Famotidine

Famotidine Online UK

You can buy famotidine online in the UK from Simple Online Pharmacy. Simply complete an online assessment form for our UK registered GPs to evaluate. If this medicine is safe and suitable for you, our UK pharmacy will deliver it to your door via the Royal Mail or DPD.

What is Famotidine?

Famotidine is a medicine used to treat stomach issues including stomach ulcers and reflux oesophagitis. Reflux oesophagitis is when stomach acid leaks into the oesophagus and causes irritation and inflammation of the oesophagus.

Two strengths are available: famotidine 20mg tablets and famotidine 40mg tablets.

Famotidine Summary

Famotidine Price

How does Famotidine work?

Famotidine is a type of medication called an H2 receptor antagonist. It works by reducing the amount of acid your stomach produces. This then helps to improve issues such as acid reflux and stomach ulcers. 

How to take Famotidine

This medicine is available as a 20mg tablet or a 40mg tablet. The dose taken depends on the condition it is treating. For people who are undergoing treatment for a duodenal ulcer, the dose is 40mg once a day. For maintenance of a duodenal ulcer, the dose is 20mg once a day.

The Famotidine dose for patients with reflux oesophagitis is 20mg or 40mg twice daily for 6-12 weeks. After this period the dose is maintained at 20 mg twice a day.

Treatment Comparison

Warnings

This medicine is not suitable for patients who are allergic to Famotidine or any of the other ingredients in the tablets. If you are allergic to other H2 receptor blockers like ranitidine or nizatidine, you should avoid Famotidine due to the risk of an allergic reaction.

This medicine is not suitable to take for anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding.
To see a full list of warnings and drug interactions, see section 2 of the patient information leaflet.

Famotidine Side Effects

The most common side effects of Famotidine tablets are dizziness, headache, diarrhoea and constipation. These side effects may occur in up to 1 in 10 people taking this medicine. Less common side effects include nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, abdominal pain, excessive wind and others.

If you experience any symptoms of an allergic reaction after taking this medicine, you should seek immediate medical advice. You should report side effects to your doctor or pharmacist if they are severe.
To see a complete list of possible side effects, see section 4 of the patient information leaflet.

Famotidine alternatives

There are several alternative medicines that can be used to treat acid reflux. Proton pump inhibitors like Omeprazole and Lansoprazole help by reducing the amount of acid produced by the stomach. Rennie tablets are another alternative for acid reflux. These are chewable tablets and contain calcium carbonate.

If you prefer a liquid form of medicine, Gaviscon Advance is a very commonly used treatment to reduce acid and indigestion symptoms. Gaviscon works by forming a raft on top of the stomach acid to stop acid from escaping and affecting the oesophagus.

What is famotidine used for?

Famotidine is used to reduce the amount of acid in the stomach. It can treat stomach ulcers, reflux oesophagitis and Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome. It can help to treat stomach ulcers but can also be used to prevent stomach ulcers from recurring.

Why take Famotidine at night?

Although it is often prescribed to be taken at night, it can also be taken at other times during the day. For example, people who suffer from acid reflux after a meal could take Famotidine after eating to reduce their symptoms. People with acid reflux often find their symptoms worse at bedtime when they lie down. Often, acid reflux treatments are taken at night to help relieve symptoms around bedtime.

Is Famotidine a PPI?

Famotidine is not a PPI (Proton Pump Inhibitor). This medicine is known as an H2 receptor antagonist. Both types of medicines work by decreasing stomach acid but they do so in slightly different ways. Examples of PPIs include omeprazole and lansoprazole.

Can you take Famotidine while pregnant?

It is not recommended for use in pregnancy. If you are pregnant, you should speak to your doctor or healthcare professional for advice before taking Famotidine.

Can you buy Famotidine online in the UK?

Famotidine, in the UK, is a prescription-only medicine. This means you cannot buy Famotidine in the UK over the counter. You can buy this medicine online from registered online pharmacies such as Simple Online Pharmacy. Simply complete an online consultation for our doctors to review. If suitable, your order will be dispensed and dispatched by our online pharmacy team.

• How common is acid reflux?

  Acid reflux occurs in about 1 in 5 of us, however, as we get older, the majority of us are likely to experience the symptoms of heartburn.

• What else can help with acid reflux?

  Acid reflux can become worse when eating fatty food, smoking, drinking caffeinated drinks and eating chocolate. Avoiding these may help reduce symptoms. Being overweight and stress have also been shown to make acid reflux more common.

• When do I need to see a doctor about heartburn?

  You should see your GP if you are having symptoms regularly, you have difficulty swallowing and if over the counter medications are not helping. If any of the following symptoms occur, seek medical advice: Persistent vomiting Vomiting blood Unexplained weight loss

Before taking any medication, it is important to read the Patient Information Leaflet. You can find information leaflets for your medicines by typing them into the search bar at medicines.org, or by contacting us.

• Famotidine 20mg Tablets Patient Information Leaflet (medicines.org.uk)