Prevacid Review

The good--

I have three beautiful children from 6 years to 9 months. All are on high doses of Prevacid for GERD, but their reflux is controlled well.

I sprinkle the contents of the capsules over applesauce twice a day for each of them. After taking the medicine, the kids can actually eat without pain about 30-60 minutes later. It's been a life-saver for us.

Long-term reflux has risks, not the least of which is an increased risk for cancer of the esophagus. This medication can help reduce the risks of prolonged exposure of acid in the esophagus.  

Prevacid is expensive but the company has a rebate program that has helped tremendously to save money. They've improved the rebate program tremendously. You used to have to send in forms for reimbursement. Now you receive a card and the pharmacist can enter the info from the card and you receive the savings instantly.Go to the prevacid website to sign up for the program. Unfortunately, there's a limit of two persons per household on the rebate program.

Some drug plans place this on the non-preferred list, so check with your insurance company before going into convulsions at the pharmacy check-out. Stress does not necessarily cause reflux, but it can certainly make it worse.

The majority of people taking Prevacid get good results after using it for a few weeks.

The bad--

It's expensive and the children seem to need it long-term.

You won't get immediate relief from this product when beginning treatment because it's a PPI (proton pump inhibitor), which means that it takes a couple of days before it turns off certain acid-producing cells feeding into the stomach. For breakthrough pain, we've used Maalox, but always check with your healthcare provider before taking multiple medications.

Because it's a PPI, this can put people on Prevacid long-term at increased risk for infections because acid in the stomach can fight off various bad germs.

People who have taken Prevacid and discontinue treatment often experience relapses of their acid reflux.

Documented side effects are few, but may include diarrhea, abdominal pain, or diarrhea. I was prescribed Prevacid many years ago and it made me feel like I could imagine someone would feel after drinking battery acid. I was a bit scared to try my kids on this medication, but they have felt much better on it.

It's hard to do medicine twice a day with children, but many people get relief with once a day dosing.

Small children tend to try to chew on the contents of the capsules, but they also have SoluTabs that sort of melt in your mouth. Capsules have worked the best for us.

Be very careful if you are preparing to open the capsule--if it gets the LEAST bit wet the capsule begins to melt and the contents tend to stick to the melted pink and green glob!

I hope this information helps you to make an informed decision if your healthcare provider has recommended this medication for you!