Pantoprazole foods to avoid

Heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (in short, GERD) can show up when you take excessive amount of alcohol or if are having stressful times. Also, frequent consumption of a large meal, intake of deeply fried foods or eating dinner at late nights may trigger such disorders. In the US, more than 7 million people are estimated to have such conditions – at any given point in time. Pantoprazole is a popular medication used for treating GERD. But what are the pantoprazole foods to avoid? It is an essential thing to have more insights into this.

Medications forming part of a category known as proton pump inhibitors help decrease acids in the gastric system. These are also taken for treating ulcers and other stomach-related conditions. Proton pump inhibitors are often prescribed with changes made to your dietary habits. You are advised to avoid the taking coffee or chocolate in excess, and to refrain from taking a lying-down posture soon after eating a heavy meal.

In this light, what is pantoprazole?

Pantoprazole is one of the commonly administered proton pump inhibitors i.e., PPIs. Active chemicals of this med help reduce acids in your gastric channel. In essence, this med inhibits the pumps that discharge acids; this is possible through suppression of enzymes that help make acids. You may witness a marked reduction in acid levels and this helps get needful remedy from acid reflux or heartburn.

Maintenance dose of pantoprazole hovers in between 20 to 40 milligrams (mg). This med is unlikely to yield remedies on a fast-track basis. Instead, you may need to take it for more than 6 days for it to work to its fullest capability. Owing to this, it becomes important to adhere to your caregiving team’s advice. Stopping the intake of this med in the middle of your medication plan can make matters worse.

Pantoprazole foods to avoid

Foremost of all, you are advised to keep away from foods containing high level of fats in them. Such foods consume longer time to move from your tummy to intestine. As a result, you run the risk of getting acid reflux even while using PPIs like pantoprazole. This chiefly occurs because your tummy remains bloated for long and this action pushes the muscle between your food pipe and stomach for long.

Also, stay aware of fruits that have acids in them. These include citrus fruits like lemons and oranges. As an added caution, it is not a safe thing to eat fruits like pineapple and / or grapefruit. It is not recommended to take juices or sauces made of any of these fruits.

On a related note, ensure that you are not taking foods that have higher acid content. You need to remember that items such as soda, mustard sauce, different types of vinegar, etc. are known to have high levels of acid in them. Some people try taking sodas to treat symptoms of heartburn; this packs a double-punch. This is because sodas are rich in acids and they bloat your tummy making way for acids to enter into your food pipe.

Moreover, you are advised to avoid taking spices or spicy foods. This is due to the high level of capsaicin in spices. These can slow down the rate at which your stomach empties itself. This action can only aggravate reflux and heartburn. As a general precaution, keep away from spicy items like cayenne, red chilli pepper, habanero, jalapeno, etc.

Last but not least, you may also need to refrain from taking caffeinated items like tea, coffee or energy drinks / energised water. Taking any of these drinks while using pantoprazole can undermine the efficacy of this PPI. In order to have more inputs about pantoprazole foods to avoid, you are urged to speak with a qualified medical practitioner or your pharmacist.

Disclaimer

Information provided here are only of supplementary nature. Information shared here does not substitute a qualified doctor’s advice. This website is not suggesting intake of this drug as safe or appropriate. Hence it is advised to talk to your doctor before consuming this med or any other drug.