Ranitidine Hydrochloride Brings Down Stomach Acid Production And Helps In Healing Of Gastric Ulcers

Ranitidine HCL General Information

Generic Name: Ranitidine Hydrochloride

Brand Name: Zantac

Ranitidine Hydrochloride is better recognized as the brand called Zantac. The drug helps to bring down the production of stomach acid, thereby reducing irritations to the stomach lining.

Ranitidine HCL Uses

The medication helps in the healing of gastric or duodenal ulcers and prevents its recurrence. The drug is used for a short term, for four to eight weeks, in the treatment of active duodenal and benign stomach ulcers. Ranitidine Hydrochloride is also used to treat conditions associated with excessive production of stomach acid as in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and systemic mastocytosis. The drug has been found effective in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease and in the healing of erosive esophagitis. Zantac 75 and Zantac 150 are available over-the-counter and are used to treat acid indigestion, heartburn and sour stomach.

How Take Ranitidine HCL

The effervescent tablets and granules are to be dissolved in 6 to 8 ounces of water before the intake. A reduced dosage in the maintenance therapy might be suggested by the doctor so as to prevent the ulcers from coming back. Adults suffering from active duodenal ulcer should be given 150 milligrams or 10 milliliters for two times a day. The doctor might choose to prescribe 300 milligrams or 20 milliliters once a day. In the long run, the intake amount should be 2 teaspoonfuls while going to bed. For treating excess acid conditions, the dosage might be increased to 10 milliliters or 150 milligrams twice a day. GERD and benign gastric ulcer can be treated with a dosage of 150 milligrams twice a day. After the healing of the ulcer, only a single bedtime dose is enough as the maintenance therapy.

Children from 1 month to 16 years of age, suffering from duodenal and gastric ulcers should be initially treated with 4 milligrams per 2.2 pounds of body weight twice daily. The maximum dose for the children is 300 milligrams per day. Children with GERD and Erosive Esophagitis, need a daily dosage of 5 to 10 milligrams per 2.2 pounds of bodyweight two times a day. Lower doses would apply for the older adults who have had kidney troubles. The kidney functions of an older adult needs to be monitored regularly especially if has crossed 65 years. Over-the-counter medications Zantac 75 and Zantac 150 are normally not given to children below 12 years of age unless the doctor’s approval is obtained. More than 2 tablets and use of the drug for more than two weeks are not suggested unless it is approved by the physician. Heartburn symptoms can be treated with a single tablet taken with one glass of water.

Ranitidine HCL Warnings

A doctor should be informed about all the drug reactions experienced by the user. Persons who have had sensitivity or allergic reactions to Zantac should never be treated with the drug. A cautious approach is to be adopted by the user if they have suffered from kidney or liver disease. Persons having phenylketonuria should know that the effervescent tablets and granules contain phenylalanine. Symptoms might seem to get better by the use of Zantac even if malignancy is present in the stomach.

Ranitidine HCL Missed Dose

The drug should be taken exactly as prescribed by the doctor. If a dose gets missed, then it should be taken instantly. But if it almost time for the next dose then it is better to take the next dose to get back to the regular schedule. But one should avoid taking two doses at the same time.

Ranitidine HCL Side Effects

One cannot anticipate the occurrence of side effects. But side effects should be reported to the doctor, who would determine whether it would be safe to continue the use of this drug. Some people had suffered from severe headaches.

Ranitidine HCL Storage

Ranitidine Hydrochloride should be stored at room temperature and the container should be kept tightly closed. It should be kept away from moist places and from direct light. The Zantac syrup should be preserved in a way to prevent freezing.

Ranitidine HCL Overdose

An overdose of any medication can lead to serious side effects. But there is not much information regarding a Zantac overdose. But symptoms like an abnormal manner of walking and low blood pressure have been reported by a few users.

Ranitidine HCL More Information

When Zantac is combined with other drugs, then the effectiveness of other drugs might be decreased or increased. One should inform the doctor if he is using alcohol, blood thinning drugs, ketoconazole, Triazolam, Metformin, Glipizide, Itraconazole, Diltiazem, Phenytoin, Theophylline, Nifedipine and Enoxacin. The effects that Zantac might have on pregnancy are not yet known. But the drug appears in mother’s milk and hence passes into the body of the nursing infant. In such a case, a doctor might ask the lactating mother to stop breastfeeding till her treatment with Zantac gets over.