Zantac

Zantac is an H2 histamine blocker drug, use to treat stomach or intestinal ulcer, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and conditions that cause backflow of acids from the stomach to the esophagus (i.e. erosive esophagitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease/GERD) resulting to heartburn or chest pain caused by acids.

Read your medication guide and follow your doctor’s prescription at all times.

• Take Ranitidine orally/ by mouth before or after meals, 1-2 times a day per doctor’s prescription. Take one tablet of Ranitidine to relieve heartburn whenever necessary or one tablet 30 minutes – 1 hour before a meal to prevent heartburn. Never consume more than 2 tablets of Ranitidine within 24 hours neither takes such medication over 2 weeks without doctor’s recommendation.
• The dosage depends on your medical condition, treatment response or weight (for children). Do not adjust your dose without your doctor’s recommendation.
• Continue taking ranitidine on a regular schedule (same time of the day). Do not stop taking this medication abruptly without consulting your doctor.

Inform your doctor immediately if your condition aggravates or does not improve.

Take your missed dose as soon as possible. However, make sure that the time interval between the missed and the next dose is not too close. Otherwise, stick with the regular schedule and leave out the missed dose. Do not double dose to cover up a missed dose. Record your missed doses and inform your doctor immediately if you missed several doses.

Zantac may interact with:

• Procainamide
• Propantheline
• Famotidine, cimetidine or other H2 histamine blockers and
• Atazanavir
• Delavirdine
• Dasatinib
• Glipizide
• Triazolam and
• Azole antifungals (i.e. ketoconazole)

Some drugs may either lessen the beneficial effects or worsen the side effects of ranitidine. Likewise, ranitidine may make some drugs less efficient or intensify their side effects.

Make sure to inform your doctor about all other drugs you are currently taking or using (prescribed and non-prescribed medications including vitamins, minerals, and herbal products) to check for possible drug interaction with ranitidine.

Never alter the doses of other medications while on ranitidine neither stop nor start any medicine without the doctor’s recommendation.

Side Effects: There are no side effects known aside from a possible allergic reaction in people who have previous or unknown hypersensitivity to the drug.

Watch out for signs of allergic reactions such as:

• Rash
• Itching
• Swelling

Before taking Zantac, tell your health care provider if you have/are:

• Any allergies to any substance, food or medication, particularly to ranitidine or to other histamine H2 blocker drugs (i.e. cimetidine, famotidine) 
• Medical history or a present condition such as:
  • Kidney problem or liver disease
  • Lung problem (i.e. asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or high susceptibility of acquiring pneumonia)
  • Blood disorder (i.e. porphyria)
  • Phenylketonuria (PKU)

• Pregnant, planning to get pregnant or currently breastfeeding a baby (Ranitidine has no known harmful effects to the unborn child but it can pass through breast milk that may harm the nursing child. The risks and benefits of using this medication during pregnancy must be discussed well with your doctor.)