There are 444 ratings for the drug: PREVACID in the Askapatient database.

Key to ratings for prevacid: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine.

Page: 1  2 3 4 5    Results are sorted by Age from oldest to youngest.

Rating	Reason	Side Effects	Comments	Sex	Age	Time Taken and Dosage		Date Added
				F  M
Change sort order by clicking arrow under column heading.
5	ulcer			M	76	30 days		12/18/2003
5	gastritis	none	After 2 weeks with gastritis causing all sorts of stomach problems, Dr. advised to take OTC Prevacid. In 2 days, all symptoms gone, stomach settled down, no more gas, no diahrea or pain.	M	73	2 days 15 mg 1X D		5/3/2010
5	GERD	I've been taking Prevacid for about 2 years now. Recently I have experienced shoulder and arm pain and have trouble getting comfortable at night. I am not sure the drug is causing the pain, but it occured suddenly and persists. I have no heartburn as long as I take Prevacid.		M	72	2 days		4/10/2008
5	barrets esophagus	No side effects	(Before taking prevacid) I had reflux at night and never felt it, and sometimes woke up in the morning with a headache and upset stomach before I was diagnosed with Barrets esophagus. After my diagnosis this medication worked a miracle. Now I take one 30mg pill on an empty stomach in the morning and am good for the day. No more headache or stomach upset. I eat anything I like.	F	72	14 years		4/16/2009 Email
4	GERD - Years of horror.	Prevacid was great for the first 8 years or so. It was the only pill that held me 24 hours. When I tried Nexium or Prilosec, I began having heartburn and hurting so could always tell when I had forgotten to take it. However, recently my constant diarrhea of one year was diagnosed - microscopic colitis. Not sure of one of the causes but one may be medication and I suspect Prevacid is It. Doc tried other meds but nothing controlled diarrhea until he told me to stop Prevacid. Now I'm still dealing with the colitis issues but diarrhead has stopped or at least, slowed down. Be alert and aware of your body!		F	72	8 years		7/9/2008
5	GERD	Absolutely none.	Anyone know if there has been any recent literature or news regarding (very) long term taking of Prevacid ? Can't find any. Have been taking 15 mg/day now for about 10 years.	M	71	10 years		7/11/2008
5	acidity	none		M	71			1/3/2001
5	Acid Reflux, Ulcer	None at all.	Although it has worked great for me over the years, I am going stop it for ahile to see if symptoms return.	M	71	4 years 30mg 1X D		5/27/2010
1	to re-line stomach	stomach pains, diarrhea		F	70	1 days		8/25/2004
1	Acid Reflex	Almost killed my husband- 48 hrs. after starting the drug, pain in upper extremities- I immediately asked the Dr. -"No not prevacid". Next pain in lower extremities- in less than 10 days, he could only feed and toilet self. Back to Dr., had all tests 2X- all ok-yet he could barely move. Sent to a rheumatoid Dr. who said it was a funny virus or reaction to medication. Stopped the drug and 3 days later much improve. Took 2 yrs. for his upper body strength to return.	Why do so few Drs. know of these side-effects? It was paralyzing my muscles, and might have stopped my heart had I not quit taking it in time.	M	70	10 days		11/15/2009
5	GERDS Severe heartburn.	I do have a constant cough but it may be due to the antihypertensive med that I am taking. Who is to know as I cannot go off either for very long.	Prevacid appears to work for me. I am concerned about my long term use but Prilosec is out (abdom. pain) and I have built up resistant to earlier similar drugs. I am interested in if anyone experiences chest pain. I wonder if it's esophageal spasms. Cardiac tests are normal c exception of occasional missed hrt beats.	F	69	15 years		9/13/2009 Email
1	GERD	From worst to lesser: Exceptional fatigue, constant nausea, constant headache, "foggy" concentration, overall "lousy" feeling.	I thought that the OTC version of Prevacid was a good idea, but the drug has side effects that OTC Prilosec doesn't have. Unpleasant side effects vanished when I stopped taking Prevacid. Took about 24 hrs. Prilosec is equally effective, according to other posters here, so I'll go back to that instead. Bad drug, this OTC Prevacid, although some report no side effects.	F	69	6 days 15mg (OTC) 1X D		7/15/2010
5	for GERD`	I can't point to any specific side effects of this medication; although I was diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia a year ago. I have suspected that Prevacid may be interfering with iron absorption (my intake of iron is admittedly small since I eat no red meat). This past week Prevacid has been reported to be interfering with the utilization of calcium, so there may be something to the iron issue. I don't know. I do know Prevacid works very, very well for GERD.	While I can't go without P. now, I do now wonder about the long term affects of stopping stomach acid production to this extent and for such a long time. I've been on it for at least 8 years!	F	68			12/31/2006
3	acid reflux/indigestion/heartburn	I have been taking 15 mg caps once a day for about 8 years and it seemed to work for GERD but had breakthru heartburn. My dr. increased dosage to 15 mg twice a day and I suddenly feel awful: bloating, loose stools, abdominal discomfort, headaches, anxiety, insomnia, pain in sternum and vague abdominal discomfort all the time.	I would like to know if anyone has had similar experiences with this drug. I'm feeling soooo bad and would love to hear from those who can identify with my situation. I've also discovered I have Osteoporosis, likely due to long-term use of ppi's. Help!	F	67	8 years		4/14/2009 Email
1	heartburn	A stroke after taking Prevacid for six weeks.	Extreme dizziness started occurring after I took Prevacid for a month. I thought that I had the flu. Didn't stop taking the drug however until six weeks. I felt like I had water on the brain. Now CT shows I had some kind of brain disaster while on Prevacid.	F	67	40 days		8/11/2009 Email
5	Acid Reflux	I have not hade any side effects.	I use an inflatable wedge device that elevates my mattress to prevent acid from entering my esophagus at night. I found that if I have any acid discomfort at night , I lay on my back rather than on my side seams to help. Foods that cause acid have been eliminated from the diet. If I don’t take the Prevacid, I have horrible burning in my stomach. I am going to try taking 15mg in the morning and 15mg at night to allow better digestion of food.	M	66	6 years 30mg 1X D		7/1/2010
1	irritated esophagus	Mild to severe diarrhea. Over a period of about six weeks, I had three bouts of diarrhea, each one getting longer and more severe. I also had burping which I had not experienced before taking the medication.	My last bout of diarrhea lasted about a week and was difficult to control. Removing high-fiber foods from my diet had no effect. The BRAT diet finally brought some relief. It occurred to me that the diarrhea might be a side effect of Prevacid, and I found this site. I saw my family physician and told him that I thought that my problem was due to Prevacid. He told me to discontinue taking it. It took about a week to get back to "normal". The reason I was prescribed Prevacid by my GI was for an irritated esophagus after an upper GI bleed due to taking Aleve. I had to have two blood transfusions.	F	66	2 months		12/30/2006
1	Acid reflux (past)...free sample	Peripheral neuropathy symptoms: tingling back of hands, numbness in lower parts of limbs...starting 1 hour after first pill. I took 2 or 3 pills before convincing myself I wasn't imagining symptoms. (Had peripheral neuropathy with much more severe symptoms about 14 yrs earlier from another drug, so I recognized the beginning symptoms.) Symptoms persisted for about 18mos in both cases. Symptoms in the earlier bout were not acknowledged by dr as caused by drug (Septra). In desperation, I stopped on my own. Supsequently, I've discovered a friend who experienced the same problem with Prevacid.		M	66	1 days		1/15/2008 Email
5	acid reflux	Slight headaches, a little constipation	I have break through reflux sometimes. It has been a miracle drug. None of the others worked like Prevacid does.	F	65	10 years		1/15/2009
5	Severe acid reflux	Gas, bloating	I have taken Prevacid for 9 years and it has been wonderful! I am now taking 60mg a day because I also have an ulcer.	F	65	9 years		4/5/2009
5	acid reflux	none	completely eliminated my symptoms/problems. occasional reflux (after eating something with fat content, ie, ice cream) has no acid. i find it wonderful!	M	65	4 days		2/9/2006
3	gastric reflux /esophagitis/	constipation,gas, dry eyes, dry skin, itching,mood changes, more dreams	Prevacid was great in the beginning to ease the symptoms. I could eat anything without getting bloated and having abdominal discomfort. After several months, would get abdominal pain after taking it. My doctor said take it at bedtime and that did help. I take it whenever I need it now.Before taking prevacid, the zantac wasn't working and I was aspirating the gastric acid into my chest during the night causing wheezing and coughing.	F	65	2 years		10/8/2004
1	Acid Reflux	Bloating in stomach that was very very uncomfortable (thought my stomach would explode), loss of appetite, cramping and numbness in legs and feet, vivid dreams, irritability, depression, restlessness... would rather suffer than ever take this again. It gradually became so very uncomfortable and disturbing that I stopped taking it after 11 days.		M	65	11 days		11/12/2007 Email
3	Acid reflux	My blood pressure has been raised for no reason. It was generally controlled by medication but I noticed that the diastolic went up from about 79-82 to a high of 88-89. I stopped prevacid and it the readings went down to normal. My doctor told me to stop taking it, but if the acid reflux symptoms return, take the drug for a few days again, and then stop again.	Why is it very expensive.	M	64	14 days		10/19/2007
2	After a diagnosis of gerd	I guess I'm a slow learner. During 10 years of taking prevacid I've gone to E.R. six times with symptoms including, in addition to chest pain, fatigue, headache, racing heart and internal shakes, aches in shoulders and numbness in feet and hands. Each time, the outcome has been no heart problems found and and no real diagnosis - perhaps esophageal spasm, perhaps GERD. GI specialist said gerd and this is why I was taking prevacid in the first place although it worked minimally or not at all. Perhaps it did because I have had symptom-free (except for the headache which was almost always there) periods between bouts. Recently have had two episodes of above symptoms but much more severe. The latest one has lasted for 3-4 weeks and included frequent loose bowel movements, lower abdominal dustress, mild nausea, severe headache and difficulty focussing, as well as the other symptoms described above. I felt like I was being pousoned. I finally stopped the Prevacid and was mostly symptom free b	Don't take it longterm and don't take a high dose. Some of your gi symptoms may be caused, rather than cured, by the drug. And the other symptoms are scary, particularly because they may be confused by some physicians with anxiety, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome or neuroses.	F	64	10 years		10/28/2007
3	GERD, Heartburn	I have been taking Prevacid for years and it seemed to work for the GERD but not very well for heartburn. I always supplemented w/Maalox, Rolaids... Recently insurance problems arose, and I was forced to use Prilosec, then Prevacid Solutabs for several months; then nothing for 3 weeks; Now I'm back on Prevacid Caps, 15 mg 2 a day but am having horrible reactions and am not sure if the changes in meds or the long-term use of ppi's are causing my symptoms: diarrhea, bloating, nausea, gas, belching, pain in mid-sternum, anxiety, vague abdominal discomfort, shakiness. I also now have Osteoporosis and taking calcium, etc, makes my GI symptoms worse!	I'd like to know if anyone out there has had similar experiences and, if so, I would really appreciate an email. I'm told that if one stops takings ppi's, the GERD & other GI disorders come back with even more acute symptoms. I'm desperate! Doctors seem incapable of sensible advice. I feel so awful all the time and I can barely function! Help!	F	63	10 years		4/14/2009 Email
2	GERD	I started taking Prevacid about three years ago. The drug did wonders. I talked to my doctor about taking it intermittantly only when symptoms arrise because I had heard about some long term side effects. My doctor said fine and I started taking the drug once a month or so and more recently every two months or so. I have now developed a very strong, almost violent reaction, to the drug; chest pains, difficulty in breathing, swollen sinuses, sore joints, headacke, and severe chills. These symptoms start about an hour after I've taken the drug and persist for 3 - 5 hours. Even though I came down with these symptoms, probably unwisely, I've taken the drug on four different occasions over the last six to eight months. Each time the symptoms got worse. Tomorrow I will call my doctor to see what I should do.		M	63	3 years		1/20/2008
2	acid reflux	severe, explosive diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea. I thought I had colitis and was scheduled to have a sigmoidoscopy. No one mentioned Prevacid as the possible cause and it was not until my doctor said I had lymphocytis colitis and I went to the Mayo Clinic web site and saw that Prevacid was mentioned as a possible cause of the diarrhea. hallelua! I stopped taking it two days ago- and it's a world of difference. I can sleep at night I don't have to be within 10 feet of a bathroom and I'm not exhausted and I don't have to go back to the doctor and have them stick a tube up my butt! I went back to Pepto bismol.		F	63	30 days 1X D		4/23/2010
5	heartburn abd acid reflux	I have not had any side effects with Prevacid.	I can eat what I want with out any problems. I no longer have acid reflux and am able to sleep the night though.	F	62	8 months 15mg 1X D		5/23/2010 Email
4	gastritis, shown by EGD, reflux	Very interesting to read other posts....my unusual side effect is super-sensitivity to aromas like colognes and body odor, as well as an odor of engine exhausts even tho I'm indoors. And where the reflux pain was is replaced by an intense dryness...no amount of water relieves it. This interferes with work and I'm peeing a lot more! But boy did Prevacid sure did relieve the reflux, within 24 hours. All the side effects began within 24 hours of my first dose (30 mg once daily). Minor side effects in addition include gas. No other side effects, so I'm going to keep on taking it even tho the dry throat is very disconcerting. My MD gave me 6 weeks samples, and I'll keep him updated on all this.		F	62	7 days		9/26/2007
2	IBS and heartburn	Fatique, ankle swelling and weight gain	I think I'd rather deal with the heartburn than have to worry about the long term side effects of this drug.	F	62	3 months		11/1/2007
2	Gastritis	chest pain, irregular heartbeat, deep depression, weight gain, severe fatigue	I'm grateful for this website. It certainly helped confirm my intution since it seems so many people have experienced similar symptoms. I was prescribed Kapidex, an updated form of Prevacid. I stopped taking it a week ago but the chest pain and irregular heart beat continue. (I've never had chest pain, etc. before). Hopefully no damage has been done! And although Kapidex helped with the gastritis, as soon I stopped taking it, the gastritis occurred worse than before. I intend to pursue alternative approaches.	F	62	5 weeks		5/18/2009
5	Acid Reflux	None what so ever ( Aucun effet secondaire )	I would like to know, what will happend if I discontinued taking it for a year and come back again. Would the effet will be the same. Qu'arrivera-t-il si j'arrete pour un an et recommence.	M	61	7 years		8/20/2007 Email
5	gerd	none	i had severe reflux and was diagnosed with barrett's disease (6+ years ago). i take prevacid every day and experience zero heartburn or reflux. i have zero side effects and feel so grateful that the drug exists......extreme reflux is unbearable.	M	61	6 years		3/21/2007
5	gerd	none	i had severe reflux and was diagnosed with barrett's disease (6+ years ago). i take prevacid every day and experience zero heartburn or reflux. i have zero side effects and feel so grateful that the drug exists......extreme reflux is unbearable.	M	61	6 years		3/21/2007
4	Acid reflux	Stopped the acid reflux but I have EXTREME bloating, gas, loose bowels, leg pain. I am lactose intolerant and have back problems so I did not make the association to Prevacid until I read other reviews. I am going to stop the med for awhile to see what happens. Nexium gave me constant low-grade headaches, which I rarely get, so I had to stop that.		F	61	3 months		9/27/2006
2	acid reflux	Mild to severe diarrhea, gas and stomach pain	Worked great on acid reflux but not worth the side effects for me.	M	61	2 months		4/12/2007
1	GERD/acid reflux	Some relief from acid reflux symptoms, but had diarrhea almost on a daily basis, daily stomach pain which kept me feeling like I needed to eat all the time, and worst of all--decreased bone density (discovered later, due to incomplete absorption of minerals), condition known as osteopenia (precursor to osteoporosis).	Am now 61, but started this drug around age 52. Had suffered with GERD for at least 20 years, but symptoms got worse with age and increasing weight. Went off Nexium, then to Prevacid, and later to Prilosec, hoping to get fewer side effects, but not successful at this at all. All together, was on proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) drugs for about 7 years. Gallbladder removed at age 44. Diagnosed with rare-type pancreas tumor in 2005 and had surgery in Dec. 2005. Went off all PPI drugs in early 2006. Real reasons for GERD: eating too much sugar and wheat (and other gluten grains) for many years, and not enough bile acids for proper digestion. MY CURE: taking bile acid salts and full-strength pancreatic enzymes supplements with every meal. Drastically changed my diet to high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb (NO wheat or other gluten grains) with absolutely no processed food; added raw dairy and grassfed, pastured, locally-grown beef, poultry, pork, organic produce. I have normal digestion now--no	F	61	2 years		4/13/2008 Email
1	Gastritis	Dizziness, sharp pain in chest within one minute of taking Prevacid sol. Tightness in chest, lumpy dry feeling in throat, tiredness with low blood pressure(never had before) within 1 hr of taking medicine. Other problems during the day were swelling of hands & feet, terrible spells of dripping sweats, excessive non satisfying thirst, extreme bloating and gas, and weird dreams. Started with 30mg once a day for 1 day, then dropped to 15mg once a day. Stopped med after third day. Symptoms slowly abated.	It definately helped my digestive pains, but the side effects are too terrible. Had some of the same problems with Protonics but no way so severe.	F	61	3 days		5/11/2008 Email
5	GERD Duodenal ulcer	Insomnia, fatigue, trouble falling asleep, muscle aches and pains.	It helps with the GERD , which was horrible. But it also added the side effects that are very problematic	F	60	8 days		6/5/2007 Email
5	stomach disorders	none	it cured ulcers	M	60	1 years		3/29/2004
5	gerd	none	before prevacid I vomited and aspirated in my sleep, I would wake up choking and having trouble breathing, prevacid has controlled this.	M	60	3 years		5/23/2004 Email
5	Barretts esophagus	I have taken 30mg of Prevacid for over 6 years and had no side effects at all.	I could eat anything I wanted after take Prevacid and did the first few years without getting any heartburn. Since getting older, I have decided to eat better rather than eat the wrong foods. Why make the Prevacid work harder? I need to eat healthy as I age! I think it is a miracle drug and so thankful for it.	F	60	7 days		1/31/2006 Email
4	acid reflux	It really helps the pain from acid reflux but since I have been taking this pill, which has been about 3-4 months, I am experiencing bloating, cramps and loose bowels. I had been diagnosed quite a while ago with IBS which this prevacid seems to be irritating the bowel.	I would like to know if this is a common complaint while taking this drug.	F	60	4 months		8/15/2004 Email
4	Barretts Esophogus	I am unsure at this time, will be going in for an MRI soon. I have been on it for 5 months. Have noticed that I have been having many headaches. Recently I had an optical migraine and afterwards lost my memory (couldn't remember family members names). I have had another since then, but with mild confusion no memory loss. The tip of my tongue is numb most of the time. Also the top of my foot feels like it is on fire. I have also had some stomach discomfort, but not as in stomachache, more of a pain. As for the GERD it has done great.		F	60	5 months		9/10/2009
3	Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease	After taking 30mg of Prevacid daily for 8 to 10 weeks, a burning bloated feeling started in my left side. Doctor said to stop taking for a while. After I stopped the side effect ceased. Prevacid helps Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease but the side effects are equally intensive. My Doctor said that the medication causes a loss of Iron in your system thus irratating the Pyloric canal. I think a change in eating habits, loss of weight and reducing stress is a better remedy than taking this drug.	Lifestyle change is much better than this drug.	M	60	60 days		1/4/2008 Email
3	Gerd	Stops the problem, but causes severe diarea		M	60			7/16/2002
2	GERD	SVT, PVC, PAC, A-fib, chest pain, belching, intestinal discomfort, dizzyness, tingling in neck and face, lower intestinal gas, sudden sweating hands, feet, and head, elevated blood pressure.	10+ years ago I developed GERD while doing speed skating and taking Ibuprofen while exercising...(DON'T do it, no matter what the commercials say!) It took four trips to the emergency room over a period of a year with weird chest pains before somebody suggested I might have GERD. By then I had a large esophageal ulcer and some Barrett's. I was put on Prevacid with a one-time 6-month stint of Protonix in its place. I no longer have any Barrett's. I still have reflux. Since going on Prevacid, I've had about every heart attack symptom you can have. I've made ~10 trips to the emergency room over the years because of them...with never any heart problem found. I've had two SVT episodes that lasted 2-3 hours. I have always passed my cardiac stress tests with flying colors...in fact my cardiologist told me that my heart is in better condition that 99% of America. Finally, this week my cardiologist says that he has been reading that acid blockers can cause B-12, calcium, iron,	M	60	10 years		7/17/2008 Email
1	GERD	Wrists and hands are swollen, ache and burn, arms hurt, body aches with flu like symptoms, eyes are puffy, occasional problem focusing, fatigue, bloating, dreams, pain is worse at night.	This medicine works great for GERD but I have a lot of side effects. I want to know if this drug causes arthritis, bone loss or any other permanent health problems. I've gone off of it for short periods just to see if the side effects stopped - they do. My GERD is so severe that I feel I have to put up with side effects. I am in very good health except for reflux but taking Prevacid or Nexium makes me feel awful. When I go off the meds GERD returns.	F	60	2 years		2/17/2007
1	duodenitis	gastroparesis, nausea, constipation	Monitor closely or do not use	F	60	4 days		8/10/2007
1	GE	GERD	I had been taking Prilosec for 6 years before I decided to give Prevacid a try. I had coupons and it made sense at the time to use them. Unfortunately, I did not visit this site before I took them. Immediately. I felt a change in my body and mood. I was lying on the couch most of the day, getting up only to go to bed. Since I am dealing with the recent death of my mother, I thought that it must be normal. Then the gastrointestinal stuff kicked in. All of a sudden, I was ravenous so I thought that the sheer amounts of food I was consuming must be causing that. Almost overnight, I couldn't wear my jeans and my stomach was constantly making animal noises. I could not eat anthing without getting severe diahrrea. The daily and nightly gas pains were crippling. I seriously did not want to go out because I could not control the gas and it was the type that would clear out the whole building. Last night I decided to look for side effects on Prevacid and EUREKA!! It was all there in black and white. I still had a week's worth of pills left but I dropped them into the garbage can and went out to buy some Prilosec. I never had a problem with Prilosec so I feel stupid for taking the chance with Prevacid. I will never take them again and hope that my symptoms go away quickly so I can go grocery shopping! Oh, I also had mind fuzziness and barely could remember my own name. What a horrible experience!	F	60	3 weeks 1X D		2/4/2010 Email
1	GERD	severe diarrhea, lower back and hip pain, depressed, very decreased engery level	After taking prevacid for about three weeks, I started having severe pain in my lower back and hip. I could not even turn over in the bed because of the pain. My othopedic physician could not find anything wrong with me and suggested physical therapy. I was coming home from work sleeping most of the evening. My days off consisted of the same because I had so little energy. Then I started having severe diarrhea for over two weeks. I performed a culture and found that I had very little normal flora left in my intestional tract. Since Prevacid was the only medicine I was taking, I stopped it and my diarrhea stopped the next day. I have been off of it for a week now and feel like a new person. I do not come home from work and hit the sofa and sleep anymore. I no longer have any pain in my back and hip, and have not had any trouble with diarrhea. This medicine helped my GERD but would not take it again because of the side effects that I experienced. I was convinced that something serious was wrong with me. Thank God it was only the Prevacid!	F	60	4 weeks 30mg 1X D		2/14/2010 Email
3	acid reflux	None noticed.	My symptom is unusual in that I feel no heartburn. Instead my face sweats, sometimes profusely, depending on what I have eaten. Has anyone else had this symptom? Prevacid helps somewhat, but I still must be selective about what I eat. And some days I can eat something, while other days eating the exact same thing causes symptoms.	F	59	2 months		3/14/2007
3	acid reflux	none		F	59			7/31/2006
2	acid reflux	Suffered some mild to severe acid reflux for a few years. Doc recommended at my age the standard colonscopy, gi procedure and egd in 10/08. Diagnosis – no barrett’s or fungus. Took Nexium 40mg daily for 30 days, no symptoms. Then the insurance ghouls jumped, whining...save money switch to something else! Doc had me try some Prevacid and since I was doing so well I only took it maybe 2 3x wk. Did not notice anything bad. Followup visit, Doc gives me a Rx for 90 day supply for Prevacid Solutab 30mg = $70, not a generic. Took faithfully for 2 weeks. By 7th day, acid stomach symptoms elevated to extreme gas & belching, to watery diarreha. Skipped 3 days, then started again, with gradually elevated acidic stomach, belching, and loose bowel movements. Today is the 4th day and I have acid bloated stomach, severe watery diarreha and loud belching. By 4th run to toilet, I felt like I was prepped for another colonoscopy! Took anti-diarreha pills, a 3 hour nap, and stil		F	59	16 days		4/18/2009
1	gerd	burning pain on left side,vague,unexplained chest discomfort.a trip to Er after taking this drug,said it was spasm of esophagus	stopped taking prevacid 3 days ago, chest discomfort is nearly gone,my gastroenterologist would be shocked,as he said it was anxiety.Went back on Zantac.no more Prevacid!!!	M	59	4 years		9/16/2007 Email
5	acid reflux	No negative side effects. One unusual experience that occured simultaneously to taking prevacid is a LOWERING of blood glucose by about 10-20 points. I am pre-diabetic. I wonder if anyone else has had a similiar reaction.	It has worked great on the acid reflux.	F	58	2 months		1/3/2008
4	Acid reflux	First day no acid reflux, sore stomach. Second day still no acid reflux but severe gas pains and diarrhea. Third day stomach pain and severe diarrhea uncontrolible. Stopped pills		M	58	3 days		2/2/2009
4	excess acid	none		M	58	3 years		7/20/2005
4	gerd	headaches		F	58	2 months		10/26/2002
3	possible ulcer	Terrible itching on abdomen which was very annoying and distracting for periods of about 20 minutes and then it would go away. When I reported this side effect to my doctor he told me to cease treatment.	It did help alleviate my abdominal pain but it is not completely gone so my doctor wants me to get an endoscopy. I really don't want to do it so I'm not sure what my next step will be.	M	58	27 days		2/10/2007
1	heartburn, reflux, chest pain	caused my breathing to be suppressed and had to focus and tell my self to breathe for three hours after I took lowest dose, heart arrythmias, severe abdominal pain, nightmares, anxiety	I would never take this drug again.	F	58	2 days		10/30/2006 Email
1	reflux and heartburn	Had a Bravo Endoscopy last week and despite experiencing reflux and acid, Dr. said I had absolutely no symptoms on the monitor. Have been taking 2 Prevacid for about 5 months and started suffering severe nausea, upper and lower abdominal pain and constant diahrrea. Took my last Prevacid yesterday a.m. Can't wait for my consult with my gastro this week!!!! All the suffering, tests for nothing.		F	58	5 months		12/16/2006
1	acid reflux	headache and sinus	in the emergency ward they gave me a capsule before I left ...along with lidocaine & maalox...morning after took another one before eating...(huge headache all day) After reading about the side effects decided to go the natural route.... just starting taking aloe vera juice 4 oz daily... and going to buy probiotics and enzyme chewables and keep maalox just in case...but will never take the prescribed meds again...doctors and pharmaceutical companies make me wonder !! Also changing diet...not as much acidity...low fat milk, yogurt, applesauce, lots of fruits and vegies , almonds are good too	F	58	2 days		2/16/2009
1	Acid reflux	Weakness in arm and legs, joint pain, tremors, extremely fatigued, headache.	I took two time released for two weeks and then went down to one a day. I was on it for about 6 weeks when everything started going wrong. I had severe muscle aches in my arms and legs accompanied by weakness and every joint in my body hurt. I also had shooting pains in almost every part of my body. I decided to stop taking prevacid. Went to the Dr. and from the symptoms he said it sounded like vitamin D deficiency and sent me for blood work up. Results came back and sure enough I had a D deficiency. I was off prevacid for about a month and my symptoms slowly went away. I took one the day before yesterday and sure enough all my symptoms came right back. I am throwing these pills in the garbage as the side effects far outweigh any benefits.	F	58	7 weeks		3/12/2008 Email
1	I took prevacid for acid reflux	I started having problems after taking prevacid for 2 weeks. I had problems swallowing and swelling in my back that caused nerve root irritation. I have burning in my back, arms and face.I have have discontinued taking it and i hope my problems will go away.		F	58	2 weeks		12/15/2009 Email
3		Had been on Prevacid for 2 years and it worked wonderful. completely cured my acid reflux. Woke up one morning and started to have irregular heartbeats and it got worse as time went by. Saw a cardiologist and did a stress test and then another stress test with nuclear dye injected. doctors said my heart was great and could not understand why I was having irregular heartbeats but they assured me it was not life threatning. Sent me to a specialist who does only irregular heartbeats and he was miffed. could not understand why but as time went on it was getting worse and they said they may have to operate and put a pace maker in. went on a starvation diet to see if it could possibly be food allergy as I was not ready at 55 for a pace maker. After starvation for 2 days no let up still experienced irregular heart beats and still getting more severe. The only thing left was the prevacid I was taking which I had been fine with for 2 years. I stopped the prevacid and instantly the irregular he	Prevacid is a great drug to stop Acid Reflux but beware as time goes by it can become very dangerous	M	57	3 years		5/6/2006 Email
3		and instantly the irregular heartbeat disappeared. My doctor was astounded because this is not one of the side effects of Prevacid. to be positive I started it again after a month of abstention and sure enough irregular heartbeats again so I knew I had found the problem. As well I can not take Nexium so I am now on Ranitidine 150 mg . If this can help someone else after all I have gone through it was worth the posting	Prevacid is a great drug to stop Acid Reflux but beware as time goes by it can become very dangerous	M	57	3 years		5/6/2006 Email
3	GERD	Heart palpitations and irregular beating, nausea, mild chest pain, general feeling of weakness, severe headaches 3-4x/wk, mild to moderate stomach pain. When discussing symptoms with my GI physician was told that most are either 'psychosymatic' or caused by another agent. After I decided to stop taking this drug (after reading similar comments on this board), I think he was wrong indeed. Seems much more in-depth long term studies are needed on the long-term pharmacological effects of this medication.	Stopped taking drug 2 weeks ago and most if not all symptoms have completely disappeared. Exception is palpitations which have resulted from severe low blood iron (blood results received yesterday). May take some time to rebuild ferritin to acceptable levels.	F	57	2 years		10/13/2007
3	stomach pain/acid indigestion	Stomach pains/diarehea	Took after doctor recommended the OTC strength for acid indigestion. Cured the acid reflux but replaced my burning stomach pain with a different stomach pain. After 3 weeks, I've stopped taking; it's a bit like using a sledge hammer to kill a fly; fly's dead but too much collateral damage. The instructions say two weeks max then no more for 4 months even though doctors routinely prescribe it for much longer periods. I'd say follow the instructions if you're going to take this stuff, as my side effects showed up in the 3rd week.	M	57	21 days 15mg 1X D		3/25/2010
2	to relieve pressure on chest which	I was not burping, having gas pains, and definitely not passing noxious, odorous gas. On prevacid, I got all those symptoms which this drug is supposed to cure. It gave me what I did not have. My doctor switched me to Dexilant -s till have these symptoms but less intense. Been on these meds for 7 days now and am exhausted and don't want to eat much except bland carbs.		M	57	2 days 30mg 1X D		6/15/2010
1	GERD, acid reflux, vomiting, nausea	Have been taking it for a short time. My acid reflux got so much better, but my stools are bright yellow; I am getting a weighed down feeling that I get when meds are not good for my liver, have had memory, confusion, and bad dreams.	This med did stop the acid reflex and vomiting, but I can't take it, end of story. I can't take a chance that my liver is being ruined because a drug company considers "side-effects" OK.	F	57	15 days		3/2/2007 Email
1	Acid Reflux	Low and middle back pain, sore nose, wierd dreams, diarrhea, tiredness.	I had been taking Nexium and had no problems but insurance company would no longer cover Nexium so Dr. prescribed Prevacid. I started this medication one month ago and have not felt good since. Until I found this site and read all of the same symptoms I was having, I didn't even think this was a reaction to the medication. I have also had more heartburn taking this medication. I am going to quit taking it immediately.	F	57	30 days		2/2/2009
1	ulcer, acid reflux	I have never connected so many dots as reading these dozens and dozens of "stories like mine." Thankfully, my gastro doc has never put me on these meds long term. He recommends 2-4 week treatments on a need-be basis and srict diet changes. I think the most remarkable thing I noted was eliminating wheat products and corn sweeteners. My worse symptoms have been chest pain and lung congestion. It starts as a false full body cold that then "settles" in the lungs. It lasts for weeks and gets better but never goes away. Not one doctor I have seen has ever asked about or suggested a problem with a PPI. In fact, they say I need to take it continuously. It is hard to heal with just good habits. I am underweight, eat organic, exercise. But when it gets really bad, I go on PPI for a few weeks. It is great when I can go off and the side effects turn off like a light switch has been flipped.	Prevacid is a serious drug and I do not understand while, if the studies are just for short-term use, millions are staying on this drug indefinitely. My 62-year-old sister just fell and shattered her leg. Why was her bone so porous as to shatter from a minor fall while walking? She has been on prevacid for 17 years. Hmmmm. Although she took vitamins and calcium supplements, I have to wonder how much nutrition her body was capable of metabolizing. She has the health of a 70-year-old.	F	57			8/8/2009
1	heartburn.......30mg. dose	was always tired, bloated stomach like i was pregnant, many nites had indigestion, vomiting that came on fast...no time to get to restroom, wonder if prevacid could have made my fibromyalgia worse, extreme swelling the last year or so of neck under chin, large growth on back side between shoulder blades, extreme allergy to foods of which i was tested and found to be allergy free...this was recent, also recent sore throat...feeling like i could not swallow, also could not see my collar bone....i went off prevacid on march 1,2009 due to choking and tongue swelling, lip swelling....and i feel much better....wonder if it was the long term use that caused it???	it seemed to help at first...but after my bad ordeal this march i would NEVER recomend taking it....my body went thru a lot of pain i feel that was caused by this medicine called prevacid AS a final note....ALL of my side effects are gone....and i am trying to understand....how can they still sell prevacid.. with so many horrid side effects!!!!!!	F	57	10 years		6/6/2009 Email
5	gerd, reflux	No side effects	Use to take Prilosec, but my joints were hurting bad while taking Prilosec, found a website that a lot of people complained of this side effect so I asked a Pharmacist, he looked it up too and confirmed (another reason for the change), also had a lot of stomach distress with Prilosec, constant diareaha, was afraid to go anywhere. But with Prevacid I have none of these problems, love this stuff just concerned about taking it long term, have been taking these type drugs for aprox 17 years	F	56	7 years		4/22/2009
5	GERD	No side effects	This has worked very well for me to avoid GERD symptoms and to prevent developing Barrett's Esophagus. Since I have MVP I have worried that without any stomach acid and therefore no first defense against bacteria it could cause problems for a heart valve and when I expressed this to my doctor he said it was theoretically possible. However I've been taking it for 10 years apparently without any problems. Highly recommend it, if you can tolerate it.	F	56	10 years		1/11/2010
5	GERD	None	Can't go 2-3 days without it. It is expensive, but it stops all my issues. I've been on it for over ten years. If it has side effects, I haven't found any.	F	56	10 years		8/21/2006
4	GERD LPRD	At the beginning I had a headache and stomach pain. It has passed except for an occasional stomach twinge and slight passing nausea (I never get nauseous except in a car otherwise).	I took Nexium for a year, 2 x a day AND Zantac or Karafate and was thinking hard about surgery. I'm taking one Previcid and once in awhile (hot peppers or wine) Zantac now. I can handle the minor side effects to reduce the total amount of meds.	F	56	1 years		12/5/2007
3	gerd	Diarrhea for a week and a half, some bloating, headache and an odd vague pain under right ribcage. Did help with the GERD.	First couple weeks were relatively ok with only a little loose bowels. Since then it has been progressively worse. GP did not make a connection with the Prevacid...I'm glad I found this page. I'm stopping to see if everything rights itself.	M	56	30 days		9/1/2008
2	acid reflux	Constant nausea, warery BM, Feeling depressed constantly, and weight loss.	I thought it was just me until I stumbled upon this site. I will be stopping the drug as of today. I may have more acid reflux but spending 3hrs a day in the bathroom is too bigger price to pay	M	56	22 days 30mg 1X D		5/31/2010
1	GERD	No immediatae reaction, but then developed mild allergy sypmtoms -- which I thought were environmental -- which turned into full blown reaction: hives all over body, asthma, swollen body, dizziness, and swollen tongue. Emergency Room! Five days after stopping and still have the hives.		F	56	14 days 15 mg 1X D		8/22/2010
1	Acid Reflux	I have been taking 30mg once a day now for 1 week. Headache that would not go away with usual migraine meds, fatigue, difficulty with mental focus, loss of energy, nausea, aches and pains much like flu symptoms.	My acid reflux is not serious enough for me to continue with this med- I am pretty much anti-drug anyway- and the noticeable side affects are not worth it. I was fine the first two or three days- but have progressively felt worse. I am normally full of energy, extremely mentally alert and my friends and family voiced concern about the change in my nature- as I seem "foggy" all the time and not motivated to do much of anything when I am typically the one encouraging everyone else. I even took a personal day off because I was feeling so fatigued generally disoriented and I haven't missed a day of work in over 2 years.	F	56	7 days		3/1/2007
4	Acid refllux	Excess gas		M	55	10 years 30 mg 1X D		6/8/2010
4	acid reflux	unconfirmed	Has anyone experienced mouth sores as a result of Prevacid? I read about them once, but cannot seem to find a reference to them now. I get them very frequently now.	F	55	2 years		4/2/2008 Email
4	acid reflux duadenal ulcer h-pylori	made my acid reflux better. cured my duadenal ulcer. do experience constipation, leg cramps, restless leg.i do not want to depend on this for the rest of my life. i do have joint pain especially my knees and ankles. due to my age? don't know.	it's probably good for short term. it prohibits the absorption of calcium in your stomach. if you have osteopenia (pre-osteoporosis) you need to take calcium citrate for your bones. the prevacid will not allow calcium carbonate to absorb.	F	55	4 years		1/30/2009
2	Gastric Ulcer & inflammation	The worst for me was deep Depression - as if there was absolutely NO hope at all! I couldn't figure out where this came from, til a friend finally suggested maybe it could be the Prevacid. Other side effects for me - sore muscles, as if I'd really exercised hard, but I hadn't. Sore hips. Sinus & eye pressure, stuffiness & really sore inside nasal passages. All these side effects disappeared after I stopped taking the Prevacid. It was really effective for the gastric symptoms, but SO not worth it regarding the side-effects. I'm taking the vinegar/honey thing & that seems to be helping. Oh! and when I read online about the Calcium leaching of Prevacid, that was IT! I can't believe my doc prescribed this when I am a woman genetically very prone to osteoporosis!	Would NOT recommend. Too much risk of adverse reactions, and those are only a few "recognized" by the drug company. There seem to be a number of other side-effects more common than any drug researcher has reported.	F	55	10 days		12/16/2008
2	acid reflux	Terrible stomach cramps,allot of pain too, constipation first then gas,bloating,loose BM...several a day too.Finally, I had felt depressed, and had horrible itching on my chest,arms and back.	I would like to add it stopped the acid in my stomach,BUT the side effects were so bad I had to quit.I had the upper GI test done,no damage, no stomach ulcer,all was normal.I went back to the generic Prilosec in the am and generic Zantac in the evening.I read this Rx was not intented for long term use and I can believe it!!No more for me.	F	55	60 days		6/8/2009 Email
2	Heartburn	My doctor’s office told me to try over-the-counter Prevacid for my heartburn until I had my endoscopic exam and they could see what was wrong with my insides. I took it for about 10 days and in the beginning no side effects but also it only helped my heartburn for about half a day. After about 10 days I started getting migraines and a rash on my chest. Did not attribute it to the drug until the third day of horrible migraines and the fact that my rash was not going away…went on-line and found out it was the pills. My doctor took me off of them right away and put me on Pepcid. It seems to help my heartburn and no side effects.	I was also having rapid heartbeats...very scary	F	55	14 days 1X D		4/18/2010 Email
2	gerd	after about 2 weeks on Prevacid I experienced unusual fatigue. Did not relate it to the drug. Depression, mood changes also. Did not have any energy. Will talk to Dr. about a replacement drug.		F	55	2 weeks		5/7/2006
2	ACID REFLUX	DIARRHEA FATIQUE		F	55	2 days		11/11/2006
1	H. Pylori	Bloating, constipation, weight gain, edema, back/shoulder pain, fatigue	This stuff contains mannitol, which causes GAS in many people because it is an undigestible sugar. Couldn't wait to get offa this stuff. Taking as part of a PrevPak to treat H.pylori and awful stomach burning. It did stop the burning.	F	55	14 days 30 mg 2X D		3/17/2010
1	Acid Reflux	SUDDEN HAIR LOSS AFTER 3 YRS	About 2 months ago my long, healthy, thick, and enviable hair started to come out by the brush-full. I was so scared and I began a series of visits to my PC Physician and was subjected to a barrage of blood tests (12 tubes of blood in one visit). None of these tests showed any reason for HAIR LOSS. I visited a Naturopath MD and he recommended I stop using Previcid. I did. He told me that the prevention of acids to my digestion prevents absorption of vital nutrients. Hopefully, my hair will grow back. In a two month period of time, waiting for dr's appointments and blood test results, I lost over 1/2 my hair. It is depressing. Thank you all for contributing your experiences	F	55	3 years		8/3/2008 Email
5	Acid Reflux - Indigestion	None	This is a very good medication and has worked for me for many years. When taken as needed I have never experienced any side effects. Now that Prevacid is otc it's even better!	M	54	3 days 15-30 1X D		7/27/2010
5	GERD/ Severe hiccups	None	I must be a strange case. Went through a time in my life of severe anxiety/depression. But also had severe hiccups for several months - to the point I would wake up from a deep sleep to severe hiccuping. Finally an gastroenterologist explained I had GERD - and that although most people experience heartburn with GERD, some experience hiccups. (Anyone else out there have this?) Anyway, prevacid has helped immensely. I still experience hiccups occasionally when I am anxious about something. But prevacid in combination with anti-anxiety meds has helped me return to life.	F	54	6 years		4/8/2006 Email
5	Barrett's esophagus	Taking 30mg 2x day completely controls acid reflux, but can't skip but one pill. If I skip two, the symptoms return. I do have a little hair loss noticed within the last month. Also, I use a wedge pillow for sleeping and sleep on my left side -- more comfortable.		F	54	15 months		3/12/2002
3	acid reflux	I am diabetic - since starting therapy with Prevacid I cannot gain control of my blood glucose - ranging from 160 to 270 on a regular basis.	The acid reflux is under control but at what expense? I have stopped taking it to try and regain control of my blood glucose levels.	F	54	60 days		8/24/2005
2	to reduce acid in stomach	prevacid ( lansoprazole ) alters the skin's acid mantle and I have been repeatedly attacked by various stinging insects/bees/fleas resulting in a nettle rash and inflammmation. Itching, dry eyes, depression and anxiety, bad taste in mouth. The repeated insect attacks were by far the most pronounced. Also sensitive to sunlight also caused horrible rash.	went off prevacid and began sipping apple cider vinegar (2 TBSP in 1/2 C water )and ginger caps after every meal. Kefir for healthy stomach/digestion Probiotics. Small meals. I am still experiencing skin rashes and insect attacks, though.	F	54	75 days 30 mg 2X D		7/13/2010 Email
2	LPR	Cramps,stomach pains,wateryBM, gas,depression,loss of appetite, Hair loss, dry skin	Trouble is it has helped my LPR. Acid reflux which goes into the sinus area. BUT, I do not think dealing with the side affects is a way to live either. Tried Pepcid and things went back to normal, in 4 days. Went back and trouble again. Be off it, by October.	F	54	40 days 30mg 1X D		7/9/2010
2	acid reflux	bloating,insomnia, did not help all that much with my problem	Listen up folks, I just heard on the Nightly News tonight, that Previcid, Nexium, Prilosec, etc, Puts you at a Much Higher risk for hip fracture! 2 and 1/2 times higher!!!(Especially if taken for more than a year!) This result comes after a 10 year study! The article also appears in some local papers today!, I will stop this medicine right away!	F	54	2 years		12/26/2006

1  2 3 4 5 
Average rating for drug: 2.7. This page is printer-friendly; use landscape print with background color turned on.

Key to ratings: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine.

Askapatient Drug Database Enter Drug Name:

.