Famotidine and Anxiety: What Users Say

• Cai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 20, 2020

For GERD "So this drug is the worst! I DO NOT recommend it. The second I take it, I notice issues swallowing, excessive mucus, and difficulty breathing to the point that I’ve been to the ER twice! I’m just glad I noticed it was from this as doctors do not realize over-the-counter drugs can cause severe side effects. Other fun side effects listed under “rare” that I had are: chills, anxiety, trouble sleeping, hallucinations, irritability, restlessness, dizziness, weakness. This should be taken off the market, especially as an over-the-counter drug."

• Deb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 23, 2020

For GERD "This famotidine is the worst medication I have ever taken. I feel so much worse taking this medication than not. Headaches, chest tightening, and anxiety I have never experienced. I will never use this stuff ever again. The side effects are too much to bear. I felt so alone before I read the other reviews."

• Chr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 11, 2021

For GERD "Took Pepcid Max Strength for two months due to really bad heartburn and inflammation of the stomach. I want to tell people this is the worst medication. I’ve been through 8 months of sheer hell after stopping and am still recovering. I’ve had to be put on mood stabilizers. Didn’t sleep for nearly a week straight, anxiety, derealization, intrusive thoughts, and impending doom with panic. Please don’t ever take this medication, it is pure awfulness in a pill."

• Nat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 12, 2021

For Laryngopharyngeal Reflux "ENT doctor prescribed Famotidine on 2/12/21. I feel horrible, cannot eat, feel like I’m having a heart attack, had a panic attack. Chest tightness, headache, anxiety. I feel worse. This medication needs to be off the market! Going the alternative medicine route, new breed of doctors are pharmaceutical drug pushers. Doctors only treat symptoms, but never the cause. A doctor is more interested in keeping you sick than curing you. This way, you keep coming back for more treatments."

• Med...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 16, 2020

For GERD "Took this medicine for GERD. After 1 week, I started getting constipation, anxiety, heart palpitations, and muscle weakness, dizziness, and nausea. I felt bloated all the time and I couldn’t eat. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone."

• TD ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 28, 2023

For GERD "Started taking this medication about a month ago on and off to help with acid reflux. I started having insomnia, headaches, and numbness in my extremities. About two weeks in, I had horrible anxiety, panic attacks, upset stomach, and ringing in my ears. Then about a week ago, I took two in one day due to horrible stomach cramping. My life went to complete hell. That night, the burning in my face and arms and legs started along with the worst anxiety and panic attacks I have ever had. I have not been able to get a full night's sleep in over a week. I had every symptom imaginable. I have been to the ER three times. Heart racing, blood pressure extremely high. I truly think that I am going to die. This poison should never be on the market. I am waiting for the symptoms to dissipate. If anyone can offer any advice on how long it takes for this to get out of my system, I would greatly appreciate it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 21, 2021

For GERD "Had to call 111. Had terrible anxiety, panic attacks, etc. Felt worse than I have ever felt in my life. Felt like I was dying. My head was all over the place, had no energy, couldn't concentrate. My doctor gave me Diazepam to help with panic attacks. I came off the Famotidine and after 3 days of torture, I am starting to feel a little better. This medication should be withdrawn as soon as possible to stop anyone else going through the same drama!"

• Mid...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 4, 2020

For Laryngopharyngeal Reflux "This drug famotidine is horrible! I’ve tried most PPIs and H2 blockers with minimal success. The only thing that worked for my chronic throat clearing was Zantac. I was devastated when they pulled it. I thought famotidine would be a good replacement. I couldn’t have been more wrong. After 4 months of taking this drug, I developed horrible stomach pain with diarrhea. I was ready to call my GI doctor because I thought something was terribly wrong. Along with that, I was extremely agitated and anxious and could not sleep. I had to get a benzo from my primary to help with the agitation and anxiety. I started reading sites like this and stopped this horrible drug. I feel so much better and no longer feel like I’m going crazy."

• Jca...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 24, 2020

For GERD "I'd rather just have the heartburn than take famotidine. Half the side effects this med can cause that you see on this site, I got them! This medication made me weak, caused me muscle pain, gave me headaches, and worsened my anxiety. My doctor is very good, but I'm disappointed he gave me this. I'll stick to Tums or something. Famo is a mess. Does more harm than good."

• Jca...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 24, 2020

For GERD "I'd rather just have the heartburn than take famotidine. Half the side effects this med can cause that you see on this site, I got them! This medication made me weak, caused me muscle pain, gave me headaches, and worsened my anxiety. My doctor is very good, but I'm disappointed he gave me this. I'll stick to Tums or something. Famo is a mess. Does more harm than good."

• Jay...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 17, 2021

For GERD "I have laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) symptoms, and this drug truly helps all the symptoms every time I take it, which is why I’m a bit disappointed that I don’t plan to take it anymore. The side effects it causes me are horrible, it’s honestly worse than the reflux itself! I get extreme anxiety, rapid heart rate, and the cherry on top, muscle spasms. I have nighttime reflux, so I used to take these at night, and one night I took one and I couldn’t sleep all night. I got anxiety from it, and I would have these muscle spasms that felt like earthquakes. 10/10 for relieving acid-reflux symptoms, 0/10 for its side effects. It could be different for everyone, so if you have no side effects, bravo. But look out for those extreme side effects because I felt like I was going to die due to the anxiety and muscle spasms it gave me."

• Tma...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 14, 2020

For Indigestion "The most awful drug I ever taken. I started it 1 week ago. I feel like I'm having the flu, a lot of diarrhea, can't breathe. I feel like I'm going to pass out, a lot of anxiety attacks. I don't recommend this to anybody."

• Cra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 18, 2021

For GERD "Took famotidine 20 mg/day for a few weeks back in September 2020. Had the worst side effects: shooting pains in head, racing heart, chest pains, head pressure, burning skin on my arms, muscle spasms on my stomach and collarbone, stiff neck, stiff lower back, stomach issues, GI issues, fatigue. I had the worst feeling of anxiety coming from my stomach. I never knew what anxiety was until I had this experience. I never had problems sleeping before this. It felt like I was poisoned. Took me a week to realize it was the famotidine. I stopped it immediately. Some of the side effects gradually went away. I took magnesium and started B12 supplementation. Took Zantac for years and never had any issues. Many people I spoke with said their side effects went away after 3-4 months. However, I am still dealing with many side effects a year later. If there is anyone who has any insight into this/recommend a doctor who has helped them through this, I would greatly appreciate any help."

• Edd...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 16, 2021

For GERD "PPI gave me panic attacks, all of them, so I took this pathetic medicine, famotidine, for almost 2 months daily. Initially, I felt bloated, burping 24/7; burning in lower abdomen and very foul-smelling flatus. I never had constipation, but after starting famotidine, I was badly constipated. Then it affected my mind gradually; anxiety kicked in; insomnia with twitching of thigh muscles; I was anxious 24/7 with depressive and suicidal thoughts, as if life is all sad and dark, panic attacks as if I am having a heart attack and it's all over. One day, I skipped this med, and that day, I felt better and realized it was famotidine! So I stopped it and realized that my insomnia got better and my twitching of muscles stopped. Anxiety gradually lowered... my personal experience: both PPI and famotidine suck."

• ste...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 13, 2023

For Peptic Ulcer "I have been through hell with this drug! After many years of taking this off and on, I finally realized that I was not crazy and was having side effects from this drug. I had gone to a psychiatrist and prescribed anti-anxiety meds, antidepressants, and eventually antipsychotics. I finally realized that it was only when I took this 'benign' drug. I had horrible anxiety and woke up constantly panicked. My resting heart rate increased by 30 beats per minute. If I got stressed or something startled me, my heart would pound with such force that I thought I would have a heart attack. I constantly felt like something was horribly wrong. I guess they call it the 'feeling of impending doom.' I would become so depressed that I just didn't see any reason to exist. And don't get me started on how terrible it was to be on the psych med roller coaster. I also had a difficult time digesting anything and a constant pit in my stomach and chest. It is a terrible drug! I take no meds now!"

• Anonymous
• September 20, 2022

For GERD "Pepcid is literally the spawn of Satan. I was prescribed Pepcid twice a day every day for acid reflux/sour mouth. I never felt WORSE in the following categories: one-sided headache/migraines, dizzy, weak, fatigued, depressed, anxious, panicked, crying episodes, joint pain, constipation, swallowing difficulties, chest pain, heart palpitations. I want to emphasize that I NEVER experienced such bad headaches, dizziness, weakness, and joint pain prior to taking Pepcid. I SOMETIMES experience crying episodes, constipation, and depression before/during my menstrual cycles. I took Pepcid even when I wasn't on my period, and I've ruled out those symptoms. The side effects were so bad to the point that I called out at my NEW job, and I really don't want to call out sick. It also does NOT help that I took Pepcid while on Lexapro. As for my acid reflux, there are no improvements in my sour mouth, but I'm not sure if I've been taking it for long enough. DO NOT TAKE THIS PILL!!!!!"

• Cor...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 22, 2021

For GERD "Stay away from this drug and let me tell you about my experience. I’ve suffered from acid reflux for a number of years. I went to a doctor and was prescribed this medication once daily. I was on it for roughly two years and never felt worse. Although it did help with my GERD, it ruined me in other ways. I had insomnia, anxiety, weight loss, etc. I could not put my finger on why I felt so lousy until I started to narrow down what could be going on. I then realized that the only medication that I was on was famotidine, so I decided to do my homework. After reading other horror story reviews about this drug, I decided to stop taking it and see if this was the cause of why I felt so crappy. Sure enough, it was the root cause. Shortly after going off of the famotidine, my anxiety was gone, I was sleeping soundly again, and I have put on 10 lbs in just two months. I have now been off of the famotidine for six months, and I’ve never felt better."

• Bri...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 8, 2023

For GERD "Was prescribed 40 mg daily, only took it as needed over the course of several years without much issue. Started to develop horrible anxiety in February 2023, which progressed into a whole suite of other symptoms as well, and none of these were ever things I struggled with before. I never really understood intense anxiety until this: significant loss of appetite (I dropped 20 pounds), heart palpitations, chest pain, sleep disruptions and stress dreams, tremors, difficulty thermoregulating, feeling cold, cold hands/feet, headaches, fatigue, depression, and others. I continued to take it for several weeks without pinpointing it as the cause of these issues. I stopped taking it in March, and I'm still experiencing some of these, although not as frequently or as intensely. I hope that I can make a full recovery like many others have written they did. In May 2023 I am still experiencing some anxiety and depression, cold hands/feet, and some lesser chest pain/palpitations. This drug is awful."

• Daw...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 11, 2022

For Laryngopharyngeal Reflux "I am in the U.K. Chronic insomnia, indigestion-like pain in the upper right-hand side rib area, muscle pains the day after, and feelings of anxiety. These symptoms began after taking only 3 tablets. Not for me!"

• don...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 20, 2022

For GERD "Shortly after starting this drug for GERD, I developed fascia pain superficial to my muscles. I did not make the correlation to the drug. For the span of a year, the pain progressed to severe muscle cramping, joint and bone pain, stomach cramping, anxiety (related to symptoms), insomnia. After 2 emergency visits, 2 urgent care visits, 3 MRIs, EMG testing, neuro, GI, extensive physical therapy, and several visits to my doctor, a different practitioner said it was the famotidine causing malabsorption. I went off the drug and asked for a bone density scan. The result was osteoporosis, and a dentist appointment showed bone loss to my teeth not there 6 months prior. Additionally, I run a fitness business and should not have developed osteoporosis. Doctors denied that it was the drug that caused bone loss and said one year is not long-term use, despite the warning to not take the drug for longer than 2 weeks. Systemic pain dissipated upon ceasing the medication, bone damage permanent."

• Ree...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 12, 2022

For GERD "Best used very short term, I'm talking about a week MAX. This stuff loses efficacy very quickly, and after that point, the side effects will take over. In one month of on-and-off use, this drug has given me anxiety and irregular heartbeat and stopped working for treating acid reflux/esophagitis. Get off of it while you still can because this will make you very ill in the long run."

• Lad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 11, 2022

For GERD "After about a week on famotidine, I didn't really notice where it was helping me with the heartburn that I had. I had to supplement the famotidine with over-the-counter antacids like Pepto-Bismol or a bicarbonate tablet. But I would say about five or six days into taking famotidine, I started to have palpitations and feelings of discomfort in my chest, and then with that came feelings of anxiety and other symptoms like my muscles hurting, sides, and my back hurting, feeling like my kidneys are hurting, just all. I started to have slight headaches for no reason, and I drink a lot of water per day. I do not recommend H2 blockers and PPIs because just tweaking your diet can actually help your digestive tract a lot better than swallowing this garbage that actually damages your stomach and your intestines in the long run. I would not recommend famotidine to take longer than a week, and I have noticed in some of these reviews people have been on this medicine for a year-wow, I can't do it!"

• Fel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 10, 2021

For GERD "I waited until the evening to take this the first time. I already take Rabeprazole, which hadn’t been effective lately, so my GP told me to take 20 mg alongside my regular medication. After taking this, I began to feel sick within the first hour, which progressively got worse during the night - I didn’t actually vomit, but it felt close. I got pains in my chest, a strange sensation in my throat, a headache, and terrible anxiety. It also didn’t stop the heartburn discomfort. Didn’t sleep much. The following day, my anxiety was still bad, heartburn was awful to the point I only managed to eat two slices of toast the entire day, and the throat feeling wouldn’t go away (like something was stuck in my throat). I also got strange chest pains like my heart was skipping or something. I had had a few okay days prior to taking this medication and feel like I have ruined any progress I was making. The anxiety that this is causing is ridiculous. I would tell anyone never to touch this stuff."

• Bea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 9, 2021

For GERD "Took this medicine for GERD. After 1 week, I started getting anxiety attacks, heart palpitations, muscle weakness, dizziness, and nausea. I felt bloated all the time, and I couldn’t eat. When the insomnia symptoms escalated, like I’d drank a pot of coffee, it was intensely scary. Even 24 hours after my last dose, I still don’t feel well. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 11, 2022

For GERD "I always have famotidine in the house and have taken one now and then for stomach acid. However, after experiencing a reflux attack one night, I decided to take one a day to see if that helped. I don't know if it helped, could only stay on it 3 days. I was suffering so badly with my stomach and anxiety. I became very anxious and started to have what I thought were heart palpitations and almost constant heavy burping. The palpitations I believe weren't the heart though, it seemed to be generating from the esophagus where it joins the stomach, and it felt like spasms that would not stop. Three days of this misery, and the only thing different that I was doing was taking this medicine. Once I saw the side effects, I immediately stopped, and the symptoms became less and less, but it took a few days to get back to normal. I will never take this stuff again. Please be aware of all these symptoms if you try it so you can recognize these side effects. Do not recommend."