Heartburn & acid reflux
pantoprazole
One of the most-used stomach medicines, yet only about 1 in 4 people in its studies were women.
- 26.8%
of the people in the studies were women
- 68%
of studies did not allow pregnant women
- 2%
looked at results for women separately
Was someone like me tested?
Choose the group that fits you.
Not one of these studies reported results separately for any of the groups below.
Pregnant women
68% of studies would not let pregnant women join, and we found no study that tested this medicine in pregnancy.
What do we know?
What the FDA drug label says
Studies that followed women who took it while pregnant found no link to birth defects. Animal studies showed bone changes in babies, so the label still warns of possible harm.
Good to know
Long-term use of this type of medicine is linked to weaker bones and fractures. Women past menopause already have a higher fracture risk.
What women report more
Compared with men taking the same medicine.
- 2.6×Physical symptoms with no clear cause
- 2.2×Eye problems
- 2.1×Ear problems
- 2.1×Changes to the front of the eye
How many times more often women reported each problem than men taking the same medicine, based on reports to the FDA. This is a warning sign, not proof the medicine caused it.
Make it about you
Check it against your medicines
Check pantoprazole against the medicines, pregnancy and birth control in your profile.
Join to checkAll the details
Every number behind this page.
Who was in the studies
36,659 people in 41 studies
Race
- White54.9%
- Hispanic / Latina16.8%
- Asian15%
- Other1.8%
- Black / African American1%
Studies didn't say how many of the women were Black, Asian or another race — only totals for everyone.
- Hispanic or Latina
- 5.7%
- Age 65 or older
- 20.6%
- Studies with men only
- 1
- Studies with women only
- 0
Rules that kept women out
Share of studies with each rule.
- 68%
No pregnant women
Women who were pregnant could not join.
See the exact rule
“…ion less than or equal to 1 year prior to informed consent) who: are nursing or pregnant, or are of child bearing potential and are not practicing an acceptable method of birth control, or do not plan to continue using this method throughou…” NCT01493557
- 37%
Age limit under 65
Older women were turned away, even though they often take this medicine.
See the exact rule
“Maximum age: 11 Months.” NCT00365300
- 29%
No breastfeeding moms
Women who were breastfeeding could not join.
See the exact rule
“Pregnant or lactating women” NCT02159976
- 20%
No diabetes
Women with diabetes were turned away.
See the exact rule
“…alcohol consumption (past 2 years), drug addiction, or serious gastrointestinal, renal, hepatic or cardiovascular, disease, tuberculosis, epilepsy, asthma (past 5 years), diabetes, psychosis or glaucoma will not be eligible for this study.” NCT00835588
- 17%
Weight limit (BMI)
Women with a higher (or lower) body weight were turned away.
See the exact rule
“All subjects selected for this study will be non-smokers at least 18 years of age. Subjects will have a BMI(Body Mass Index) of 30 or less.” NCT00835588
- 17%
No heart disease
Women with heart disease, heart rhythm problems or a past heart attack were turned away.
See the exact rule
“Severe heart failure with known ejection fraction \<30% or New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III or IV symptoms” NCT01776424
What nobody checked
Share of studies that recorded each thing.
- 2%Results shown separately for women
- 0%Whether anyone was pregnant
- 0%Whether women were past menopause
- 17%Body weight (BMI)
- 10%Hispanic / Latina or not
- 27%Race
All 41 studies
Study titles and rules are shown in their original English.