Zantac

A couple of hours after eating one hearty meal, you suddenly feel a gnawing pain in your stomach. Your abdomen between the breastbone and the navel feels like burning. You start to feel nauseating until your tummy finally gave in for a non-stop vomiting. A scenario like this could be a sign of ulcer, one of the worst stomach pain attacks one could have. In such cases, almost everyone resorts in taking a dosage of one of the most popular ulcer pain reliever in the world—Zantac.

Zantac is the brand name for the generic drug ranitidine, which is a type of histamine-2 blocker that helps reduce the amount of acid produced by the stomach. Introduced in 1981, Zantac became the biggest-selling drug in the world in 1988 prescribed by doctors to treat and prevent stomach and intestinal ulcers and other gastric acid-induced stomach pains.

The drug appears in various names, forms, colors and sizes. Zantac 150 mg, for instance, is a film-coated tablet in a heptagonal shape and peach color. The Zantac 300 mg tablet, on the other hand, is also film-coated but takes a capsule shape in yellow color. The drug also has its capsules in 300 mg distinguished by its beige soft-gelatin form as well as syrup in 15 mg with a clear peppermint flavor. As to which drug you may use would depend on the prescription recommended by your doctor.

Things To Remember Before Taking Zantac

Use Zantac only with doctor’s prescription. The drug may cause some allergic reactions and other health risks such as increasing risk of developing pneumonia and different dosage requirement especially if you’re taking other medications that could have ill effects when combined with Zantac or depending on the severity of your condition that only your doctor could determine. It is also important to consult your doctor before taking in the drug especially if you have kidney and liver ailments and if you’re pregnant. Since the drug is excreted by the kidney and metabolized by the liver, low dosage is advised to patients with abnormal liver and kidney function. Health experts have categorized Zantac as a safe drug for pregnant women. Thus, the drug was categorized as Pregnancy Category B, which means the drug would have no harmful effects to the fetus if taken in. The categorization, however, was based on animal tests. Since animals do not always respond to medicines the same way humans do, doctor’s advice is needed to outweigh the benefits and risks of the drug for pregnant women.

Taking In Zantac

Zantac tablets and granules must be dissolved in water before you take them. Avoid crushing, chewing, or breaking the medicine into your mouth or dissolving it on your tongue. In taking the syrup form, use the special dose-measuring spoon or cup enclosed when buying the drug and avoid using the regular tablespoon. Do not drink alcohol while under medication to avoid further damage to the stomach.

The drug may cause some allergic reactions such as hives, breathing difficulty, and swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. If this happens stop taking in the drug and immediately see your doctor. Inform also your doctor if you experience some side effects from using the medicine that might be detrimental to your health. Zantac side effects include chest pain, fever, abnormal heartbeat, visual problems, headache, insomnia, nausea, diarrhea and sudden weight loss among others.

Your doctor may change your dosage prescription or require you to take in an alternative drug that has almost the same effect that Zantac gives. The market offers a wide variety of medicines substitute for Zantac such as antacids, other Histamine2-blocker drugs, or proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs). A change in lifestyle or even surgery could also be used as a substitute for Zantac.

Although the medical world offers a variety of effective drugs such as Zantac in averting the recurrence of stomach pains, on-time eating habits and a healthy diet would still be the best remedy for that sensitive tummy.