sucralfate
Brand names: Carafate
Sucralfate is a medicine that helps heal and protect ulcers in your small intestine. It creates a coating over the ulcer to shield it from stomach acid.
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Brand Price
$4.76/unit
Generic Price
$0.17/unit
Generic Savings
97%
Generic Available
Yes (12 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Sucralfate is used to treat active duodenal ulcers, which are sores in the first part of your small intestine.
Common side effects
Constipation (2%)
Key warnings
Inadvertent injection of sucralfate has led to fatal complications, including blood clots in the lungs and brain.
How It Works
Sucralfate works by forming a protective layer over the ulcer. This coating acts like a bandage, shielding the ulcer from stomach acid and enzymes. This protection helps the ulcer heal.
How to Take It
Take 1 gram of sucralfate four times a day on an empty stomach. You can take antacids for pain relief, but wait at least 30 minutes before or after taking sucralfate. Continue taking sucralfate for 4 to 8 weeks, even if you feel better, unless your doctor says your ulcer is healed. For maintenance therapy, take 1 gram twice a day.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
It is not known if sucralfate can harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular schedule.
Storage
Store sucralfate tablets at room temperature between 68° to 77°F (20° to 25°C).
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 14,827 FDA adverse event reports.
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 23,037 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 1997–2025.
Total Reports
23,037
Death-Related Reports
2,262
Hospitalization Reports
8,938
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | NAUSEA | 2,262 |
| 2 | FATIGUE | 1,733 |
| 3 | DIARRHOEA | 1,700 |
| 4 | PAIN | 1,481 |
| 5 | HEADACHE | 1,381 |
| 6 | VOMITING | 1,355 |
| 7 | DYSPNOEA | 1,302 |
| 8 | DRUG INEFFECTIVE | 1,293 |
| 9 | OFF LABEL USE | 1,279 |
| 10 | DIZZINESS | 1,039 |
| 11 | WEIGHT DECREASED | 1,001 |
| 12 | CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE | 984 |
| 13 | ABDOMINAL PAIN | 983 |
| 14 | MALAISE | 965 |
| 15 | PNEUMONIA | 950 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Inadvertent injection of sucralfate has led to fatal complications, including blood clots in the lungs and brain. Sucralfate is not intended for intravenous administration.
Known Drug Interactions
albuterol, systemic and inhaled mebendazole amoxicillin medroxyprogesterone ampicillin, with or without sulbactam methylprednisolone atenolol metronidazole azithromycin metoprolol caffeine, dietary ingestion nadolol cefaclor nifedipine co-trimoxazole (trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole) nizatidine diltiazem norfloxacin dirithromycin ofloxacin enflurane omeprazole famotidine prednisone, prednisolone felodipine ranitidine finasteride rifabutin hydrocortisone roxithromycin isoflurane Sorbitol (purgative doses do not inhibit theophylline absorption) isoniazid sucralfate isradipine terbutaline, s...
Mechanism: Sucralfate can coat the stomach or bind to theophylline, which prevents the medicine from being fully absorbed into your bloodstream.
What to do: Your doctor may recommend spacing these medications several hours apart to make sure theophylline works correctly.
Antacids and Sucralfate Clinical Impact: Concomitant administration of some antacids (magnesium oxide or aluminum hydroxide) and sucralfate can delay the absorption of naproxen. Intervention: Concomitant administration of antacids such as magnesium oxide or aluminum hydroxide, and sucralfate with naproxen tablets and naproxen sodium tablets is not recommended.
Mechanism: Sucralfate can slow down how quickly your body absorbs naproxen, which may delay its effects.
What to do: Taking these two medications together is not recommended.
Subtherapeutic prothrombin times with concomitant warfarin and sucralfate therapy have been reported in spontaneous and published case reports. However, two clinical studies have demonstrated no change in either serum warfarin concentration or prothrombin time with the addition of sucralfate to chronic warfarin therapy.
Mechanism: This medicine may interfere with how well warfarin thins your blood, although different studies have found different results.
What to do: Your doctor should check your blood clotting speed more often if you take these two drugs together.
Drug Interactions Some studies have shown that simultaneous sucralfate administration in healthy volunteers reduced the extent of absorption (bioavailability) of single doses of the following: cimetidine, digoxin, fluoroquinolone antibiotics, ketoconazole, l-thyroxine, phenytoin, quinidine, ranitidine, tetracycline, and theophylline.
Mechanism: Sucralfate can block your body from absorbing ketoconazole if they are taken at the same time. This means the medicine may not work as well to treat your condition.
What to do: Ask your doctor or pharmacist how to space these medicines apart. Taking them at different times can help ensure your body absorbs the full dose of ketoconazole.
In all case studies to date (cimetidine, ciprofloxacin, digoxin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, and ranitidine), dosing the concomitant medication 2 hours before sucralfate eliminated the interaction.
Mechanism: Taking sucralfate at the same time as ciprofloxacin prevents the antibiotic from being fully absorbed into your blood. This can make the antibiotic less effective at fighting your infection.
What to do: Take ciprofloxacin at least 2 hours before you take your dose of sucralfate. This timing helps your body absorb the antibiotic properly.
Common Questions
Can I take antacids with sucralfate?
How long should I take sucralfate?
What should I do if I miss a dose?
Can I take other medications with sucralfate?
What are the common side effects of sucralfate?
How does sucralfate work?
What is sucralfate used for?
Should I take sucralfate with food?
Can elderly patients take sucralfate?
What do the markings on the tablet mean?
What are the common side effects of sucralfate?
Does sucralfate interact with other medications?
What drug class is sucralfate?
Is there a generic version of sucralfate?
Is sucralfate safe during pregnancy?
Has sucralfate been recalled?
Active Recalls
CGMP Deviations: The recalling firm filed for Chapter 11 on September 30, 2024. As a result, it cannot monitor the quality program and hence cannot assure that products meet the identity, strength, quality, and purity characteristics that they are purported or represented to possess, rendering the products adulterated.
Amerisource Health Services LLC
Related Medications in Mucosal Protective Agent
Other drugs grouped near sucralfate — same-class peers and common alternatives.
alosetron
Lotronex
Alosetron (Lotronex) is a medicine for women with severe diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
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aprepitant
Emend
Aprepitant (Emend) is a medicine that helps prevent nausea and vomiting.
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bisacodyl
Dulcolax
Bisacodyl is a medicine that helps you have a bowel movement.
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bismuth subsalicylate
Pepto-Bismol
Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) is a medicine that can treat diarrhea and upset stomach.
Compare with sucralfate →
cimetidine
Tagamet
Cimetidine (Tagamet) reduces stomach acid.
Compare with sucralfate →
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What the FDA Data Shows for sucralfate
The FDA label for sucralfate (sold under brand names such as Carafate) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Mucosal Protective Agent class. Sucralfate is used to treat active duodenal ulcers, which are sores in the first part of your small intestine. Official labeling lists 1 commonly reported side effect, including Constipation (2%).
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 14,827 voluntary reports. The database also lists 20 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated major severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.17 versus $4.76 for the brand — a 97% generic savings.
Report counts do not establish causation — a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 1 recall record on file), and patent information further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice — always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: January 3, 2025
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book — approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed — NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) — post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm — standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files — federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database — current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages