What is Prilosec used for?

Prilosec is a brand-name drug that’s commonly used to treat stomach and esophagus conditions caused by too much acid. It may help relieve symptoms like heartburn and acid reflux. Prilosec may also be used to treat ulcers as a result of stomach infections or Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

Prilosec belongs to a class of drugs known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). It’s available as an oral suspension that you take mixed with water. Prilosec also comes as a generic drug called omeprazole.

Prilosec is also available in an over-the-counter (OTC) version that comes as an oral tablet. The OTC version is used to treat frequent heartburn.

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Gastroesophageal reflux disease

Prilosec may be used to help relieve symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or esophagitis with GERD symptoms. With GERD, you may experience symptoms like:

• heartburn
• regurgitation, or the contents of your stomach coming back up into your throat or mouth
• chest pain
• nausea
• trouble swallowing
• cough or hoarseness that doesn’t go away

Prilosec works by lowering the amount of acid released into your stomach. The dosage for adults with GERD is typically 20 milligrams (mg) taken once per day for 4 weeks. For esophagitis with GERD, you’ll typically take the same dosage but for up to 8 weeks.

Prilosec tends to work best for GERD when it’s taken 30 to 60 minutes before a meal. It can take up to 4 days to fully kick in. So, sometimes, people take it with antacids, which work more quickly, to ensure relief from heartburn and other GERD symptoms.

Erosive esophagitis

Prilosec may be used to relieve symptoms of erosive esophagitis. This condition develops when the lining of the esophagus is damaged by inflammation.

It’s common for GERD to cause erosive esophagitis as GERD causes stomach acid to flow into the esophagus, damaging its lining. But erosive esophagitis may also occur due to certain medications. Prilosec may help relieve symptoms of erosive esophagitis, such as:

• heartburn
• difficult or painful swallowing
• sore throat
• feeling like there’s something stuck in your throat
• regurgitation, or the contents of your stomach coming back up into your throat or mouth
• chest pain
• cough or hoarseness that doesn’t go away

The usual dosage of Prilosec for erosive esophagitis in adults is 20 mg taken once per day for 4 to 8 weeks. Depending on the severity of your condition, your doctor may also recommend a maintenance dosage afterward.

Stomach ulcers and infections

Doctors may prescribe Prilosec to help treat stomach ulcers (gastric ulcers) or ulcers in the intestine (duodenal ulcers). These ulcers are open sores that develop on the lining of the stomach. They’re most commonly caused by bacterial infections from Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria or by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or aspirin.

Prilosec may help ease symptoms of stomach ulcers, such as:

• pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen
• feeling full too quickly while eating or feeling uncomfortably full after eating
• indigestion
• heartburn
• nausea and vomiting
• burping or belching
• bloating

A rare disorder called Zollinger-Ellison syndrome also leads to ulcers in the stomach, small intestine, and esophagus. Zollinger-Ellison syndrome occurs when a tumor develops in the pancreas or small intestine. These tumors will likely lead to severe, recurrent ulcers that form in the stomach, esophagus, and small intestine due to too much acid. Doctors may prescribe Prilosec in addition to other drugs to help treat ulcers as a result of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

The dosage of Prilosec to treat stomach ulcers will vary based on the type of ulcer:

• Stomach ulcer (gastric ulcer) not caused by bacteria: 40 mg taken once per day for 4 to 8 weeks
• Ulcer in the intestine (duodenal ulcer) not caused by bacteria: 20 mg taken once per day for 4 weeks
• Ulcers caused by Zollinger-Ellison syndrome: 60 mg taken once per day initially; the dosage may change based on how your body responds to the medication

For an ulcer that’s caused by an H. pylori infection, your doctor will most likely recommend dual therapy or triple therapy. This means that you’ll take antibiotics together with Prilosec. The antibiotics help treat the stomach infection, and Prilosec helps treat the ulcer.

• Triple therapy: This includes 20 mg of Prilosec, 1,000 mg of amoxicillin, and 500 mg of clarithromycin, all taken twice per day for 10 days. If you already had an ulcer when you started taking the medication, you may need to take 20 mg of Prilosec once per day for an additional 18 days.
• Dual therapy: This includes 40 mg of Prilosec taken once per day and 500 mg of clarithromycin taken three times per day for 14 days. If you already had an ulcer when you started taking the medication, you may need to take 20 mg of Prilosec once per day for an additional 14 days.

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Summary

Prilosec is commonly used to treat stomach and esophagus conditions caused by too much acid. It may help relieve symptoms like heartburn, acid reflux, and abdominal discomfort as a result of GERD, erosive esophagitis, and stomach ulcers. Prilosec may also be used to treat ulcers as a result of stomach infections or Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

Prilosec works by lowering the amount of acid released into your stomach, which lowers heartburn symptoms and allows ulcers to heal.

The dosage of Prilosec will vary based on the condition it treats. It’s important to follow the directions provided by your healthcare professional. This will also help avoid side effects. If your condition does not resolve after the treatment duration, your healthcare professional may discuss other options with you.