Prevacid24HR Lansoprazole Delayed-Release Capsules, 15 mg/Acid Reducer, Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) for Heartburn Relief, 42 Count

Great item

Ok, three parts, first the shipping/packaging experience:(1) I ordered 9 boxes (which equates to roughly 1 years supply) that shipped in a single larger box. Ordering this large supply will eliminate the monthly hassle of making sure I have it on hand and I found it is MUCH cheaper to buy bulk. Each box had (3) 14-count bottles inside. The individual boxes had varying countries of origin (India, Italy, etc.) and varying expiration dates. All items were factory sealed and none of the expiration dates were in the near future, but I am making sure to check the bottles and use up the older ones first. As a bonus, several of the boxes had coupons attached for the same product totalling $19.00. Since I'm on this drug long term, it's cash back in my opinion, although I would not count on getting these coupons. There is more than enough room in each bottle so you may be tempted open the bottles up and combine them. This is OK, but it's probably better to open as needed. Just my opinion.Secondly, the drug itself:(2) I currently have a 30mg daily prescription for the generic version (Lansoprazole, Breckenridge) to treat GERD. I have been taking the Previcid (or generic) for about 10 years. Before purchasing these capsules, and due to a forthcoming switch by my company to a high-deductible Health Savings Account plan, I decided to try the 15mg OTC Prevacid for a couple months to see if I could get by. Not only did they work, they worked as good or better than the prescription. I know, I know, but save the "generic is identical" speech, the Prevacid brand works better for me, not to mention I'd rather take 15mg than 30mg. If it's only psychological, so be it! The generic worked OK, but I could NOT skip a day or the burn would start. And even though the symptoms were controlled with the generic, there was occassionally this underlying sensation of very mild heartburn even without missing a dose.Last, my health plan:(3) I have had my doctor alter the prescription to 15mg Prevacid to avoid any issues with using my Health Savings Accout to pay for it. I just used my plan debit card on Amazon, uploaded the receipt to the HSA website, and justified it as "over the counter with prescription". Unfortunately, I don't currently see a way to have this purchase count towards the deductible by buying it in this manner. Not a big problem in my case.

I will not rate product low because seller sent me old product. This med does not include a year on the expiration so I don't know exactly how old it is, but the coupon in the box is expired already. In either case, this product is not brand new.Getting older really sucks sometimes. People dont tell you getting older is just painful.Well, in my late 30s, I started getting indigestion anytime I had raw onions on anything. Lots of things caused my stomach to turn sour. I don't even think this product was sold over the counter at the time. Tums will barely help the symptoms I had.I found another medicine (starts with a p and in a purple box) that helped as long as I took it daily - but don't skip a day or my stomach would kick out an amount of acid that would have me I agony for days. Then I found this product.Wow - life changing. I don't take this as directed but I did discuss with my doctor. I suggest you talk to yours. I take one of these once a week and I have no indigestion. The great part is that if I go to long, the symptoms return slowly over many days. If I ever have slight upset stomach, I know I've missed a dose and pop a pill. I'm good for another week. The thing my doctor warned me against taking this all the time is that I might not know if I had an ulcer.I think I've been doing this for about 5 years now. i have tried to take the generic to save some money but it doesn't work anywhere close as well. This stuff clears my symptoms completely for a week no matter what I eat, and the generic only worked for 2 or 3 days with only partially helping symptoms.

As a long time acid reflux sufferer and a long time consumer of every acid reducing product under the sun, I can say that PrevAcid is the best of the best "for my particular problem". I stress the last part of that statement because with any medication or ANY product for that matter, individual results will vary... and no I'm not a paid actor...haha.A few years ago, I was forced by my insurance carrier to switch from the prescription version of PrevAcid to their preferred brand which was Nexium. I had excellent results "initially" from Nexium, but over time my bowel movements started becoming very very irregular, to the point of actually ending up in the ER. Since Nexium was the only medication I was taking, it was fairly evident what was causing the problem. I decided it was time to make a switch and I started taking Prilosec OTC. That product also worked well at preventing my acid reflux, but yet again my bowel movements were still not regular even with increasing my fiber intake. Thankfully for me this was right around the time when PrevAcid became available as an OTC product and I could not wait to make the switch. It was the best decision I ever made, because even though the milligrams per dose are essentially half of the prescription version it is just as effective for me and I can happily say that my bathroom routine has returned to its norm.If you're like me and you have to take an acid reducer on a regular basis then I suggest you also enroll in the Amazon "subscribe & save" renewal program. It saves me money, it's delivered right to my door, and I don't have to worry about accidentally running out of my PrevAcid at the worst possible time. It's even cheaper than buying it on sale at my local grocery store combined with a coupon, so it's a no brainer.[UPDATE - 6/6/2011]Unfortunately the subscribe & save price has sky-rocketed recently, so this is no longer the great deal that it once was. We can only hope that Amazon takes notice of how many people are canceling and skipping shipments, and they ultimately bring back the previously great prices. I have skipped several shipments myself and instead opted to buy it from my local grocery store combined with a coupon.