Sucralfate

Sucralfate is a prescription medication used for short-term treatment of ulcers. Sucralfate belongs to a group of drugs called anti-ulcer agent, which work by sticking to the ulcer and protecting it against acid and enzymes so that the ulcer can heal.

This medication comes in tablet and oral (by mouth) suspension forms and is taken 2 or 4 times a day on an empty stomach.

Common side effects of sucralfate include constipation, upset stomach, and indigestion.

Sucralfate is a prescription medication used for the treatment of active duodenal ulcers for up to 8 weeks. Duodenal ulcers are ulcers located in the first section of the small intestine.

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

Sucralfate may be found in some form under the following brand names:

• Carafate

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

Common side effects of sucralfate include constipation, upset stomach, and indigestion.

This is not a complete list of sucralfate side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

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 the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• cimetidine (Tagamet)
• digoxin (Lanoxin)
• fluoroquinolone antibiotics such as
  • ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
  • gemifloxacin (Factive)
  • levofloxacin (Levaquin)
  • moxifloxacin (Avelox)
  • ofloxacin (Floxin)
  • norfloxacin (Noroxin)
• ketoconazole (Nizoral)
• levothyroxine (Levothroid, Synthroid, Unithroid, Levoxyl)
• phenytoin (Dilantin)
• quinidine (Cardioquin, Quinact, Quinalan)
• ranitidine (Zantac)
• tetracycline (Sumycin)
• theophylline (Theobid)
• warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven)
• antacids that contain aluminum (Alamag, Gen-Alox, Maalox, Mylanta, Magagel, Rulox, Mylanta)

This is not a complete list of sucralfate drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with sucralfate including the following:

• Aluminum toxicity. Too much aluminum can build up in your body if you take sucralfate with antacids that contain aluminum (see the "Sucralfate Interactions" section for examples). This can occur especially in those with reduced kidney function.

Do not take sucralfate if you are allergic to sucralfate or to any of its ingredients.

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of sucralfate, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before taking sucralfate, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• are allergic to sucralfate or to any of its ingredients
• have difficulty swallowing
• have an altered gag and cough reflex
• have GERD
• have kidney problems
• have a medical condition involving the esophagus (the feeding tube)
• are pregnant or breastfeeding

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

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.

Sucralfate falls into category B. There are no well-done studies that have been done in humans with sucralfate. But 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 sucralfate crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using sucralfate

Take sucralfate exactly as prescribed.

This medication comes in tablet and oral (by mouth) suspension forms and is taken on an empty stomach.

Antacids can be taken as needed for relief of pain but should not be taken within one-half hour before or after sucralfate.

Healing with sucralfate may occur during the first week or two, but treatment should be continued for 4 to 8 weeks unless healing has been shown by x-ray or examination.

If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses of sucralfate at the same time.

Take sucralfate exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The sucralfate dose your doctor recommends will be based on the following:

• the severity of your condition
• other medical conditions you have

The recommended adult oral dose for an active ulcer is 1 gram 4 times a day on an empty stomach.

For maintenance treatment (non-active ulcer), the recommended adult oral dosage is 1 gram 2 times a day on an empty stomach.

If you take too much sucralfate, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children.