Can Famotidine, a heartburn medicine have an off label use for COVID-19 treatment?

How Covid-19 Is Affecting Australia?

Australians are feeling the uncertainty of Covid-19 and are looking for ways to cure or fight the virus. Many are in a panic, the virus keeps spreading as our wallets get thin due to financial hardship. Some of us have loved ones who are elderly or immunocompromised and worry for their safety. In the search for a way to keep them safe and do so on a budget, social media claims of miracle cures that are cost effective and can treat Covid-19. People go out and stock up on more drugs than they can even take before it is even determined if they work or not. The country has changed quickly since this virus began, we must do our research and due diligence before we jump on the bandwagon and panic buy drugs. One new treatment people are claiming might work is Famotidine, commonly known as Pepcid. It is a medicine that typically treats those who have gastric reflux disease. It was announced in early April that scientists were doing a clinical trial using Famotidine (Brand name: Pepcid), and people began buying the medicine in droves before it was even determined to work.

Famotidine

Famotidine is a heartburn medicine in Australia, so it sounds odd it would be used to battle Covid-19, but some doctors say some medicines can do more than what they were originally designed for. There is some evidence showing that Famotidine may actually help (not cure) the virus. In Wuhan, China, where the virus originated, many survivors were reported to have taken Pepcid and survived. The Chinese haven’t fully released any numbers, but it was enough for other countries to look into the use. A Florida based agency is currently testing Famotidine  as a treatment. It is believed that it can block the Coronavirus from replicating.The test is giving the patients Famotidine intravenously, rather than orally, the way it is taken over the counter. Because the drug is still being tested, it is recommended not to buy it because it can be determined ineffective.

What research shows

Because it is no yet proven to work, please do not stock up on Famotidine. It can be bought in local drugstores without a prescription so there is a danger of the public panic buying and clearing out store inventories of the drug. If people stockpile the drug, it can affect those who suffer from gastric reflux disease and actually need it. Those who do need it, if deprived, may suffer worse symptoms from Covid-19 and would only make the situation worse. It is also shown that those who panic buy these medicines can tend to take large doses of medication believing it to ward off the virus. The medical field does not yet know what adverse effects taking mass doses of Famotidine can do so please be wary and don’t take it if you do not already need it.

Media hysteria

These are scary times we live in, no one knows for sure what the future holds. We are all scared, we are all trying to cope and brace ourselves for the worst case scenario. We want to believe a miracle drug can help us fight or ward off the Covid-19 virus that is sweeping across our country. Unfortunately no drug yet exists. Today people state Famotidine can cure the virus, tomorrow they may state another drug. We need to come together as a country and keep this misinformation from spreading. Across social media cures are being thrown around left and right and the masses believe what they see. We need to band together and prevent false information from being spread. Though we are all stuck at home, we must still come together as a society.

Everyone can make a difference

We are all in this together, through perseverance we can come out on top of this. Today you can do your part, if you hear someone stating Pepcid is a miracle drug, you can help stop the misinformation and keep it from spreading. Keep in mind that the Coronavirus situation is always changing. At the time of this article, Famotidine hasn’t yet been proven to be a cure for the virus. Keep up to date through media outlets as the situation evolves and make sure to do your research on any claims you see or hear.

Pepcid review

I take Famotidine for me because I can only eat a little bit I believe the acid in my stomach makes heartburn and I burp up liquid sometimes and Famotidine helps me alot I am comfortable

Peter K.

John Rogers

I have been working in General Practice since 2006.