News > Should Patients Stop Taking Zantac ?
Should Patients Stop Taking Zantac ?
Are you afraid of taking Zantac? Or thinking should you or your loved ones stop taking Zantac?
We’ll answer this here.
Zantac And Its Issues
Over-the-counter and prescription Zantac (Ranitidine) is most commonly used to treat heartburn, stomach ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and other conditions related to stomach acid levels.
If you're taking the popular acid-lowering drug Zantac, or any of the generic drugs called Ranitidine, you've likely heard of ongoing requests for lab tests and reports from the Food and Drug Administration and various testing labs in the USA and Europe.
The request was the latest step in an ongoing investigation into a contaminant called N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in ranitidine drugs, commonly known by the brand name Zantac.
The FDA notification applies to all prescription and over-the-counter versions of ranitidine, better known by the brand name Zantac.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials issued an order to immediately remove from the market all prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) ranitidine products sold under the Zantac name.
Zantac Litigation
Many of the consumers of Zantac had sued Zantac makers because they developed cancer after taking their drug, not all did. If Zantac is part of a long-term treatment for heartburn or a related condition and you later develop cancer while continuing to take Zantac, you can also sue Zantac makers.
If you develop cancer caused by Zantac, Lawyer4Help will take immediate steps to investigate your condition, determine who is responsible for you, and file a lawsuit to protect your rights.
What Should One Do After The Zantac Litigation ?
Anyone taking over-the-counter ranitidine should immediately stop taking prescription Ranitidine and safely dispose of all supplies in accordance with FDA guidelines.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is pulling all Zantac or Ranitidine (its generic form) off the shelves and recommending that consumers stop taking these drugs immediately.
In addition to recalling all Zantac or Ranitidine drugs on store shelves, the FDA is recommending that patients taking these drugs stop taking them and see their doctor for alternative treatment options for heartburn and other problems.
The FDA also advises consumers taking over-the-counter ranitidine to stop taking any pills or liquids they currently have, dispose of them properly, and not buy more.
Should Patients Stop Taking Zantac ?
Ranitidine belongs to a group of medicines that reduce the amount of acid produced by the cells of the stomach lining. Zantac or all Ranitidine drugs reduce the amount of acid produced by the stomach.
“If a person taking Zantac stops the medication abruptly instead of taking Zantac off, they may experience acid ricochet overproduction,” the National Institutes of Health explained.
If you are taking Zantac or Ranitidine as a daily medication and must stop abruptly, your stomach may immediately increase acid production and thus cause severe discomfort due to excess stomach acid.
If your stomach doesn't immediately produce the popular stomach acid-reducing drug Zantac, it will lead to problems with the food you eat and your stomach's inability to process food efficiently.
Patients taking prescription Ranitidine should discuss other treatment options with their doctor before discontinuing the drug, as there are several drugs approved for the same or similar purposes as Ranitidine, but with different risks than NDMA.
Safe Alternatives Of Zantac:
Zantac Original Zantac Recall In 2018, the FDA began issuing warnings for various drugs containing a chemical called N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). However, there are several alternatives to ZantAC marketed for the treatment of heartburn that do not contain traces of NDMA.
The FDA recommended five alternatives to Zantac including Pepcid, Tagamet, Prilosec and an alternative heartburn drug (Pepcid) that is free from the carcinogenic chemical ZantAC and the carcinogenic chemical NDMA.
If you are taking Zantac over-the-counter (OTC) or on prescription for health reasons, contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible to discuss options for continuing to take Zantac or switching to a safer alternative. You should check with your doctor about possible other drugs you may be taking instead of Zantac before stopping the drug alone.