Generic Name: Sucralfate for Stomach Ulcer (sucralfate)
Sucralfate for Stomach Ulcer Reviews
Carafate (sucralfate) "This caused extreme anxiety and depression. I had my mental health issues completely controlled over the past several years until I took this medication. I was confused as to how a stomach acid medication would cause me to spiral into that deep, dark place that I crawled out of years ago. The insomnia, shaking (more like a mild whole body tingle or vibration), the suicide idealization. Please, if you have any issues with depression or anxiety, past or present, let your doctor know before taking this medication. It does not affect everyone the same."
Carafate (sucralfate) "Absolutely awful! Even the liquid form of this was garbage. It never took the burn away from my gastritis, and like a user said below, it made me feel very, very full. I would drink water and would feel absolutely ridiculously full. I seriously thought I had some other condition. It also made me feel very lightheaded and short of breath. I felt as if my blood pressure dropped. Avoid."
Carafate (sucralfate) "For roughly a month, I had horrible stomach pain. I have an umbilical hernia and thought it might be a side effect of that, but after laying in bed for the better part of 2 weeks with pain I wouldn't wish on anyone, my husband demanded I go to the ER. After reviewing my CT scan, my family doctor thinks it's an ulcer, although I have not had the camera run down there yet to find out for sure. The ER gave me a Carafe script, and I would say within a couple of days, I was a new person. This drug, along with Pantoprazole, has all but eliminated my pain, heartburn, and reflux!"
Carafate (sucralfate) "Carafate Suspension was prescribed by my doctor because of stomach problems caused by taking pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs for knee injury. Already taking Omeprazole but it was not doing the trick. The Carafate worked great. Really calmed down the acid reflux."
"Works. Dissolve it in about 4 oz of water, don't try to swallow it whole if you can't swallow fast because it starts to fall apart very, very quickly. Think of it like an Alka-Seltzer tablet or other similar dissolving-type medicines. I take mine with these little mini bottled waters. Just plop my doses in, swish the bottles, and chug it. Give that a try if you struggle with swallowing the tablets in time."
Carafate (sucralfate) "Found out I have a stomach ulcer and hiatal hernia. Doctor prescribed me Carafate, and it's day two, and I feel like I am feeling worse. My head is pounding, it hurts so bad. My throat feels dry and slightly swollen, and I feel extremely dizzy and weak. I'm hoping this will wear off, and when I get my swallow test done, it will help reduce my anxiety. I just need to feel better. I am scared to go back to work feeling like this."
Carafate (sucralfate) "Carafate worked miracles. I wasn't able to eat much while on it, but it did stop the pain from my ulcer. I didn't realize it, but it did make me constipated and I was really gassy, which in turn caused pain, but I would rather have gassy pain than the pain from the ulcer."
Carafate (sucralfate) "Carafate worked really well in calming the pain. I didn't have a problem with constipation as I was unable to eat solid food at that point, but after a couple of days of using it, I was actually able to eat for the first time in weeks."
"Like another reviewer, this was given to me as a 'Band-aid' to postpone a badly needed endoscopy, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 crisis. First, this stuff is a major choking hazard, even if pills are split. The instant they hit moist throat tissue, they stick like glue. It is recommended that the tablets be crushed and mixed with water if you have this problem. Second, it must be taken on an empty stomach - no food for at least an hour before and an hour after. The problem with this is my stomach hurts the most when it is empty, and adding sucralfate makes it burn even more. If I need a lot of water to get the sticky thing down, I might belch, and then my entire esophagus burns. I count the minutes until the hour is up so I can have a glass of milk, which makes me feel better... for about 30 minutes. :("
"I was diagnosed with an ulcer. My pain was so bad I literally could not sleep or eat. Eight trips to the ER and finally this great doctor prescribed Carafate. I take the pills. The size and quick dissolve do make it intimidating to take, and the four a day is hard to manage sometimes, however, it stopped my pain. I hope to get off it after my ulcer heals. So, I’m changing up my food and eating smaller meals. I also walk three miles a day, and it also helps manage my reflux and anxiety. I feel it’s a great medicine. The first time I was on it, I got off in a month. My pain returned, but I was also eating bad food. So, with dietary changes, I feel this will facilitate permanent healing. I have no side effects."
Carafate (sucralfate) "I suffer from anxiety and have been having stomach issues for like 8 months. Went to the GI, they wanted to perform an endoscopy, but I'm 9 weeks pregnant, which makes things even worse. I have bad upper stomach pain, really bad burning on stomach and chest. I had to come off my antacid because I'm doing a breath test to test for H. pylori. So my GI prescribed Carafate 1 mg, 4 times a day. Took my first dose at 11 PM, fell asleep around 12:30 AM. Woke up at 2 AM feeling really nauseous, back pain, really bad tummy ache, headache, and this went on for like 4 more hours, and to make things worse, it got me anxious. Calling my doctor today, not happy with the side effects, plus I'm feeling really weak. Don't know if I should keep taking it."
"Dr. prescribed sucralfate for my chronic indigestion, stomach pain, ulcer, and constant bloating. Yes, it's a task to manage taking this RX and scheduling the intake of your meds, but I take my medication either at night or after I wake up. Then wait the hour. Yes, the pill is large, but it dissolves in water. I'm surprised that no instructions on how to take it were given by the pharmacy for some of the people prescribed this med. Yes. Some people may not be able to take this medication, but for the most part, a larger percent of people can. I feel 100% better taking this med."
"I am a week into Sucralfate, not sure if I feel differently in a good way. I’m still getting bad pains and painful bloating to the point where I feel my stomach is going to burst. Not to mention it’s a huge inconvenience to take 3x a day, 1 hour before eating. I have 3 other meds that I have to take at all different times because of Sucralfate, which is super hard because I am not an early bird whatsoever. Every time I take the pill, I immediately feel sick to my stomach, and it makes me not want to eat. 8/10 times I can’t eat after my first dose. I always feel really awful until over an hour later, my body feels fine, yet I don’t see the pill improving my ulcer complications."
"I took the pill (awful to swallow) form for about 2 1/2 months... (per a pharmacist - I dissolved it in about an ounce of cold water, stirred and chugged it, then drank about 8 ounces of cold water). They dissolve in about ten seconds and have a nasty, chalky taste, but it has healed my gastritis, which was extremely painful. It started helping in about a week but took two months altogether to heal. The side effects were nausea, back and neck pain, constipation... lost weight because I was so sick before I started taking it. Good luck, everyone."
Carafate (sucralfate) "This is a great medication for ulcer pain. But there is one major side effect that is intolerable, constipation. After using it for two days, my stool was so hard that it took 2 Fleet water enemas and a mineral oil enema just to get the stool down."
"I’ve been taking this sucralfate pill 4x a day for about a month now for a stomach ulcer. It is definitely a choking hazard, especially for someone like me who can’t take pills very well. It gets stuck in my throat easily, but the best way to get it down, I find, is if you take a sip of water. Hold it in your mouth and tilt your head back. Put your fingers in so the pill aligns right with your throat hole and let it go. It slides down much easier. I haven’t choked on it once since I started doing it this way. Hope this helps someone :)"
"I was prescribed sucralfate due to intolerance to other ulcer medicine. At first, it worked wonders. I took it for 1 week before I had to stop. I take Tylenol/Advil round the clock for pain. I would say about day 3 I started to notice a dull headache about an hour after taking. For the next 4 days, the headaches seemed to get worse. Also, I noticed back/upper torso pain. It was like a tightness burning sensation. I was also very gassy. Burping/Vomiting (vomiting a little bit while burping) was common. I seriously considered going to the ER. Maybe it’s the drug... maybe it’s me?"
"The medication was the WORST, The first dose within an hour I felt better, However doses 2-3-4 made me feel much worse. I could not sleep and had bad insomnia and nausea, The following morning I ended up falling asleep for maybe an hour and I woke up in the most unimaginable pain I have ever felt in my life. My stomach was on fire and I felt so sick, I was shaking the pain was so bad. I took one more dose and realized it was the Carafate. I decided to stop it after only a day, the next day I woke up and felt so nauseas and like my insides where on fire, the nausea eventually subsided by the afternoon, I was still able to eat very little. This morning was much better and way less pain. I know others have posted that it was helpful but was not for me."
"Been taking sucralfate for 2 days now. 10 out of 10. Taking it for an ulcer/gastritis. When I wake up in the morning, the pain is going, but as soon as an hour passes after taking this, I can feel the moment it gets to my problem area. Relief is pretty rapid from there. And I can eat!! Which is awesome. It is a rather large pill, but if you can do an ibuprofen 800, then you can do this one. I didn't find it getting stuck or anything like that, just take a good gulp of water. Doctor said this makes a barrier between your insides and the things you put in there."
"Had H. pylori. Caused a very painful ulcer in my upper abdomen. Took 40 mg of omeprazole a day as prescribed by my doc. Still had pain. Within about two days of using Carafate, I noticed an improvement. Here it is about my 5th week on it, and I really feel it has helped me. I am still on omeprazole too. The only side effects I have noted are a very occasional dizzy feeling that is short-lived, occasional headaches, and constipation only about three times in the last several weeks. I do eat high fiber and try to get several fruits and veggies a day, as well as I have increased my water intake. The schedule of 4x a day - 2-3 hours after a meal and 1 hour before a meal has taken some getting used to, but it is totally worth it. I hope to be able to stop soon."
"MAJOR CHOKING HAZARD! I've been taking the pill version instead of the liquid for a few months. I literally almost died twice from choking on this pill. What they don't tell you is that as soon as you put the pill in your mouth and it hits moisture, it swells. Put it in water and watch. Because there's no coating, it's hard to get down. This leads to choking until it starts to dissolve. DO NOT take this while you're alone! Other than that, it works well, lol. Dissolve it in a cup of warm water, then chug it. I wouldn't split it in half because it's more likely to get stuck because of the sharp corners."
"I am a 19-year-old, and I have had an ulcer since May of 2018. I took sucralfate off and on for probably about 5 months now. I took the liquid for about 2 months. For me, I had a lot of issues with the liquid. I couldn’t handle the taste and the powder feeling of it. I also barely had time to eat, considering I had to take it 4 times a day and couldn’t eat for 2-3 hours before and 1 hour after. I’ve recently started taking the pill form 2 times a day, and it’s helping a little more. I have had an upset stomach all the time while taking both medications, but with the liquid form, I felt dizzy way more often. So far, with the pill form, I have had more of an appetite, and I have been eating bigger portions. I’m really hoping this pill form helps more with my stomach pain from my ulcer. Personally, I would go with the pill form rather than the liquid."
"I tore ligaments in my ankle and was taking Motrin for about 6 weeks. I developed ulcers in my stomach. I couldn't eat and was severely nauseated for days. After a 10 lb weight loss, I decided to go to the ER. Carafate was prescribed, and after the 3rd dose, I felt so much better. I get a really dry mouth because of the Carafate, no constipation though."
"I think it’s important to share positive experiences rather than just the negative experiences on here. I took a round of prednisone for 3 days that gave me an ulcer. I was in constant pain and constant heartburn and reflux no matter what I ate (even just water). I was on 80 mg of Prilosec which wasn’t working at all. My doctor finally decided to try me on Sucralfate. I read that it can take 2 weeks for it to take full effect. It started to help a little bit almost immediately, but it took about 10 days for it to work entirely. I now have no pain. I cannot be more grateful for this drug. The only small annoyance is how you have to take it 30 minutes after Prilosec and then you can’t eat for an hour after taking the medication. I also experienced no side effects, and I am one of those people who always gets side effects from medication. I think it’s worth a try to at least see if it helps you!"
Carafate (sucralfate) "Sucralfate was prescribed for my stomach ulcer! I took it (1 go) 4 times a day! The first pill taken almost choked me to death! You should split the pill and in a small cup add a small amount of warm water, dissolve the pill, add a small amount more of water, and swallow it. It doesn’t taste bad! After 4 treatments, during the night, my lower back pain and thigh muscles were excruciating!"
More about sucralfate
- Check interactions
- Compare alternatives
- Pricing & coupons
- Reviews (236)
- Drug images
- Latest FDA alerts (1)
- Side effects
- Dosage information
- Patient tips
- During pregnancy
- Support group
- Drug class: miscellaneous GI agents
- Breastfeeding
- En español
Patient resources
- Sucralfate drug information
- Sucralfate Tablets
- Sucralfate Oral Suspension
Other brands
Carafate
Professional resources
- Sucralfate monograph
- Sucralfate (FDA)
- Sucralfate Suspension (FDA)
- Sucralfate Tablet (FDA)
Other brands
Carafate
Related treatment guides
- GERD
- Duodenal Ulcer
- Hyperphosphatemia of Renal Failure
- Duodenal Ulcer Prophylaxis
