Pantoprazole
About
Pantoprazole is a medicine that reduces the amount of acid your stomach makes. It's used for heartburn, acid reflux and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) – GORD is when you keep getting acid reflux. It's also taken to prevent and treat stomach ulcers. Sometimes, pantoprazole is taken for a rare condition caused by a tumour in the pancreas or gut called Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Pantoprazole comes as tablets. It's available on prescription. You can also buy lower-strength 20mg tablets from pharmacies for treating heartburn or acid reflux in adults. You'll usually take pantoprazole once a day in the morning. The most common side effects are headaches and diarrhoea. These tend to be mild and go away when you stop taking the medicine. You should start to feel better in 2 to 3 days, but it may take up to 4 weeks for pantoprazole to fully control your symptoms. If you've bought pantoprazole without a prescription and your symptoms do not improve after 2 weeks, see a doctor before taking any more. Pantoprazole is not usually recommended during pregnancy. Page last reviewed: 31 July 2025 Next review due: 31 July 2028
Key facts
You'll usually take pantoprazole once a day in the morning.
The most common side effects are headaches and diarrhoea. These tend to be mild and go away when you stop taking the medicine.
You should start to feel better in 2 to 3 days, but it may take up to 4 weeks for pantoprazole to fully control your symptoms.
If you've bought pantoprazole without a prescription and your symptoms do not improve after 2 weeks, see a doctor before taking any more.
Pantoprazole is not usually recommended during pregnancy.