Zegerid contains a combination of omeprazole and sodium bicarbonate. Omeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor that decreases the amount of acid your stomach produces. Sodium bicarbonate is an antacid that raises the pH in your stomach to keep the omeprazole from breaking down in stomach acid.

Zegerid is used to treat heartburn and other symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Zegerid is also used to treat certain type of ulcers, or to promote healing of erosive esophagitis (damage to your esophagus caused by stomach acid).

Zegerid is not for immediate relief of heartburn symptoms.

The omeprazole found in Zegerid can cause kidney problems. Tell your doctor if you are urinating less than usual, or if you have blood in your urine.

Diarrhea may be a sign of a new infection. Call your doctor if you have diarrhea that is watery or has blood in it.

Omeprazole may cause new or worsening symptoms of lupus. Tell your doctor if you have joint pain and a skin rash on your cheeks or arms that worsens in sunlight.

You may be more likely to have a broken bone while taking this medicine long term or more than once per day.

Zegerid contains sodium bicarbonate, a form of salt. Tell your doctor if you have Bartter's syndrome (a rare kidney disorder), or if you are on a low-salt diet.

Take Zegerid exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets.

Zegerid is for short-term use only, usually 4 to 8 weeks. Erosive esophagitis may take longer to heal. Follow your doctor's dosing instructions very carefully.

Take this medicine on an empty stomach, at least 1 hour before eating a meal.

Take the Zegerid capsule with a full glass of water. Do not use any other type of liquid or food. Swallow the capsule whole and do not crush, chew, break, or open it.

To use the powder form, open a packet and pour all of the powder into a small cup with 1 or 2 tablespoons of water. Do not use any other type of liquid. Stir and drink this mixture right away. Add a little more water to the glass, swirl gently and drink right away.

Do not use two 20-mg capsules to equal one 40-mg capsule. Do not use two 20-mg powder packets to equal one 40-mg powder packet. If you do not use the exact capsule or powder packet your doctor has prescribed, you may receive too much sodium bicarbonate.

Read and carefully follow any Instructions for Use if you are giving this medicine to a person who is fed through a nasogastric (NG) tube. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you do not understand these instructions.

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

Usual Adult Dose for Duodenal Ulcer:

Omeprazole 20 mg orally once a day
-Duration of therapy: 4 weeks

Comment: If patients are not healed after 4 weeks, treatment for another 4 weeks may be considered.

Use: Short-term treatment of active duodenal ulcer

Usual Adult Dose for Gastric Ulcer:

Omeprazole 40 mg orally once a day
-Duration of therapy: 4 to 8 weeks

Use: Short-term treatment of active benign gastric ulcer

Usual Adult Dose for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease:

Omeprazole 20 mg orally once a day
-Duration of therapy: Up to 14 days (Over-the-Counter [OTC] formulations); Up to 4 weeks (prescription formulations)

Comments:
-The OTC formulation course of treatment may be repeated every 4 months as necessary.
-The full effect of treatment may not be reached for up to 4 days.

Uses:
-Treatment of symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) without esophageal erosions (prescription formulations)
-Treatment of frequent heartburn occurring at least 2 days a week (OTC formulations)

Usual Adult Dose for Erosive Esophagitis:

Treatment: Omeprazole 20 mg orally once a day
-Duration of therapy: 4 to 8 weeks

Maintenance: Omeprazole 20 mg orally once a day

Comments:
Controlled studies for the efficacy in treatment of erosive esophagitis did not extend beyond 8 weeks.
-An additional 4 to 8-week course of therapy may be considered in patients with a recurrence of erosive esophagitis or GERD symptoms after initial treatment.
-Controlled studies for maintenance therapy did not extend beyond 12 months.

Uses:
-Short-term treatment of erosive esophagitis diagnosed by endoscopy
-Maintenance of healing of erosive esophagitis

Usual Adult Dose for Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage:

Oral suspension: Omeprazole 40 mg orally, followed by 40 mg 6 to 8 hours later, and 40 mg orally once a day thereafter
-Duration of therapy: 14 days

Comment: Controlled studies did not extend past 12 months.

Use: Reduction of risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in critically ill patients

You should not take Zegerid if you are allergic to omeprazole or sodium bicarbonate, or if:

• you have had breathing problems, kidney problems, or a severe allergic reaction after taking this medicine in the past; or

• you are also taking any medication that contains rilpivirine (Edurant, Juluca, Complera, Odefsey)

Heartburn can mimic early symptoms of a heart attack. Get emergency medical help if you have chest pain that spreads to your jaw or shoulder and you feel anxious or light-headed.

Zegerid contains sodium bicarbonate, a form of salt. Each capsule contains the equivalent of 300 mg of sodium. Each packet of powder contains the equivalent of 460 mg of sodium. If you are on a low-salt diet, you may not be able to use Zegerid. Talk with your doctor.

To make sure Zegerid is safe for you, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have:

• a rare kidney disorder called Bartter's syndrome;

• liver disease;

• any allergies;

• heart failure;

• problems with acid-base (pH) balance in your body;

• low levels of calcium, magnesium, or potassium levels in your blood;

• if you are of Asian descent.

You may be more likely to have a broken bone in your hip, wrist, or spine while taking a proton pump inhibitor long-term or more than once per day. Talk with your doctor about ways to keep your bones healthy.

Ask a doctor before using this medicine if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Zegerid is not approved for use by anyone younger than 18 years old.

Use the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not use two doses at one time.

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

Overdose symptoms may include confusion, headache, drowsiness, blurred vision, fast heartbeats, sweating, vomiting, dry mouth, and warmth or tingling.

This medicine can cause diarrhea, which may be a sign of a new infection. If you have diarrhea that is watery or bloody, call your doctor before using anti-diarrhea medicine.

If you take this medicine long-term, ask your doctor if you should also use calcium supplements. Also ask your doctor about sources of calcium in your diet from milk or other dairy products. Getting too much calcium while taking Zegerid may be harmful to your kidneys.

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to Zegerid: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have:

• severe stomach pain, diarrhea that is watery or bloody;

• new or unusual pain in your wrist, back, hip, or thigh;

• muscle twitching or tremor;

• numbness or tingling in your face, arms, or legs;

• confusion, dizziness;

• a seizure;

• low magnesium - dizziness, irregular heartbeats, feeling jittery, muscle cramps, muscle spasms, cough or choking feeling;

• kidney problems - fever, rash, nausea, loss of appetite, joint pain, urinating less than usual, blood in your urine, weight gain;

• new or worsening symptoms of lupus - joint pain, and a skin rash on your cheeks or arms that worsens in sunlight; or

• vitamin B12 deficiency - shortness of breath, feeling lightheaded, irregular heartbeats, muscle weakness, pale skin, tiredness, mood changes.

Taking this medicine long-term may cause you to develop stomach growths called fundic gland polyps. Talk with your doctor about this risk.

If you use Zegerid for longer than 3 years, you could develop a vitamin B-12 deficiency. Talk to your doctor about how to manage this condition if you develop it.

Common Zegerid side effects may include:

• headache;

• nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, gas; or

• diarrhea.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all your current medicines. Many drugs can affect Zegerid, especially:

• clopidogrel;

• cyclosporine;

• digoxin;

• methotrexate;

• rifampin; or

• St. John's wort.

This list is not complete and many other drugs may interact with omeprazole and sodium bicarbonate. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.