Pepcid
Meaning of Pepcid: Pepcid is the brand name for famotidine, a medication that reduces stomach acid production to treat heartburn and ulcers.
Definition of Pepcid
Pepcid is a brand name for famotidine, a medication belonging to a class of drugs called H2 blockers, or histamine-2 receptor antagonists. It works by blocking histamine from acting on receptors in the stomach lining that would otherwise stimulate acid secretion, reducing the amount of acid the stomach produces.
Pepcid is used to relieve heartburn and other symptoms of acid reflux, to treat and help prevent stomach and duodenal ulcers, and to manage conditions in which the stomach produces excessive acid. It is available both by prescription and in lower dose forms sold without one.
Because Pepcid reduces acid production rather than neutralizing acid that is already present, its effect generally takes longer to begin than that of an antacid but tends to last considerably longer once it takes hold.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
Pepcid was recommended to help manage the patient's recurrent heartburn.
Good to know
Pepcid reduces acid production over time, unlike an antacid, which neutralizes acid already present, a distinction that affects how quickly each provides relief.