Pantoprazole (Protonix) is a generic prescription medication used for:

Pantoprazole (also called pantoprazole sodium) comes as a delayed-release* oral tablet. Pantoprazole also comes in a liquid suspension and an injectable form but this article does not cover them. Your doctor can provide details about these forms.

As with other drugs, pantoprazole can cause side effects. Read on to learn about potential common, mild, and serious side effects. For a general overview of pantoprazole, including details about its uses, refer to this article.

* Delayed-release tablets are covered with a special coating that allows them to pass through your stomach without dissolving. This helps prevent the tablets from releasing into your digestive system too early, when they wouldn’t be effective.

Pantoprazole can cause certain side effects, some of which are more common than others. These side effects may be temporary, lasting a few days to weeks. However, if the side effects last longer than that, bother you, or become severe, be sure to talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

These are just a few of the more common side effects reported by people who took pantoprazole in clinical trials:

  • diarrhea
  • vomiting
  • nausea*
  • abdominal pain*
  • headache*

* For more information about this side effect, see “Pantoprazole: Side effect specifics” below.

To learn about the most common side effects of pantoprazole, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Mild side effects can occur with pantoprazole. This list doesn’t include all possible mild side effects of the drug. For more information, you can refer to pantoprazole’s prescribing information.

Mild side effects that have been reported with pantoprazole include:

These side effects may be temporary, lasting a few days to weeks. However, if the side effects last longer than that, bother you, or become severe, be sure to talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Note: After the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a drug, it tracks and reviews side effects of the medication. If you develop a side effect while taking pantoprazole and want to tell the FDA about it, visit MedWatch.

* For more information about this side effect, see “Pantoprazole: Side effect specifics” below.

Pantoprazole may cause serious side effects. Though serious side effects aren’t common, they can occur. The list below may not include all possible serious side effects of the drug. For more information, you can refer to pantoprazole’s prescribing information.

If you develop serious side effects while taking pantoprazole, call your doctor right away. If the side effects seem life threatening or you think you’re having a medical emergency, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number.

Serious side effects that have been reported and their symptoms include:

* For more information about this side effect, see “Pantoprazole: Side effect specifics” below.

Pantoprazole is approved to treat erosive esophagitis due to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in children ages 5 years and older. Erosive esophagitis is esophagus damage from too much stomach acid.

In many cases, children given pantoprazole experience side effects similar to those in adults taking the drug. However, children given pantoprazole in clinical trials also reported upper respiratory infections, such as the common cold.

If you have concerns about side effects your child may experience with pantoprazole, talk with their doctor or pharmacist.

Pantoprazole may cause several side effects. Here are some frequently asked questions about the drug’s side effects and their answers.

Should I expect weight loss or weight gain with pantoprazole?

It’s possible to experience weight loss or weight gain with pantoprazole. Weight changes weren’t reported in clinical trials. However, after the drug was approved for use, some people reported either weight loss or weight gain during their treatment.

If you notice changes in your weight during your treatment with pantoprazole, talk with your doctor. They can help determine the cause. They may also be able to recommend ways to help manage your weight.

Are throat-related side effects possible during pantoprazole treatment?

No, you shouldn’t experience throat-related side effects from taking pantoprazole. Side effects such as throat pain or burning were not reported in people taking this medication in clinical trials.

Pantoprazole is used to treat damage to your esophagus or conditions in which your stomach produces too much acid. The damage and conditions themselves may cause burning or pain in your throat. So taking pantoprazole may help your throat feel better.

It’s important to note that pantoprazole may cause an allergic reaction, which can lead to tightening in the throat or difficulty breathing. (To learn more, see “Allergic reaction” in “Pantoprazole: Side effect specifics” below.)

Your doctor and pharmacist can help answer additional questions you have about pantoprazole’s effect on your throat.

Do side effects of pantoprazole vary whether the daily dosage is 20 mg or 80 mg?

The risk of side effects with an 80-milligram (mg) daily dosage of pantoprazole is higher than with a 20-mg daily dosage.

You may be at an increased risk of side effects from pantoprazole if you take a higher dose of medication. When you take a higher dose, your body is exposed to more of the drug. And when you have more pantoprazole in your system, you’re more likely to experience side effects.

If you’re concerned about side effects you may experience with pantoprazole, talk with your doctor.

What are the side effects of taking pantoprazole for anxiety?

At this time, pantoprazole is not approved to treat anxiety.

Some people who have anxiety may also experience gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). And pantoprazole is approved to treat GERD in some situations.

If you have anxiety, talk with your doctor about which treatment options are right for you. If you also have GERD, they can advise you on whether pantoprazole may help it.

Most times, side effects from pantoprazole are mild and ease during treatment. However, it’s also possible for the drug to cause long-term side effects. Examples of long-term side effects that have been reported in people taking pantoprazole include:

In general, the longer you take a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) such as pantoprazole, the higher your risk of long-term side effects. This is due to how PPIs work. These drugs decrease the amount of stomach acid. This helps treat symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which pantoprazole can be prescribed to treat.

However, less stomach acid also affects your body’s ability to absorb certain vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin B12 and magnesium. For this reason, doctors often try to limit treatment with PPIs such as pantoprazole to the shortest time possible. They’ll also try to prescribe the lowest dose that works to treat your symptoms.

If you have concerns about long-term side effects from pantoprazole, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can discuss the risks of taking the medication and ways to help prevent long-term side effects.

* For symptoms, see “Pantoprazole: Serious side effects” above.
† To learn more, see “Pantoprazole: Side effect specifics” below.

In clinical trials, side effects in older adults taking pantoprazole were similar to those in younger people taking the medication. (Older adults are ages 65 years or older.) And side effects did not occur more often in older adults than in younger adults.

If you’re an older adult and are concerned about side effects from pantoprazole, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Learn more about some of the side effects that pantoprazole may cause. To find out how often side effects occurred in clinical trials, see the prescribing information for pantoprazole.

Nausea

Nausea was one of the most common side effects that people taking pantoprazole reported in clinical trials.

Some symptoms of nausea may include:

  • an uneasy feeling
  • feeling as though you’re going to vomit
  • decreased appetite

What you can do

If you develop nausea with pantoprazole, talk with your doctor. In some cases, taking the medication with food may decrease nausea that you experience. Your doctor may also be able to recommend other ways to ease nausea.

Abdominal pain

Abdominal pain was one of the most common side effects reported by people taking pantoprazole in clinical trials. Abdominal pain may feel like pain in your stomach area.

What you can do

If you experience abdominal pain during your treatment with pantoprazole, talk with your doctor. In rare cases, the medication may cause other problems that can cause abdominal pain. These include severe diarrhea, stomach cancer, and stomach polyps (irregular tissue growths in the stomach).

Your doctor can determine what’s causing your pain. If it’s due to pantoprazole, they can recommend ways to ease the side effect.

Headache

Headaches may occur during pantoprazole treatment. In fact, this was one of the most common side effects that people taking pantoprazole reported in clinical trials.

What you can do

If you have headaches while you’re taking pantoprazole, talk with your doctor. They may be able to recommend ways to ease this side effect. For example, your doctor may recommend taking an over-the-counter (OTC) medication, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) to treat your headaches. With OTC drugs, you don’t need a prescription from a doctor.

Joint pain

Joint pain may occur during treatment with pantoprazole. Joint pain was a common side effect that people taking pantoprazole reported in clinical trials.

What you can do

If you have joint pain while you’re taking pantoprazole, talk with your doctor. They may offer ways to help treat your joint pain. For example, they may recommend using a heating pad or taking an OTC medication, such as acetaminophen.

Allergic reaction

As with most drugs, pantoprazole can cause an allergic reaction in some people.

Symptoms can be mild or serious and can include:

  • skin rash
  • itching
  • flushing
  • swelling under your skin, typically in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet
  • swelling of your mouth, tongue, or throat, which can make it hard to breathe

What you can do

For mild symptoms of an allergic reaction, call your doctor right away. They may recommend ways to ease your symptoms and determine whether you should keep taking pantoprazole. However, if your symptoms are serious and you think you’re having a medical emergency, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number.

Be sure to talk with your doctor about your health history before you take pantoprazole. This drug may not be the right treatment option for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors that affect your health. These are considered to be drug-condition or drug-factor interactions. The conditions and factors to consider include:

Low level of magnesium in your blood. Before taking pantoprazole, tell your doctor if you have a low level of magnesium in your blood. It’s possible for this medication to cause a low blood magnesium level. If your level is already low, taking pantoprazole may make your condition worse. In this case, your doctor may treat the low magnesium level before you start to take pantoprazole.

Lupus. If you have lupus, tell your doctor before taking pantoprazole. In rare cases, the drug may cause or worsen lupus. If you have the condition, your doctor may monitor it more often while you take pantoprazole. The goal is to help prevent the lupus from worsening. In some cases, your doctor may recommend a different treatment option for you.

Allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to pantoprazole or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe pantoprazole. Taking pantoprazole could cause you to have another allergic reaction. Ask your doctor what other medications may be better options for you.

Osteoporosis. Before taking pantoprazole, tell your doctor if you have osteoporosis. This medication may increase your risk of bone fractures. If you have osteoporosis, you may already be at an increased risk of bone fractures. In this situation, your doctor may monitor your bone health more often than usual, such as with scans.

Alcohol with pantoprazole

There aren’t any known interactions between pantoprazole and alcohol. However, it’s possible for alcohol to worsen the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). If your doctor prescribes pantoprazole to treat GERD, they may recommend that you do not drink alcohol while you take the drug.

In addition, it’s possible that consuming alcohol during pantoprazole treatment may increase your risk of side effects. For example, both pantoprazole and alcohol may cause:

  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • headache
  • dizziness

Drinking alcohol while taking pantoprazole can further increase your risk of these side effects. Your doctor can help determine whether it’s safe for you to consume alcohol during your treatment.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding while taking pantoprazole

It’s not known whether it’s safe to take pantoprazole while pregnant or breastfeeding.

There haven’t been any clinical trials done during pregnancy to determine whether the drug is safe or what effects it can cause. In animal studies where pregnant animals were given pantoprazole, the drug caused some skeletal changes in the developing fetus.*

In addition, it’s not known whether pantoprazole passes into breast milk in humans. In animal studies, the drug passed into breast milk.*

If you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant, talk with your doctor before taking pantoprazole. You should also talk with your doctor before starting treatment with the drug if you’re breastfeeding or considering it. They can recommend the right treatment option for you.

* It’s important to note that animal studies don’t always indicate what may happen in humans.

You may experience side effects from taking pantoprazole. Although they’re typically mild, it’s also possible to have serious side effects with this drug. Be sure to talk with your doctor if you experience mild side effects that concern you or serious side effects.

If you’d like to learn more about pantoprazole, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can help answer any questions you have about side effects from taking the drug.

Referring to the following articles about pantoprazole can provide you with additional information:

  • More information about pantoprazole. For details about other aspects of pantoprazole, refer to this article.
  • Cost. If you’d like to learn about pantoprazole and cost, see this article.
  • A look at your condition. For details about your condition, see this list of gastrointestinal and gastroenterology articles.

Disclaimer: Medical News Today has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.