Tagamet HB 200 FAQs

To relieve heartburn, acid indigestion or sour stomach, Tagamet HB 200^® can be taken at the first signs of discomfort. To prevent heartburn, acid indigestion or sour stomach, Tagamet HB 200^® can be taken right before or any time up to 30 minutes before eating food or drinking beverages that cause heartburn, acid indigestion or sour stomach.

Consult your doctor and discuss if this would be right for you. Unlike prescription Tagamet^®, non-prescription Tagamet HB 200^® is only indicated for occasional use to relieve and prevent heartburn, acid indigestion, and sour stomach

Consult your doctor before taking Tagamet HB 200^® if you are taking a medication that contains theophylline (oral asthma medication), warfarin (blood thinning medication) or phenytoin (seizure medication). If you are concerned specifically about other prescription medications that you are taking, you may want to discuss this with your doctor. If you are taking other non-prescription heartburn medications, check with your doctor or pharmacist before using Tagamet HB 200^® in conjunction with other heartburn medications.

If you are taking the maximum daily dose of Tagamet HB 200^® continuously for two weeks, you may have something more serious than heartburn, acid indigestion or sour stomach. In that situation, we recommend that you contact your doctor for his or her recommendation.

Tagamet HB 200^® is the result of a revolutionary discovery that earned British scientist Sir James Black a joint Nobel Prize. In the late 1970s, Black studied a hormone called histamine and its role in acid production in the stomach. Histamine attaches to specific cells in the lining of the stomach, stimulating them to produce stomach acid. Black discovered a chemical that "blocks" histamine from attaching to these stomach cells. This reduces the production of stomach acid for eight hours or longer. In 1995, the Food and Drug Administration approved H2 blockers for over-the-counter heartburn medication, and Tagamet HB 200^® was introduced. By keeping stomach acid production low, Tagamet HB 200^® prevents heartburn from returning.

The incidence of side effects with Tagamet HB 200^® is low and not much different from that of antacids. In cases where adverse events have been reported, the most common are headache, nausea and diarrhea. However, these are rare and reversible upon discontinuation of the product.

Please seek the advice of a health professional before using this product if you are pregnant.

Tagamet HB 200^® does not contain sulfonamides. However, an inactive ingredient is lauryl sulfate (small amounts) and you should check with your allergist.

If your condition does not respond to over-the-counter treatments after two weeks, see a doctor. You may be at risk for serious inflammation of the esophagus. Also, if you have difficulty swallowing, you may have an underlying condition that requires the attention of a health care professional. Do not continue to self-medicate.

The shelf life is 36 months from the date of manufacture. The expiration date and lot code are located on the end flap of each carton as well as on the edge of each blister pack.

No. Tagamet HB 200^® Liquid has been discontinued. Tagamet HB 200^® is available over-the-counter in the tablet form only.

Antacids work directly in the stomach, neutralizing the gastric acid, but they cannot prevent additional acid from being produced. However, over-the-counter histamine 2 receptor blockers (H2 blockers), such as Tagamet HB 200^®, work for eight hours or more. And you can take H2 blockers, unlike antacids, before or after a meal to prevent or treat heartburn. Actually, Tagamet HB 200^® has one additional advantage over the competition -- it's the only leading brand name H2 blocker you can take right before a meal to prevent heartburn before it starts.

What a relief: Up to half of all people rushed to the hospital with chest pain (but no history of heart disease) find out that they actually have a bad case of heartburn. It is not always easy to distinguish between the two conditions and if you are in doubt seek immediate medical attention. Sufferers distinguish between the two conditions, but if you're in doubt, get to the hospital pronto. Pain: Heartburn produces a burning sensation in the chest and a feeling of fluid coming up, while a heart attack feels more like intense chest pressure that can radiate to the neck, jaw or arms. Timing: Heartburn often strikes after a person has eaten a large meal or a trigger food, while heart attacks are more likely to happen after exercise, a stressful situation or sex. Other symptoms: Heartburn may be accompanied by indigestion and gas, while a heart attack is sometimes accompanied by shortness of breath and nausea.

The burning sensation of heartburn is caused when the acids from your stomach travel up to your esophagus. The acids in your stomach are quite normal. In fact, that's what helps to digest your food. And your stomach has a protective lining that can shield against these acids. However, your esophagus does not have this lining and is very sensitive to gastric acid. Fortunately the symptoms of heartburn/acid indigestion can be treated with over-the-counter medications like Tagament HB 200^®.