Precautions
Warnings
- Patients with kidney disease or diabetes may not be able to take Carafate. ...
- If you have diabetes, your healthcare provider will monitor you for episodes of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) that can happen when you are taking Carafate.
- Carafate can affect how your body absorbs certain medications. ...
How long should I take Carafate?
teaspoonfuls) four times per day. CARAFATE should be administered on an empty stomach. Antacids may be prescribed as needed for relief of pain but should not be taken within one-half hour before or after sucralfate. While healing with sucralfate may occur during the first week or two, treatment should be continued for
When should Carafate be administered?
Over-the-counter. 1 of 7 alternatives. Heals ulcers in the intestines. Carafate (sucralfate) has few side-effects, but is more expensive than other medicines used to treat ulcers. Relieves heartburn. Tums (Calcium carbonate) gives quick relief for heartburn, but does not last all day. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other medicines if ...
Is there an over the counter alternative to Carafate?
Usually, your healthcare provider will tell you to take Carafate:
- By mouth, either as a pill or liquid
- At the same time every day
- On an empty stomach, either one hour before eating or two hours after eating
How to take Carafate properly?
How many hours apart should Carafate be taken?
Most medications need to be taken at least 2 hours apart from sucralfate (Carafate).
Can I drink water before taking sucralfate?
Take this medicine by mouth with a glass of water. Follow the directions on the prescription label. This medicine works best if you take it on an empty stomach, 1 hour before meals.
How long after taking sucralfate can I eat?
If you are taking sucralfate to prevent an ulcer from returning after it has healed), the tablets usually are taken twice a day. Take sucralfate on an empty stomach, 2 hours after or 1 hour before meals.
What happens if you take sucralfate with food?
Stomach and bowel disease—Sucralfate may bind with other foods and drugs which may cause blockage of the stomach and bowels.
How do I coat my stomach before medication?
Crackers, rice, bread, peanut butter, and other neutral foods do a good job coating your stomach and prompting digestion, which helps your body to metabolize your medication efficiently.
Can I drink coffee after taking sucralfate?
Avoid foods and drinks that may upset your stomach such as alcohol, citrus fruits and juices, drinks containing caffeine, tomatoes, or spicy food - as these may delay healing of the stomach/duodenal ulcers.
Do I have to eat after taking Carafate?
How to use Carafate oral. Take this medicine by mouth, usually 2 to 4 times daily, on an empty stomach at least 1 hour before a meal, or as directed by your doctor. The dosage is based on your medical condition and response to therapy. Use this medication regularly in order to get the most benefit from it.
Can I take sucralfate every 4 hours?
The usual dosage for ulcer treatment is four times daily on an empty stomach (at least an hour before food and at bedtime). Take as directed by your doctor. Continue for the duration recommended or until x-ray or endoscopic exam confirms ulcer healing.
Can you take sucralfate at bedtime?
To reduce the risk of recurrence of duodenal ulcers, the recommended dose is one 1 g tablet before breakfast and one at bedtime (for up to 12 months). When necessary for relief of pain, antacids may be added to the treatment. However, they should not be taken within two hours before or after taking sucralfate.
Should I avoid certain foods while taking sucralfate?
The ulcer drug sucralfate (Carafate) does not interact with any food, but it can interfere with the way certain other drugs are absorbed. That can change the effectiveness of those other drugs.
How do you take sucralfate 2 times a day?
Adults—One gram (g) two times a day, taken on an empty stomach. Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
What should you avoid when taking sucralfate?
Some antacids can make it harder for sucralfate to work in your stomach. Avoid taking an antacid within 30 minutes before or after taking sucralfate.
Before Taking This Medicine
You should not use Carafate if you are allergic to sucralfate.To make sure Carafate is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have: 1. diabetes; 2....
How Should I Take Carafate?
Take Carafate exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not take this medicine in larger or smalle...
What Happens If I Miss A Dose?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember, but avoid taking any other medications within 2 hours before or after you take Carafate. Skip the mis...
What Other Drugs Will Affect Carafate?
Carafate can make it harder for your body to absorb other medications you take by mouth. Avoid taking any other medications within 2 hours before o...
How often should I take carafate?
When prescribed for an active stomach ulcer, the pills or liquid dose are usually taken several times a day. In order for the medication to work, you need to take Carafate exactly as your doctor prescribes it for you.
What is the mechanism of action of carafate?
Mechanism of Action. Carafate is a type of medication called protectants. These medications adhere to tissue in the lining of the stomach or small intestine that have been damaged and protect them from digestive acid and enzymes while they heal. Protectants do not get absorbed by the body as other medications do.
What is sucralfate used for?
Sucralfate, also called Carafate, is a prescription medication used to treat duodenal ulcers, which form in the first part of the small intestine. Duodenal ulcers are a type of peptic ulcer. This type of ulcer forms when the lining of the stomach or small intestine gets worn down by the acids that are produced to aid in digestion.
Is carafate a Category B drug?
Make sure to tell your doctor about any medications you take, even if they are over-the-counter, nutritional, or herbal supplements. Carafate is categorized as a Category B drug. This means that based on available research, the American College of Gastroenterology considers the drug safe to take if you are pregnant.
Does carafate help with ulcers?
Carafate is prescribed to treat active ulcers, but the medication doesn't prevent new ulcers from forming. A doctor may also prescribe additional medications, such as antibiotics, for patients who are at risk of developing additional ulcers.
Can carafate cause constipation?
Carafate can cause minor side effects , though they are rarely serious enough for patients to stop taking the drug. The most common side effect is constipation, which occurs in about 2 percent of patients .
Can you take Carafate with Warfarin?
Make sure you tell your doctor about any medication you take before you start Carafate. If you are taking certain medications, like antacids, antibiotics, or drugs that thin your blood (warfarin), your doctor may tell you to take less or stop taking them while you are taking Carafate.
How to report sucralfate side effects in Canada?
In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345. Precautions. Before taking sucralfate, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or if you have any other allergies.
How long does sucralfate last?
Inform your doctor if your condition persists or worsens after you have been taking sucralfate for 4 weeks. Side Effects. Constipation, dry mouth, upset stomach, gas, and nausea may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
What is sucralfate used for?
This medication is used to treat and prevent ulcers in the intestines. Sucralfate forms a coating over ulcers, protecting the area from further injury. This helps ulcers heal more quickly.
Can elderly people take sucralfate?
This medication contains aluminum, which is normally removed by your kidneys. Therefore, elderly people may be at greater risk for developing high aluminum levels while using this drug with other products that contain aluminum (e.g., antacids). If you are pregnant, tell your doctor before using sucralfate.
Can you take sucralfate while pregnant?
If you are pregnant, tell your doctor before using sucralfate. It is not known if this medication passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding. Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects.
Frequently asked questions
Can you buy something like carafate over the counter without a prescription?
Further information
Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.
How to report carafate side effects?
These are not all the possible side effects of Carafate. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What are the side effects of carafate?
The most common side effects of Carafate include: constipation, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, upset stomach,
How is sucralfate absorbed?
Sucralfate is only minimally absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. The small amounts of the sulfated disaccharide that are absorbed are excreted primarily in the urine. Although the mechanism of sucralfate's ability to accelerate healing of duodenal ulcers remains to be fully defined, it is known that it exerts its effect through a local, rather than systemic, action. The following observations also appear pertinent: 1 Studies in human subjects and with animal models of ulcer disease have shown that sucralfate forms an ulcer-adherent complex with proteinaceous exudate at the ulcer site. 2 In vitro, a sucralfate- albumin film provides a barrier to diffusion of hydrogen ions. 3 In human subjects, sucralfate given in doses recommended for ulcer therapy inhibits pepsin activity in gastric juice by 32%.
Does sucralfate help with duodenal ulcers?
While short-term treatment with sucralfate can result in complete healing of the ulcer, a successful course of treatment with sucralfate should not be expected to alter the post healing frequency or severity of duodenal ulceration. Episodes of hyperglycemia have been reported in diabetic patients.
Is carafate safe for children?
Carafate belongs to a class of drugs called Gastrointestinal Agents, Other. It is not known if Carafate is safe and effective in children.
Does sucralfate reduce absorption?
Some studies have shown that simultaneous sucralfate administration in healthy volunteers reduced the extent of absorption (bioavailability) of single doses of the following: cimetidine, digoxin , fluoroquinolone antibiotics, ketoconazole, l- thyroxine, phenytoin, quinidine, ranitidine, tetracycline, and theophylline.
Can sucralfate be overdosed?
Due to limited experience in humans with overdosage of sucralfate, no specific treatment recommendations can be given. Acute oral studies in animals, however, using doses up to 12 g/kg body weight, could not find a lethal dose. Sucralfate is only minimally absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Risks associated with acute overdosage should, therefore, be minimal. In rare reports describing sucralfate overdose, most patients remained asymptomatic. Those few reports where adverse events were described included symptoms of dyspepsia, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.
How to report sucralfate side effects in Canada?
In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345. Precautions. Before taking sucralfate, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or if you have any other allergies.
How long does sucralfate last?
Inform your doctor if your condition persists or worsens after you have been taking sucralfate for 4 weeks. Side Effects. Constipation, dry mouth, upset stomach, gas, and nausea may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
Can you take sucralfate while pregnant?
If you are pregnant, tell your doctor before using sucralfate. It is not known if this medication passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding. Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects.
How long before sucralfate should I take antacids?
CARAFATE Suspension should be administered on an empty stomach 1. Antacids may be prescribed as needed for relief of pain but should not be taken within one-half hour before or after sucralfate 1.
Does CARAFATE Suspension accelerate healing?
Although the mechanism of CARAFATE Suspension’s ability to accelerate healing of duodenal ulcer is not fully defined, it is thought that antiulcer activity is the result of formation of an ulcer-adherent complex that covers the ulcer site 1.
Pregnancy & Lactation
Lactation: Probably safe because drug is minimally absorbed; unknown whether drug is excreted in breast milk
Pharmacology
Forms ulcer-adherent complex; protects ulcer from acid, pepsin, and bile salts, thus allowing it to heal
Patient Handout
USES: This medication is used to treat ulcers in the intestines. Sucralfate forms a coating over ulcers, protecting the area from further injury. This helps ulcers heal more quickly.
Formulary
Adding plans allows you to compare formulary status to other drugs in the same class.
Does sucralfate cause bezoars?
Cases of hyperglycemia have been reported with sucralfate. Bezoars have been reported in patients treated with sucralfate. The majority of patients had underlying medical conditions that may predispose to bezoar formation (such as delayed gastric emptying) or were receiving concomitant enteral tube feedings.
Is sucralfate excreted in milk?
It is not known whether this drug is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, caution should be exercised when sucralfate is administered to a nursing woman.
Does sucralfate adsorb bile salts?
In vitro , sucralfate adsorbs bile salts. These observations suggest that sucralfate’s antiulcer activity is the result of formation of an ulcer- adherent complex that covers the ulcer site and protects it against further attack by acid, pepsin, and bile salts.
Does sucralfate reduce absorption?
Some studies have shown that simultaneous sucralfate administration in healthy volunteers reduced the extent of absorption (bioavailability) of single doses of the following: cimetidine, digoxin, fluoroquinolone antibiotics, ketoconazole, l-thyroxine, phenytoin, quinidine, ranitidine, tetracycline, and theophylline.
Does sucralfate cause aluminum in urine?
When sucralfate is administered orally, small amounts of aluminum are absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Concomitant use of sucralfate with other products that contain aluminum, such as aluminum-containing antacids, may increase the total body burden of aluminum. Patients with normal renal function receiving the recommended doses of sucralfate and aluminum- containing products adequately excrete aluminum in the urine. Patients with chronic renal failure or those receiving dialysis have impaired excretion of absorbed aluminum. In addition, aluminum does not cross dialysis membranes because it is bound to albumin and transferrin plasma proteins. Aluminum accumulation and toxicity (aluminum osteodystrophy, osteomalacia, encephalopathy) have been described in patients with renal impairment. Sucralfate should be used with caution in patients with chronic renal failure.
Can sucralfate be overdosed?
Due to limited experience in humans with overdosage of sucralfate, no specific treatment recommendations can be given. Acute oral studies in animals, however, using doses up to 12 g/kg body weight, could not find a lethal dose. Sucralfate is only minimally absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Risks associated with acute overdosage should, therefore, be minimal. In rare reports describing sucralfate overdose, most patients remained asymptomatic. Those few reports where adverse events were described included symptoms of dyspepsia, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.
Does sucralfate form an ulcer-adherent complex?
1. Studies in human subjects and with animal models of ulcer disease have shown that sucralfate forms an ulcer-adherent complex with proteinaceous exudate at the ulcer site. 2. In vitro, a sucralfate-albumin film provides a barrier to diffusion of hydrogen ions. 3.