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Ranitidine
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Description
Ranitidine is a very effective medicine that is used to reduce the amount of acid produced in the stomach. It is used to treat and prevent stomach acid-related disorders such as heartburn and acid reflux disease.
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Side effects
Major & minor side effects for Ranitidine
Headache
Dizziness
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
Stomach pain
Mental confusion
Muscle pain
Difficulty in breathing
Gynecomastia
Uses of Ranitidine
What is it prescribed for?
Duodenal Ulcer
This medicine is used for the short-term treatment of ulcers of the first part of the small intestine (duodenum). It can also be used to prevent recurrence of ulcer in some patients.
Gastric Ulcer
This medicine is used for the short-term treatment of stomach ulcers that are benign. It is also used as a maintenance therapy after the ulcers have healed.
Gastroesophagal Reflux Disease
This medicine is used for the treatment of a condition where the acid produced in the stomach causes irritation in the food pipe.
Erosive Esophagitis
This medicine is used for the treatment of a condition where the food pipe is eroded due to prolonged acid reflux from the stomach.
Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome
This medicine is used to relieve the symptoms of this rare condition where the acid secretion in the stomach is abnormally high.
Hypersecretory Condition
This medicine is used to prevent and treat conditions where the amount of acid secreted in the stomach is abnormally high.
Concerns
Commonly asked questions
Onset of action
The effect of this medicine can be observed after an hour of oral or intravenous administration.Duration of effect
The effect of this medicine lasts for an average duration of 4-6 hours.Safe with alcohol?
Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.Is it habit forming?
No habit-forming tendencies were reported.Usage in pregnancy?
This medicine is not recommended for use in pregnant women unless necessary. All the risks and benefits should be discussed with the doctor before taking this medicine.Usage while breast-feeding?
This medicine is not recommended for use in breastfeeding women unless necessary. All the risks and benefits should be discussed with the doctor before taking this medicine.
Allergy
This medicine is not recommended for use in patients with a known allergy to ranitidine or any other inactive ingredients present along with it.
Porphyria
This medicine is not recommended for use in patients with porphyria, a disorder that results from a buildup of porphyrin in the body.
Warnings for special population
Pregnancy
This medicine is not recommended for use in pregnant women unless necessary. All the risks and benefits should be discussed with the doctor before taking this medicine.
Breast-feeding
This medicine is not recommended for use in breastfeeding women unless necessary. All the risks and benefits should be discussed with the doctor before taking this medicine.
General warnings
Pneumonia
Use of this medicine may increase the risk of developing pneumonia. Symptoms like chest pain. fever. difficulty in breathing and presence of green or yellow mucus with a cough is to be reported to the doctor on priority.
Chronic heartburn
If you have a chronic heartburn (more than 3 months) or your heartburn continues or worsens, consult your doctor immediately since this may be a sign of a more serious condition. Appropriate dose adjustments or replacement with a suitable alternative may be required in such cases based on the clinical condition.
Vitamin deficiency
This medicine can interfere with the absorption of Vitamin B12 upon prolonged usage. Your doctor may prescribe appropriate supplementation or may suggest appropriate changes in your diet based on your clinical condition.
Kidney disease
This medicine should be used with caution in patients with kidney diseases due to the increased risk of severe adverse effects. Appropriate dose adjustments and close monitoring of renal function may be required based on the clinical condition.
Phenylketonuria
Some formulations of this medicine may contain phenylalanine. Such formulations should be used with extreme caution in patients with Phenylketonuria who must restrict their intake of phenylalanine. Replacement with a suitable alternative may be required based on the clinical condition.
Use of nicotine
Use of nicotine is not recommended during treatment with this medicine due to the increased risk of severe adverse effects.
Pediatric use
This medicine should be used with extreme caution in children due to the increased risk of severe adverse effects. All the risks and benefits should be discussed with the doctor before using this medicine.
Missed Dose
Oral forms: If a dose of this medicine is missed, take the dose as soon as you remember it. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take the next dose. Do not double the dose to make up for the missed one.
Injection: Since this medicine is administered in the hospital or clinical setting by a qualified healthcare professional, the likelihood of missing a dose is very low.
Overdose
Oral forms: Seek emergency medical treatment or contact the doctor in case of an overdose.
Injection: Since this medicine is administered in the hospital or clinical setting by a qualified healthcare professional, the likelihood of an overdose is very low. However, emergency medical treatment will be initiated by the doctor if an overdose is suspected.
All drugs interact differently for person to person. You should check all the possible interactions with your doctor before starting any medicine.
Interaction with Alcohol
Description
Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
Instructions
Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
Interaction with Medicine
Ketoconazole
Loperamide
Metformin
Atazanavir
Dasatinib
Pazopanib
Disease interactions
Gastro-intestinal bleeding
This medicine is not recommended for use in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding since it may worsen the patient's condition. Replacement with a suitable alternative should be done under your doctor's supervision.
Liver Disease
This medicine should be used with caution in patients with liver diseases due to the increased risk of severe adverse effects. Appropriate dose adjustments and close monitoring of liver function may be required based on the clinical condition.
Food interactions
Information not available.
Lab interactions
Information not available.
Oral forms: Take this medicine exactly as prescribed by the doctor. Do not take in larger or smaller quantities than recommended. Ensure that the treatment course is completed. Do not stop the use of this medicine without consulting your doctor.
Injection: This medicine should be administered only by a qualified healthcare professional in the clinical or hospital setting. Carefully follow all the instructions given by your doctor.
Miscelleneous
How it works
This medicine works by reducing the amount of acid produced in the stomach.
Legal Status
Classification
Category
H2 antagonists
Schedule
Schedule H
DailyMed - Acid reducer- ranitidine tablet [Internet]. Dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. 2017 [cited 13 March 2017]. Available from:
Ranitidine | C13H22N4O3S - PubChem [Internet]. Pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. 2017 [cited 13 March 2017]. Available from:
Ranitidine: MedlinePlus Drug Information [Internet]. Medlineplus.gov. 2017 [cited 13 March 2017]. Available from:
Ranitidine - DrugBank [Internet]. Drugbank.ca. 2017 [cited 26 October 2017]. Available from:
[Internet]. 2017 [cited 26 October 2017]. Available from:
Information on this page was last updated on 12 Feb 2018
Disclaimer
We’ve made all possible efforts to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, however, it should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Practo only provides reference source for common information on medicines and does not guarantee its accuracy or exhaustiveness. The absence of a warning for any drug or combination thereof, should not be assumed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Practo does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information provided above. If you have any doubts about your medication then we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor, nurse or healthcare provider. See detailed T&C here.