Description and Brand Names

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

US Brand Name

  1. Protonix
  2. Protonix IV

Descriptions


Pantoprazole injection is used to treat certain conditions in which there is too much acid in the stomach. It is used for short-term treatment (7 to 10 days) of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with a history of erosive esophagitis. GERD is a condition in which the acid in the stomach washes back up into the esophagus. This medicine may also be used to treat Zollinger-Ellison syndrome or other conditions (eg, cancer) in which the stomach produces too much acid.

Pantoprazole is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). It works by decreasing the amount of acid produced by the stomach.

This medicine is given only by or under the direct supervision of your doctor.

This product is available in the following dosage forms:

  • Powder for Solution

Before Using

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of pantoprazole injection in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of pantoprazole injection in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more sensitive to the effects of this medicine than younger adults.

Breastfeeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Drug Interactions

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are receiving this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.

  • Rilpivirine

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

  • Acalabrutinib
  • Amphetamine
  • Atazanavir
  • Atezolizumab
  • Belumosudil
  • Benzphetamine
  • Bosutinib
  • Capecitabine
  • Carbamazepine
  • Cefuroxime Axetil
  • Cilostazol
  • Dabrafenib
  • Dacomitinib
  • Dasatinib
  • Dextroamphetamine
  • Erlotinib
  • Eslicarbazepine Acetate
  • Fedratinib
  • Fluconazole
  • Gefitinib
  • Infigratinib
  • Ketoconazole
  • Ledipasvir
  • Levoketoconazole
  • Lisdexamfetamine
  • Mavacamten
  • Methamphetamine
  • Methotrexate
  • Methylphenidate
  • Mycophenolate Mofetil
  • Nelfinavir
  • Neratinib
  • Nilotinib
  • Nirogacestat
  • Nivolumab
  • Octreotide
  • Palbociclib
  • Pazopanib
  • Pexidartinib
  • Phenobarbital
  • Primidone
  • Saquinavir
  • Secretin Human
  • Selpercatinib
  • Sotorasib
  • Sparsentan
  • Sunitinib
  • Velpatasvir
  • Vismodegib

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

  • Levothyroxine
  • Warfarin

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following may cause an increased risk of certain side effects but may be unavoidable in some cases. If used together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use this medicine, or give you special instructions about the use of food, alcohol, or tobacco.

  • Cranberry

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

  • Diarrhea or
  • Hypomagnesemia (low magnesium in the blood), history of or
  • Kidney disease or
  • Osteoporosis (thinning of the bones) or
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or
  • Zinc deficiency—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.
  • Liver disease—Use with caution. The effects may be increased because of slower removal of the medicine from the body.

Proper Use

A nurse or other trained health professional will give you this medicine in a medical facility. It is given through a needle placed into one of your veins.

It may take several days before this medicine begins to relieve stomach pain. To help relieve this pain, antacids may be taken with pantoprazole, unless your doctor tells you otherwise.

Tell your doctor if you have had problems with your zinc levels in your body. Your doctor may want you to take zinc supplements.

Your doctor will give you a few doses of this medicine until your condition improves, and then switch you to an oral medicine that works the same way. If you have any concerns about this, talk to your doctor.

Precautions

It is important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to make sure this medicine is working properly. Blood and urine tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects. If your condition does not improve, or if it becomes worse, check with your doctor.

You should not receive pantoprazole together with medicines containing rilpivirine (eg, Complera®, Edurant®, Odefsey®). Using these medicines together may cause unwanted side effects.

This medicine may cause serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, which can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention. Tell your doctor right away if you have a rash, itching, hoarseness, trouble breathing or swallowing, or any swelling of your hands, face, or mouth after you receive the medicine.

This medicine may cause serious skin reactions, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis, and drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS). Check with your doctor right away if you have black, tarry stools, blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin, chest pain, chills, cough, diarrhea, itching, joint or muscle pain, painful or difficult urination, red irritated eyes, red skin lesions, often with a purple center, sore throat, sores, ulcers, or white spots in the mouth or on the lips, swollen glands, unusual bleeding or bruising, or unusual tiredness or weakness.

This medicine may cause an injection site reaction called thrombophlebitis. Check with your doctor right away if you notice any of these side effects at the injection site: changes in skin color, pain, tenderness, or swelling of the foot or leg.

Check with your doctor right away if you have a change in frequency of urination or amount of urine, blood in the urine, fever, joint pain, loss of appetite, nausea, skin rash, swelling of the body, feet, or ankles, unusual tiredness or weakness, or unusual weight gain after receiving this medicine. These could be symptoms of a serious kidney problem called acute tubulointerstitial nephritis.

Serious stomach conditions may occur while taking this medicine. Check with your doctor immediately if you or your child has stomach cramps, bloated feeling, watery and severe diarrhea which may also be bloody sometimes, fever, nausea or vomiting, or unusual tiredness or weakness.

Pantoprazole injection may increase your risk of having fractures of the hip, wrist, and spine. This is more likely if you are 50 years of age and older, if you receive high doses of this medicine, or use it for one year or more. Call your doctor right away if you have severe bone pain or are unable to walk or sit normally.

This medicine may cause hypomagnesemia (low magnesium in the blood). This is more likely to occur if you are using this medicine for more than 1 year, or if you are using this medicine together with digoxin (Lanoxin®) or certain diuretics (water pills). Check with your doctor right away if you have convulsions (seizures), fast, racing, or uneven heartbeat, muscle spasms (tetany), tremors, or unusual tiredness or weakness.

Cutaneous or systemic lupus erythematosus may occur or get worse in patients receiving a PPI. Call your doctor right away if you have joint pain or a skin rash on your cheeks or arms that gets worse when exposed to the sun.

This medicine may increase your risk for fundic gland polyps (abnormal tissue growth in the upper part of your stomach). This is more likely if you are receiving this medicine for more than 1 year. Talk ti your doctor if you have concerns.

Make sure any doctor or dentist who treats you knows that you are using this medicine. This medicine may affect the results of certain medical tests.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription (eg, atazanavir, nelfinavir, Reyataz®, Viracept®) or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.

Side Effects

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor or nurse immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

Less common

  1. Accumulation of pus
  2. bleeding, blistering, burning, coldness, discoloration of the skin, feeling of pressure, hives, infection, inflammation, itching, lumps, numbness, pain, rash, redness, scarring, soreness, stinging, swelling, tenderness, tingling, ulceration, or warmth at the injection site
  3. changes in skin color
  4. fever
  5. pain, tenderness, or swelling of the foot or leg
  6. stomach pain
  7. swollen, red, tender area of infection

Rare

  1. Drowsiness
  2. loss of appetite
  3. mood or mental changes
  4. muscle spasms (tetany) or twitching
  5. nausea
  6. seizures
  7. trembling
  8. unusual tiredness or weakness
  9. vomiting

Incidence not known

  1. Absence of or decrease in body movement
  2. black, tarry stools
  3. blindness
  4. blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin
  5. bloating of the stomach
  6. bloody or cloudy urine
  7. bloody, black, or tarry stools
  8. blurred vision
  9. chest pain or tightness
  10. chills
  11. confusion
  12. constipation
  13. continuing ringing or buzzing or other unexplained noise in the ears
  14. cough
  15. dark urine
  16. decreased urine output
  17. decreased vision
  18. diarrhea
  19. difficulty with speaking
  20. difficulty with swallowing
  21. dizziness or lightheadedness
  22. dry mouth
  23. fast heartbeat
  24. feeling of constant movement of self or surroundings
  25. greatly decreased frequency of urination or amount of urine
  26. hearing loss
  27. hives, itching, or rash
  28. increased thirst
  29. increased watering of the mouth
  30. indigestion
  31. joint or muscle pain
  32. large, hive-like swelling on the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or genitals
  33. light-colored stools
  34. muscle cramps, pain, or stiffness
  35. numbness and tingling around the mouth, fingertips, or feet
  36. painful or difficult urination
  37. pains in the stomach, side, or abdomen, possibly radiating to the back
  38. pale skin
  39. puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips, or tongue
  40. red skin lesions, often with a purple center
  41. red, irritated eyes
  42. sensation of spinning
  43. severe stomach cramps or pain
  44. sore throat
  45. sores, ulcers, or white spots on the lips or in the mouth
  46. stomach cramps or tenderness
  47. swelling of the feet or lower legs
  48. swollen glands
  49. trouble breathing
  50. unexplained bleeding or bruising
  51. watery and severe diarrhea, which may also be bloody
  52. yellow eyes or skin

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

More common

  1. Headache

Less common

  1. Belching
  2. excess air or gas in the stomach or bowels
  3. full feeling
  4. passing gas

Incidence not known

  1. Decreased interest in sexual intercourse
  2. inability to have or keep an erection
  3. loss in sexual ability, desire, drive, or performance

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.