Pantoprazole and Stomach Pain: What Users Say

• Pja...
• July 21, 2020

Pantoprazole for GERD "I started taking Protonix 40mg once daily after they took Zantac off the market. I started having a lot of stomach pain, gas, bloating, and watery diarrhea. It took me a while to figure out it was the Protonix. I stopped taking it and replaced it with Pepcid Complete once a day. Almost immediately those symptoms went away. I would be very careful taking this drug."

• Mil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 29, 2020

For GERD "My GI prescribed this medication for stomach pains and acid reflux. Now I have daily stomach pains, neck ache, upper back pain, headache, and joint pain. OMG, I feel miserable. I can't believe this drug is still being prescribed. Stopped cold turkey after 3 weeks of a nightmare. Been off it for 4 days and still not completely better. Wonder how long the side effects will last...?"

• Sto...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 16, 2021

For GERD "I was prescribed PANTOPRAZOLE (Protonix) by an Emergency Doctor. She said it was safe to take it. Day 1 gave me stomach pain, but it went away. DAY 2 I was fine, DAY 3 I was fine, until DAY 4. I started feeling dizzy. I immediately suspended the pill. I have felt the anxiety that everyone is referring to. Also, it gives you brain fog. I would highly recommend to first do some research before you take this pill. I was taking Nexium before with no side effects, however, it works slowly. I should have stuck to it instead of switching to this horrendous pill. As of now, I will be waiting to wipe it off my system. Think again if you need to take this pill, there are other pills that can be less harmful."

• Lat...
• July 4, 2021

For GERD "I have been taking this medication for 3 days. Day 1: severe headache all day. Day 2: anxiety peaked through the roof from a funny feeling, and now Day 3 I am dizzy and feeling sick to my stomach, and of course, anxiety through the roof again because of the weird feeling I have. I did notice stomach pain decreased with eating oatmeal. I think this will be my last day taking medicine. Through this all, I’m still bloated and constantly burping as I was doing prior to taking the meds."

• Lpe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 9, 2021

For Gastritis/Duodenitis "Can anyone tell me how long the side effects last from this medicine? I took it for 12 days. During the second week, I started waking up crying and feeling depressed every morning. I have more anxiety. I started having stomach pain, and one day I had severe nausea. Also, I was dealing with some loss of appetite, and that’s gotten worse. I also experienced brain fog and extreme exhaustion and fatigue, like I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I think that PPIs can be extremely dangerous for some people. How can a medicine that’s supposed to heal bring so much destruction to your body? Ugh. I want to figure out something natural to take."

• why...
• March 31, 2012

Pantoprazole for GERD "Worked at first to bring heartburn/acid reflux under control, however I had to stop taking it because it started causing severe stomach & abdominal pain. Now control through diet & Tums EX. The pain from the Protonix side effect was terrible when it started happening."

• Gra...
• July 20, 2019

For Laryngopharyngeal Reflux "Was on pantoprazole 40 mg for 6 months, as per my pulmonologist, for silent reflux. My esophagus was torched when I started taking it. Has helped wonders on healing that, but I get terrible weekly stomach pains that could last hours or overnight even. Could never know when I would get the pain or what I ate that even caused it. Yesterday I did not take the pill. Could feel the acid in my chest slightly in the night. Feel like I can breathe better and have even been able to pass gas. That medicine is rubbish. Would bloat me so bad I even felt like my bladder was hanging late in the day. I did not know it was a short-term drug. I will go back to Prilosec till I see my Dr. for the follow-up appointment."

• Pau...
• June 6, 2019

For GERD "Started having real bad GERD. Went on Nexium one morning and one at bedtime. Eating only applesauce and toast in the morning and chicken and rice for dinner. Lost 30 lbs. Still having bad GERD. Went to my doc, and he put me on pantoprazole. On the second day of taking this drug, I started to have stomach pain. Waiting for a return call from my doc."

• pwc...
• November 5, 2014

For GERD "I was prescribed Protonix for GERD after having a heart attack. I had been prescribed omeprazole prior for the same condition, but after about 3 days, I had a very painful stomach, and eventually, my stomach failed to empty, and I spent a night over the toilet, throwing up everything I had eaten the afternoon before. I stopped the omeprazole, and then tried it again about 3 weeks later, same result. Protonix was new to me, and I decided to give it a chance, but 5 days after taking my first dose, I just spent a day in pain and once again, threw up my dinner and lunch from the day before."

• Sis...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 23, 2020

For GERD "I've been on this medication for a few years. It did great until now. I have burning and itchy vaginal and anus. Dark urine, gurgling down through the intestines. And I'm having swelling in my legs with chills. Some stomach pains as well. I stopped the medicine to clear up, which it is now doing. I had bleeding in the vaginal and anus area too. I will be getting a colonoscopy this summer."

• Xan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 16, 2022

For Gastritis/Duodenitis "I had chest pain and heart palpitations and a stomach ache and had to go to the emergency room. After a 6-hour wait, I was diagnosed with gastritis and prescribed pantoprazole. I took it for a month with no improvement, so I got a refill from my doctor with hesitation. The second month, I started having anxiety attacks and was crying all the time. I felt this huge depression come over me and lived with unbearable stomach pain and gas. I could not eat from the nausea. I passed out three times, twice in the kitchen and the third time down the stairs. Something that has never happened to me before. I could not get out of bed. It got so bad I wanted to die. So I started Googling my blood pressure meds and anything I took. Then I started reading all the bad reviews on pantoprazole. So for me, it’s deadly, the worst medication I have ever taken in my life. I can’t believe it’s on the market, it almost killed me. Take at your own risk!"

• lvb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 19, 2020

For GERD "I have taken it for mild reflux (which was discovered through gastroscopy, but produced no specific symptoms, however, it could be linked to throat problems and bloating). I've stopped taking it after 4 weeks because occasional stomach pains appeared and some old skin problems flared up. After another month, my reflux was becoming stronger than ever, with clear symptoms."

• mtn...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 28, 2016

For GERD "I started taking pantoprazole 6 days ago as my insurance company would not let me continue taking esomeprazole because it was not on the 'formulary.' I had to be able to prove that other meds for the GERD were either not effective or caused too many side effects. At first, the pantoprazole seemed to work. Then last night, I began having severe reflux and heartburn that were not relieved by the usual treatments I have used when I was on omeprazole, before I started taking Nexium (esomeprazole). I was awake all night, unable to find any way of relieving the heartburn and reflux. This morning, I developed severe stomach pain, which also was not relieved by any other home treatments. I refuse to ever take this drug again!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 20, 2015

For GERD "Over three years ago, I went to the doctor because I was getting severely ill every morning. The doctor diagnosed me with GERD and prescribed this for me. It worked great, and I never had any symptoms unless I forgot to take it. Now, three years later, it seems to have stopped working for me. I'm back to getting ill every morning with stomach pains. I gave it a 7 out of 10 for this reason. It worked great for me for so long, but now my doctors are trying to find another solution."

• Alm...
• March 29, 2022

For GERD "I think doctors have to screen their patients better before giving them pantoprazole or any other of the PPI inhibitors. The first time I took pantoprazole, I felt terrible with feeling out of it, dizzy, and chest pains, and a general feeling like I was going to die. Went off it right away, another year went by, and the doctor said to go back on it as my GERD was acting up. So I tried it again and had the same symptoms, and I told my doctor, and then he prescribed Dexilant, and again, I had terrible severe reactions to it, like I could not breathe and feeling dizzy and high anxiety. Went to the hospital, and the doctor there said maybe I am allergic to magnesium and said to take pantoprazole NA with sodium instead of magnesium in it. Well, I took one of those the next day, and they are time-released, and every 20 minutes or so, I would get a terrible metal/chemical taste in my mouth, and then dizzy and left arm feeling funny and more anxiety and headache and pains in my stomach, and that kept building and getting worse."

• Ric...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 11, 2017

For GERD "I went in to the doctor for acid reflux, and he prescribed me Protonix, and after two days, it helped, but shortly after that, I started getting worse acid reflux, along with very uncomfortable chest pains and a ton of anxiety, thinking I was having a heart attack-so bad that I had to take a stress test and EKG to rule out any heart problems. In addition to quitting the drug, I had stomach pain, headaches, and ringing in the ears. However, I did stop cold turkey, but I was only on it for a short time. I'm a 39-year-old male in decent shape. I would not recommend this to anyone I know. I'm sure this medication works great for some people, but definitely not for me."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 1, 2020

For Peptic Ulcer "Had terrible heartburn/nausea that was just making it hard to eat things like a sandwich, and it made it hard to get through work because of the pain. Doctor said I probably had an ulcer. Took pantoprazole and it worked like a miracle, only had a lot of seasickness like I felt dizzy, like I was on a boat. Then I went from 2x a day to 1x for like 2 weeks, and I started feeling bad again, so I stopped. Immediately after I stopped, I started getting terrible stomach/chest pains, and now my acid is just abysmal. I think taking it actually left me worse off than when I started. I've never had acid regurgitation before, but now I started having it, and I feel so weak :("

• Fra...
• September 25, 2017

For Gastritis/Duodenitis "I was with gastritis symptoms for about two weeks and didn't pay attention until last Sunday. I had one of the worst stomach pains ever, couldn't sleep, had fever and nausea the entire night, and even during Monday. I went to the doctor that same Monday, and he gave me this medication; after I took it, the pain went away within 20 minutes, and in about 3 days, I almost came back to normal. I'm still taking them for another 6 days because I still feel I need it (I was almost an entire month feeling weird, so I think I will take a while before I go back to normal). I'm also complementing with a healthy diet (stopped drinking coffee, sodas, foods with sugar or fat)."

• Dia...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 2, 2022

For GERD "This website has saved me. I thought I was going crazy! I started taking this drug 2x a day in March of 2021 to cure my chronic gastritis and GERD. At first, this really helped me out because the pain I got from gastritis was unbearable and caused me nausea and appetite loss. Over the summer, I was prescribed to take it for another year. So around October, I started to feel like I wasn’t myself with extreme anxiety and depression. There were many times when I started shaking and panicking for no reason at all. I passed out 2 times, had 3 traumatic panic attacks, and have been dizzy for days. Finally, in December, I was at my lowest and started having dark thoughts. I was so anxious, tired, dizzy, nauseous, had stomach pain, and was depressed. I was so upset that I started feeling this way and cried to my mom. She found this page and became livid! Why would my doctor prescribe me with this medicine for mild gastritis and GERD for a 20-year-old for a year? Horrible. Don’t take this."

• Sha...
• July 20, 2017

For GERD "I took Protonix 40 mg for about two and a half weeks. My doctor prescribed this after my insurance no longer covered my Nexium that I had been on for years. I had intermittent headaches and also had stomach pains and nausea. The nausea is horrible, and I have been off of it for a day now, and nausea is still persisting. I feel like I have to vomit from the nausea. I do not recommend this drug. I had no side effects with my Nexium, so now I will try omeprazole."

• Fre...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 6, 2022

For Laryngopharyngeal Reflux "I was taking this drug to help with laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), 40 mg once a day, 3 days, 3 nightmare days, stomach pain, vomiting, fever, tiredness, horrible experience for me with pantoprazole, never again."

• Wow...
• October 13, 2021

For GERD "I’ve been on pantoprazole for 2 years for stomach acid, never thought about the fact I went back in the doctor's office with pain in my legs and body. Sent to a rheumatologist who diagnosed me with fibromyalgia. Then I started having pain in my stomach, I started having pain in my feet and was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. Extra heartbeats, had an ablation done. My voice started cracking, had a cyst removed from my vocal cord. All while experiencing dizziness, foggy head, loss of sleep, and headaches. When I’m being put on more medicine to help with what this drug is causing. Wow, reading these reviews is everything I’ve been going through since I’ve started taking them. I’m currently still on them until now, I will not take another one. I can’t believe how long this has been going on and all the different doctors I’ve been going to."

• Lin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 3, 2021

For Gastritis/Duodenitis "I had gastritis for 4 weeks now. After eating 2-3 spoonfuls of porridge, I vomited afterward. Terrible stomach pain the whole day. Pantoprazole 40 mg/day in the morning was recommended to me. I take paracetamol every 4 hours, and I feel a lot better afterward. But a little stomach discomfort never goes away. After I vomit, I feel better, I had to do it because I feel more sick if I let the food sit in my tummy. Surprisingly, I can tolerate well boiled eggs (white part only), Yakult, blueberries, and apples, but these fruits I must chew very much before swallowing. I eat small meals every 2-3 hours, and it helps. I couldn't sleep at night due to middle stomach pain that radiates to the back. I take paracetamol, and I get relief. My pantoprazole is up to 6 weeks, hopefully, I will feel better. I had to stop going to work because of constant pain. Didn't want to go to the hospital, scared of getting COVID. Just diet modification. Eat small amounts every 3 hours, apple cider in apple juice, paracetamol, pantoprazole, and I feel improved."

• Gra...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 25, 2023

For Barrett's Esophagus "The worst medicine I took in my life. At first, it helped, but then every time I took the medicine, it would cause a burning sensation. I told my doctor and the emergency room at the hospital. It was doing this for a while, so I went to get a scope and colonoscopy and found out I have Barrett's esophagus. I have three other intestine troubles, but they told me to keep taking it as it will stop me from getting cancer in the esophagus. Why take something that makes it worse? I had so many hospital visits. I took this for two years until a new doctor changed my prescription. I am on omeprazole, which helps, but at least once a month I get bad stomach cramps. Do not take it, take omeprazole 40 mg once a day, not 40 mg two times a day instead, to stop it from burning so much."

• Rox...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 2, 2021

For GERD "I’ve just had a very bad experience with this drug. I took it for 3 days after going to the doctor with nausea and a tummy ache. The doctor looked up my endoscopy results and saw I had GERD, so I was given them to settle things down. Well, the nausea became chronic, with me gagging and choking, and my tummy was in so much pain, then I became breathless. I've had no sleep for the past 3 days, and I had a thought I might die. For some reason, I didn’t think this drug could be the cause, after all, I had gone to the doctor with the nausea, I just thought I was dying. Lucky I rang my gastroenterologist, who said to stop taking the drug. This next morning, I have no nausea and feel less anxious, still breathless though, and improved tummy pain. Never put up with these symptoms for more than one day, as I worry I’ve caused permanent damage. This drug absolutely sucks!!"