Famotidine

What is famotidine?

Famotidine is a medication that works by reducing the amount of acid made in the stomach. It is used to treat and/or prevent heartburn (also known as acid reflux), acid indigestion and ulcer.

You may hear famotidine called by its brand name, Pepcid. Famotidine comes in table liquid suspension and injection forms. Famotidine suspension needs to be specially compounded by a pharmacy.

Before giving famotidine to your child

Tell your child's health-care provider if your child has an allergy to famotidine or acid-reducing drugs such as ranitidine or cimetidine.

Talk with your child's health-care provider if your child has any of the following conditions. Precautions may need to be taken with this medicine if your child has:

• severe kidney disease
• ulcer-related complications including black or bloody stools, throwing up blood, difficulty or pain with swallowing food, heartburn with lightheadedness, sweating, chest pain or shoulder pain with shortness of breath
  

How should you give your child famotidine?

Follow these instructions when you give your child famotidine:

• Give famotidine exactly as your health-care provider tells you, even if your child seems better.
• Give your child famotidine for as long as your health-care provider tells you, even if your child seems well. Talk to your child's health-care provider before you stop giving famotidine for any reason.
• Famotidine can be given with or without food. If your child is using famotidine for acid-related symptoms, give famotidine to your child 15–60 minutes before meals to prevent heartburn before it starts.
• If your child is taking famotidine as a tablet, the tablet should be swallowed whole with water. If your child is not able to swallow tablets, the tablets may also be crushed and mixed with liquid or a small amount of food immediately before giving to your child.
• If your child is taking famotidine suspension, shake the bottle well before use. Measure the dose with the special spoon or syringe that the pharmacist gave you.

What should you do if your child misses a dose of famotidine?

• If your child is prescribed famotidine for regular use:
• Give the missed dose as soon as you remember.
• If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose. Give the next dose at the regular time.
• Do not give your child two doses to make up for one missed dose.
• If your child is prescribed famotidine to use as needed, give famotidine only when your child has symptoms of heartburn or indigestion.

How long does famotidine take to work?

Famotidine may start to have an effect within one hour after administration, and its effect can last up to 12 hours.

What are the possible side effects of famotidine?

Your child may have some of these side effects while they take famotidine.

Check with your child's health-care provider if your child continues to have any of these side effects, if they do not go away, or if they bother your child:

• headache
• dizziness
• constipation
• diarrhea

Most of the following side effects are not common, but they may be a sign of a serious problem. Call your child's health-care provider right away or take your child to the Emergency Department if your child has any of these side effects:

• skin rash, hives or itching
• swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat
• difficulty breathing or swallowing
• fast, slow or irregular heartbeat

What safety measures should you take when your child is using famotidine?

Certain foods and drinks may make heartburn worse. Your child may want to avoid greasy/fried food, spicy food, citrus fruits, carbonated drinks and alcohol.

If possible, avoid eating right before bedtime or reduce heartburn or reflux.

Check with your child's health-care provider before giving your child any other medicines (prescription, non-prescription, herbal or natural products).

There are some medicines that should not be taken together with famotidine, or, in some cases, the dose of famotidine or the other medicine may need to be adjusted. It is important to tell your health-care provider if your child takes any other medications (prescription, over-the-counter or herbal products), including:

• certain antibiotics, such as cefuroxime
• antacids, such as calcium carbonate
• antifungals, such as itraconazole, posaconazole
• antiretrovirals, such as atazanavir or rilpivirine
• dasatinib

This is not a complete list of medication that may interact with famotidine. Check with your child's health-care provider to start, stop or change dose for any of your child's drugs (prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, supplements or natural products).

What other important information should you know about famotidine?

• Keep a list of all medications your child is on and show the list to the health-care provider.
• Do not share your child's medicine with others, and do not give anyone else's medicine to your child.
• Make sure you always have enough famotidine to last through weekends, holidays and vacations. Call your pharmacy at least two days before your child runs out of medicine to order refills.
• Famotidine liquid must be made by a pharmacy. Make sure your pharmacy is able to make it for your child.
• Keep famotidine at room temperature in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. Do NOT store it in the bathroom or kitchen.
• Do not keep medicines that are out of date. Check with your pharmacist about the best way to throw away outdated or leftover medicine.
• Dispose of any unused portion of famotidine liquid after 60 days.

Keep famotidine out of your child's sight and reach and locked up in a safe place. If your child takes too much famotidine, call the Ontario Poison Centre at one of these numbers. These calls are free.

• Call 416-813-5900 if you live in Toronto.
• Call 1-800-268-9017 if you live somewhere else in Ontario.
• If you live outside of Ontario, call your local Poison Information Centre.