotidine may cause neurologic problems including confusion, hallucinations, and agitation. If you experience these symptoms while taking famotidine, discontinue use of the product and contact your doctor or pharmacist.
Always tell your doctor if you develop chest pain, frequent wheezing with heartburn, unexplained weight loss, or other worrisome symptoms while taking famotidine. If heartburn continues or worsens after 14 days of use, stop using famotidine and contact your health care provider.
Is famotidine safe in pregnancy?
While the use of famotidine in pregnant women has not been studied extensively, it is generally considered safe to use if medically necessary. Famotidine can pass through breast milk from a mother to her baby, so it should be used with caution in breastfeeding women.
What should I do if someone takes too much famotidine?
If you take too much or experience adverse or unexpected symptoms from famotidine, use the webPOISONCONTROL® online tool to get help, or call your poison center at 1-800-222-1222. Whether online or by phone, expert guidance is always free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day.
