Very important to know that you shouldn’t start take Aciphex if you are allergic to: esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid), or pantoprazole (Protonix),omeprazole ( Zegerid, Prilosec).

Very often many patients  confused the heartburn with the first symptoms of a heart attack. Call toyr doctor at once if you heavy feeling in the chest or have chest pain , sweating, pain spreading to the shoulder or arm  and a general ill feeling, nausea.

This drug is not for immediate relief of heartburn symptoms!

Before take Aciphex call your doctor and tell him all list of drugs which you use:

• cyclosporine (Sandimmune,Gengraf,  Neoral);

• a blood thinner: warfarin (Jantoven, Coumadin);

• digoxin (Lanoxin, digitalis);

• atazanavir (Reyataz);

• ketoconazole (Nizoral);

• a diuretic (water pill);

• methotrexate (Trexall, Rheumatrex).

This includes over-the-counter, prescription,herbal products and vitamin. Do not start a new drugs without telling specialist.

Don’t take Aciphex, if you have the next side effects:

• feeling jittery;

• limp feeling or muscle weakness ;

• diarrhea that is bloody or watery;

•  confusion,dizziness;

• jerking muscle movements;

• uneven  heart rate;

•muscle cramps;

•fast heart rate;

•cough;

• convulsions;

• choking feeling ; or

Less serious side effects :

• nervousness or insomnia ; or

• mild diarrhea or upset stomach ;

• headache;

• itching or rash .

Aciphex contains rabeprazole –  a proton pump inhibitor which suppresses gastric acid secretion in the stomach. Rabeprazole restricts the gastric H+, K+ATPase at the secretory surface of the gastric parietal cell. That is why the medication is suggested to have properties of gastric proton-pump inhibitors.

Aciphex stops the final stage of gastric acid discharge and thus stops the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Rabeprazole is modified in gastric parietal cells to an active sulfenamide. The medication works very quickly and effectively helps patients with heartburn caused by GERD. It is chemically activated at pH 1.2 with half-life of 78 seconds. It prevents acid carriage with a half-life of 90 seconds.

Before taking Aciphex it is necessary to consult your doctor to be sure that you really need this medication. Remember that Aciphex is not used for immediate relief of heartburn symptoms. The medication should be prescribed by a doctor after careful examination and tests necessary to evaluate the condition of a patient.

Aciphex is not used if:

• a patient is allergic to Aciphex or to similar medications including Prevacid, Nexium, Prilosec, Zegerid, Protonix;
• a patient has hypersensitive reaction to any component in the medication;
• a patient is younger than 12 years of age.

It is necessary to tell a doctor if you have liver or kidney impairment or insufficient levels, magnesium levels in blood, osteoporosis or osteopenia before taking Aciphex.

Aciphex and other P. P. I. s may cause bone fracture in geriatric patients, in those who use the medication improperly or for a long period of time.

Pregnant women or women who are breast –feeding should inform their doctor if they want to use Aciphex.

Aciphex (rabeprazole) is a proton pump inhibitor or P. P. I. This medication’s medical purpose is to treat the symptoms of GERD- gastroesophageal reflux disease by reducing the amount of acid in the stomach.

Aciphex is also indicated to treat other problems with stomach acid overproduction such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

Aciphex is helpful in treating the damage caused to esophagitis. The erosion in the esophagitis is caused by stomach acid. The medication is used in combination therapy with antibiotics to treat stomach infections caused by helicobacter pylori (H. pylori).

The mechanism of action of Aciphex involves inhibition of gastric acid secretion.

Aciphex is manufactured by Eisai and Janssen, still there are generic versions of the medication.   Aciphex is available in the dosage form of delayed-release 20 mg tablets for oral use.