From the Guidelines
Pantoprazole is available in 40 mg tablets for oral administration, but it does not come in an 80 mg tablet formulation, as indicated in the study published in Pediatrics 1. If a higher dose is needed, such as 80 mg daily, patients would need to take two 40 mg tablets. Pantoprazole is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) that works by reducing stomach acid production by blocking the enzyme system responsible for acid secretion. The standard adult dose for most conditions is 40 mg once daily, though some conditions like severe esophagitis or Zollinger-Ellison syndrome may require higher doses (80 mg daily, given as two 40 mg tablets), as supported by the dose equivalence among proton pump inhibitors shown in the study published in the Journal of Hepatology 1. The medication is typically taken in the morning, about 30 minutes before eating. For patients with difficulty swallowing tablets, pantoprazole is also available as delayed-release granules for oral suspension and as an intravenous formulation in healthcare settings. Key points to consider when prescribing pantoprazole include:
- The dose equivalence among proton pump inhibitors, such as omeprazole, lansoprazole, esomeprazole, pantoprazole, and rabeprazole, as shown in Table 5 of the study published in the Journal of Hepatology 1
- The potential interactions with other medications, such as cyclosporin, darunavir, and lopinavir, which may increase glecaprevir concentrations, and the need for caution when co-administering drugs metabolized by CYP3A with a narrow therapeutic index.
From the FDA Drug Label
Pantoprazole sodium, USP is supplied as a delayed-release tablet, available in two strengths (20 mg and 40 mg). Each pantoprazole sodium delayed-release tablet, USP contains 45.1 mg or 22. 56 mg of pantoprazole sodium, USP sesquihydrate (equivalent to 40 mg or 20 mg pantoprazole, respectively)
Pantoprazole comes in 40mg tabs, but there is no mention of 80mg tabs. 2
From the Research
Dosage Forms of Pantoprazole
- Pantoprazole is available in multiple forms, including a delayed-release oral capsule, oral suspension, and intravenous 3.
Available Dosages
- The study 4 mentions that pantoprazole 40 mg once daily was compared to nizatidine 150 mg b.i.d. in a mixed GERD patient population.
- Another study 5 states that the starting dose of pantoprazole was 40 mg b.i.d. and the dose was adjusted to document control within the first 2 weeks of therapy, with a maximal allowable dose of 240 mg daily.
- The study 6 mentions that pantoprazole was administered at a mean dosage of 116 mg/day (range: 40-200 mg/day).
Conclusion on Dosage
- Based on the provided studies, pantoprazole is available in 40 mg dosage, and in some cases, the dose can be adjusted up to 80 mg b.i.d. or even 240 mg daily 5. However, there is no direct mention of 80mg tabs, but it can be inferred that pantoprazole can be administered in doses of up to 80mg or more, depending on the patient's condition and response to treatment.