Acid reflux, heartburn and ulcers where faster onset is wanted, and for people who need acid suppression but cannot swallow enteric-coated capsules or are fed by tube.

Plain omeprazole is destroyed by stomach acid, which is why ordinary capsules carry a protective coating that delays them. Here the sodium bicarbonate raises the stomach pH for a few minutes so uncoated omeprazole passes through intact, reaches the blood sooner, and shuts down the stomach's proton pumps earlier in the day.

Headache, diarrhoea, wind and nausea, as with omeprazole, plus belching and a salty taste from the bicarbonate.

Each dose carries a meaningful amount of sodium, so it is not suitable for people on a low-salt diet or with heart failure, high blood pressure or kidney disease unless a doctor agrees. The usual proton pump inhibitor cautions apply: review long-term use, and investigate alarm symptoms such as vomiting blood, black stools, difficulty swallowing or weight loss rather than suppressing them. It is a prescription medicine in Pakistan.