When should Antra® not be taken or only taken with caution? | Antra®

When should Antra® not be taken or only taken with caution?

Antra® is considered a very well tolerated preparation. However, Antra® must not be taken if you are allergic to omeprazole or other components of the preparation. If you are also suffering from HIV, Antra® must not be used together with the preparation Atazanavir, which prevents the progression of the HIV disease.

Even if you have a concomitant liver disease with a restriction of liver function, Antra® should be taken with caution and high doses should be avoided. The same applies to kidney diseases. The reason for this is the conversion and detoxification of the body of Antra® by the liver and the excretion of metabolic products by the kidneys.

If one of these organs only functions to a limited extent, Antra® can no longer be broken down and, under certain circumstances, symptoms of poisoning can occur due to the accumulation of high doses of the breakdown products, which can further damage the liver and kidneys. As with most other medicines, special conditions apply to pregnancy for Antra®. Since heartburn is often inevitable during pregnancy, acid protection is often necessary.

However, natural remedies such as teas etc. should be given preference, even if protonone pump inhibitors could effectively eliminate the problem. Should medication still be necessary, proton pump inhibitors should only be given on the doctor’s orders, as undesirable effects on the unborn child are possible.

Interactions

The breakdown of Antra® in the liver can lead to interactions with other drugs. If you are taking other medications, it is strongly recommended that you consult your doctor before taking them and avoid taking them on your own if possible. With some medications to suppress the immune system (=immunosuppressants), e.g. after organ transplants, blood tests must be carried out to ensure that there is enough active substance in the bloodstream of the affected person.

Another reason for problems with other drugs is the altered acidity of the stomach. Drugs such as ketoconazole and itrooconazole for fungal diseases need this extremely acidic pH value of the stomach and they may not be effective when taking Antra®. The drug digoxin for heart disease is also altered by the acidity and the level of digoxin in the blood increases. Since even slight variations in the level of this drug can have dangerous consequences such as cardiac arrhythmia, very careful monitoring is necessary.