Pantakind Tablet

Pantakind Tablet – Pantoprazole Gastro-Resistant Tablets IP 40 mg by Mankind

Pantakind from Mankind Pharma is Pantoprazole Sodium IP equivalent to Pantoprazole 40 mg in a gastro-resistant tablet. The gastro-resistant coating is not a convenience feature on a proton pump inhibitor – it is the only reason the drug works at all. Pantoprazole is destroyed within minutes by the acid it is meant to suppress, so a plain uncoated tablet would deliver essentially nothing. The coating is designed to stay sealed at the pH of the stomach and dissolve only in the more alkaline small intestine, from where the drug is absorbed, travels through the bloodstream, and is finally concentrated back inside the acid-secreting cells of the stomach wall, where it binds the pumps irreversibly. That whole detour is why crushing or chewing the tablet destroys the dose, and why the medicine takes an hour to start rather than working on contact like an antacid. Strip of 15 tablets.

Key Features

• Pantoprazole Sodium IP equivalent to Pantoprazole 40 mg, gastro-resistant tablets
• The coating is the medicine – crushing or chewing destroys the dose
• Binds the acid pumps irreversibly, so one daily dose lasts
• Colours: Ferric Oxide Yellow USP-NF and Titanium Dioxide IP
• Strip of 15 tablets from Mankind Pharma Ltd., South Sikkim

Composition

• Pantoprazole Sodium IP – equivalent to Pantoprazole 40 mg
• Excipients q.s. Colours: Ferric Oxide Yellow USP-NF & Titanium Dioxide IP. As printed on the blister

Uses & Benefits

• Treats GERD, heartburn, acid regurgitation and reflux oesophagitis
• Heals gastric and duodenal ulcers and helps prevent recurrence
• Used with antibiotics to eradicate H. pylori
• Used in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and other acid hypersecretory states
• Protects the stomach lining in long-term NSAID users, as prescribed
• Once-daily dosing before breakfast for most people

Directions for Use

• Swallow the tablet whole with water. Do not crush or chew it – the gastro-resistant coating is what protects the drug from stomach acid
• Take it 30 to 60 minutes before a meal, usually before breakfast, or exactly as your doctor directs
• Take it at the same time each day and complete the full course even if symptoms settle early
• If you miss a dose, take it when you remember unless the next is nearly due. Never take two together
• Avoid or limit alcohol, smoking and trigger foods during treatment

Precautions

• Take it 30 to 60 minutes before food. A proton pump inhibitor can only disable acid pumps that are already switched on, and eating is what switches them on
• Long-term use is not harmless – low magnesium, low vitamin B12, reduced calcium absorption, higher fracture risk and gut infections are all associated with prolonged acid suppression. Use the lowest dose for the shortest time that controls symptoms
• Do not stop a long course abruptly; acid can rebound above where it started and the symptoms can be mistaken for relapse
• Tell your doctor about difficulty swallowing, vomiting blood, black stools or unintended weight loss – acid suppression can mask a serious problem
• Tell your doctor about liver disease, low magnesium, and every other medicine you take – including methotrexate, digoxin, antifungals, HIV medicines and warfarin
• Headache, diarrhoea, nausea, wind and stomach pain can occur and are usually mild

Storage

• Store protected from moisture, at a temperature not exceeding 30°C, as printed on the blister
• Tablet should be swallowed whole; do not crush or chew
• Keep out of reach of children

Disclaimer

Schedule H prescription drug – to be sold by retail on the prescription of a Registered Medical Practitioner only. Acid-suppressing medicines are meant for a defined course, not indefinite self-treatment. This information is for general awareness and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.