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Pantoprazole vs. omeprazole: What's the difference between them?

Medically reviewed by Sally Chao, MD. Last updated on May 29, 2022.

Official answer

by Drugs.com

Pantoprazole and omeprazole are both medicines from the class of medications called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). PPIs work by decreasing the amount of acid your stomach produces and have similar effectiveness. The approved uses for pantoprazole and omeprazole differ slightly, but they are all disorders related to too much stomach acid.

Pantoprazole is approved to treat:

  • Erosive esophagitis associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  • Maintenance of healing of erosive esophagitis
  • Pathological hypersecretory conditions, including Zollinger-Ellison (ZE) syndrome

Omeprazole is approved to treat:

  • Duodenal ulcer
  • H. pylori infection and duodenal ulcer disease (in combination with clarithromycin)
  • Gastric ulcer
  • Treatment of GERD in adults and pediatric patients
  • Erosive esophagitis (short-term, or long-term for healing and maintenance)
  • Pathological hypersecretory conditions such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, multiple endocrine adenomas and systemic mastocytosis

Omeprazole was the first PPI to be marketed in 1989 under the brand name Prilosec. It is available by prescription as 10 mg, 20 mg or 40 mg delayed-release capsules, and as granules for oral suspension. When prescribed by a doctor, it is usually taken for 4 to 8 weeks, depending on which disorder is being treated. Omeprazole is also available over the counter (OTC) as a 20 mg tablet for individuals who experience frequent heartburn. The OTC product should be used for only 2 weeks. Omeprazole should be taken on an empty stomach.

Pantoprazole was marketed in 2000 under the brand name Protonix. It is available by prescription only and comes as 20 mg or 40 mg delayed-release tablets, a 40 mg packet of delayed-release granules to make an oral suspension and as an intravenous (IV) form. It may be taken with or without food, and the usual course of treatment is up to 8 weeks long.

Related Questions

References
  1. U.S. National Library of Medicine DailyMed. Protonix Product Information. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=d212e8ec-f7ff-4727-a83e-0edc4ca7e6d1&audience=consumer. [Accessed May 10, 2022].
  2. U.S. National Library of Medicine DailyMed. Prilosec Product Information. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=d970b074-957a-4036-92d3-1712386f3858&audience=consumer. [Accessed May 11, 2022].
  3. U.S. National Library of Medicine DailyMed. Prilosec-OTC Product information. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=35a79458-79f6-44d6-b74c-b4f4aaf0dde0&audience=consumer. [Accessed May 11, 2022].

Read next

Famotidine is usually the first choice to treat occasional heartburn if your symptoms occur less than two times per week. It can be used as needed, provides quick relief (within 15 to 30 minutes), and is usually less expensive than omeprazole. Omeprazole may be an option if your heartburn occurs two or more days per week. Both products are available without a prescription. Continue reading

You can take an antacid with omeprazole if you are still getting symptoms of indigestion because it can take several days for omeprazole to start working. Take omeprazole as directed (usually taken once daily on an empty stomach), and take antacids as needed to relieve indigestion pain after eating. But tell your doctor if several weeks have gone past and omeprazole does not seem to be working or you are still taking antacids. Continue reading

Yes, you could take omeprazole in the morning and famotidine at night but there are not many studies investigating this approach. Preliminary results suggest that taking your medication this way may provide superior control of gastric acid secretion at night without compromising the effectiveness of omeprazole in the morning. More research is needed. Continue reading

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