Aciphex Sprinkle

Aciphex Sprinkle is a prescription medication used to treat digestive problems such as heartburn and acid reflux.  Aciphex Sprinkle belongs to a group of drugs called proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs). It works by reducing the amount of acid produced in the stomach.

Aciphex Sprinkle also comes in a sprinkle delayed release capsule and is usually taken once a day.

Common side effects of Aciphex Sprinkle include headache, sore throat, and constipation.

Aciphex Sprinkle is a prescription medicine used for the following conditions:

• heartburn caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• duodenal ulcers
• acid-related damage to the lining of the esophagus
• H. pylori infections
• Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (a condition in which the stomach makes too much acid)

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Take Aciphex Sprinkle exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully. Your doctor will determine the right dose for you based on your medical condition.

Adults:

• The recommended dose for Aciphex Sprinkle is 20 mg once daily for 4 to 8 weeks for adults.

Children:

• The recommended dose of Aciphex Sprinkle in ages 1 to 11 who weigh more than 15 kg, is 10 mg daily for up to 12 weeks.  
• The recommended dose of Aciphex Sprinkle in children ages 1 to 11 years weighing less than 15 kg, is 5 mg per day for up to 12 weeks. Your doctor will tell you how long to take Aciphex Sprinkle.

Serious side effects have been reported with Aciphex Sprinkle including the following:

• serious allergic reactions. Tell your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:
• rash
• face swelling
• throat tightness
• difficulty breathing
• low blood magnesium. Tell your doctor right away if you have any of these symptoms:
  • seizures
  • dizziness
  • abnormal or fast heart beat
  • jitteriness
  • jerking movements or shaking (tremors)
  • muscle weakness
  • spasms of the hands and feet
  • cramps or muscle aches
  • spasm of the voice box

Your doctor may check the level of magnesium in your body before you start taking Aciphex Sprinkle, during treatment, or if you will be taking Aciphex Sprinkle for a long period of time.

• Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) associated diarrhea. Tell your healthcare provider if you experience any or all of the following symptoms:
• watery diarrhea (at least three bowel movements per day for two or more days)
• loss of appetite
• abdominal pain or tenderness
• nausea
• fever

Do not take Aciphex Sprinkle if you are:

• allergic to any of the ingredients in Aciphex Sprinkle
• allergic to other proton pump inhibitors
• less than 12 years of age

Serious side effects have been reported with Aciphex Sprinkle. See the “Drug Precautions” section.

Common side effects with Aciphex Sprinkle include the following

• headache
• pain
• sore throat
• gas
• infection
• constipation

People who are taking multiple daily doses of proton pump inhibitor medicines for a long period of time may have an increased risk of fractures of the hip, wrist, or spine.

This is not a comple list of Aciphex Sprinkle side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all of the medicines you are taking or are planning to take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• atazanavir (Reyataz)
• cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral)
• digoxin (Lanoxin)
• ketoconazole (Nizoral)
• warfarin (Coumadin)
• theophylline (THEO-24 Thelair)
• diazepam (Valium)
• phenytoin (Dilantin)
• antibiotics

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Aciphex Sprinkle falls into category B. There are no well-done studies that have been done in humans with Aciphex Sprinkle. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication, and the babies did not show any medical issues related to this medication.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

It is not known if Aciphex Sprinkle is excreted in human breast milk or if it can harm your nursing baby. Since many drugs can pass into breastmilk, and because of the possibility for serious reactions to infants from Aciphex Sprinkle, a decision should be made to stop nursing or the drug. The importance of the drug to the mother should be considered.