I take one Lansoprazole every morning, half an hour before ingesting anything else. It works well all day, at least until about mid-afternoon, when I start to feel acid coming up again. I’m also quite acidic when I lie down, and I cough a lot while lying in bed before going to sleep.
Is it okay to take a second Lansoprazole in the late afternoon? I read where some doctors say it’s all right. Does anyone here do a two-dose PPI regime?
What is your diagnosis, and your dosage of lansoprazole? Some conditions require up to 90 mg twice a day, others need only 15 mg once a day. And are you, or have you been on meds like famotidine for your symptoms?
For basic reflux/heartburn, the typical dose is 30 mg once a day, 30 minutes before a meal. If one needs this medication at higher doses and/or for longer than 8 weeks, it’s really best to discuss this with your physician.
I’ve been on the prescription dose of 30mg a day for longer than I can remember. It was prescribed to me by a GI doctor. The OTC dose is 15mg. If you need more than that you should see a doctor, preferably a GI. Long term reflux may have caused damage that they should keep an eye on. Also it can interact with other medication such as thyroid medicine.
My one 30mg dose in the morning on an empty stomach is all I need for the entire day.
The OTC product I currently take is 20mg. I’ve been taking it each morning for at least 20 years. My doc is fine with it, even though I also take a number of prescribed medications.
My mom takes two a day. One before breakfast and one before dinner. I don’t know the dosage though.
I may be wrong but I believe the OTC dose for Omeprazole (Prilosec) is 20mg. The OTC dose for Lansoprazole (Prevacid) is 15mg. Since the OP was primarily talking about Prevacid and only mentioned Prilosec parenthetically in the title I didn’t differentiate in my response. I take Lansoprazole and apparently so does the OP so that was the dosage I mentioned.
ETA as an acid inhibitor it can effect how other medications are absorbed. I was recently put on a thyroid medication and it has to be taken on an empty stomach just like the lansoprozale. The lansoprazole can lower the effectiveness of the thyroid medication. Its a logistical issue I have to deal with every day.
You are absolutely correct, and I failed to note the difference. I take Omeprazole.
I checked - my Lansoprazoles are 15mg each.
I do have a hiatal hernia, and in addition was diagnosed a few years ago with basic acid reflux. I took Dexilant for years, which worked very well, but insurance stopped paying for it and I had to switch to OTC Lansoprazole. It worked okay for awhile, but lately I’m getting breakthrough reflux by the end of the day.
I messaged my PCP with my question, and we’ll see what she says.
Hey, maybe with the recent change in how Medicare is able to bargain regarding some prescription drugs, the Dexilant coverage has changed. I’m off to check, but I’m skeptical.
I have had a prescription for Lansoprazole for years. On my plan it’s a lot cheaper than OTC.
FWIW, I’ve been having 15mg Lansoprazole on prescription for years and it seems to be doing the job with no perceptible side-effects. That was after both ultrasound and endoscopy checks to make sure there wasn’t anything else, just a hiatus hernia. My GP said I could double the dosage if I got reflux symptoms, but that’s rarely necessary. The patient information leaflet doesn’t say when I must take it, just at the same time each day and that “you may get best results if you take it first thing in the morning”. Maybe it varies with the precise cause for each patient, but since I have another pill that’s supposed to be taken at night, I just take the lot in one gulp when I go to bed.
Hiatal hernia. I wish mine was on hiatus.
Not Lansoprazole, but another PPI - Pantroprazole.
I take 40 mg early in the day, along with 20 mg of Famotidine. Then the same before bed. This has been the routine for over a decade. (And, yes, it is by physician order.)
I heard back from my PCP, and she okays me to take Lansoprazole twice a day. Yesterday I started taking a second one at about 4 p.m., or half an hour before dinner (I eat an early dinner so that it can be well on its way towards digestion before I lie down for the night). I’ll give the new regime a few days to kick in and see if it helps.
Damn I wish I could take Dexilant again.
Hiatus hernia is the usual term over here.
That’s interesting, thank you for educating me-I’ll try to keep my feet out of my colonial mouth in the future.
Still, I bet we both wish our hernias would take a hiatus.
Fortunately mine doesn’t really trouble me, so the pills must be working.
As for the difference in terminology, well that’s all part of life’s rich tapestry.