Carcinogen in Zantac/ranitidine

[Anonymous]

Wondering if anyone whose child takes Zantac/ranitidine has contacted their pediatrician to see if they should stop taking it in light of the FDA announcement today that recent samples contain a carcinogen. My 3 month old has been on it for reflux since she was a month old. I saw the news only after our pediatrician’s office closed today. I am concerned.

[Anonymous]

Your pediatrician won’t know. Try the pharmacy where you got it - they might know whether the formulation you have been using is implicated.

[Anonymous]

I took this all throughout pregnancy - so upset, ugh.

No one really seems to have answers which is really frustrating.

[Anonymous]

Also... I think it’s just in the OTC version, not sure about prescription strength which is probably what your baby is on.

[Anonymous]

Depressing! I’ve take prescription strength Zantac twice a day for past 5 years after taking PPIs for years. I stopped PPIs because it caused me to get early osteoporosis plus long term use supposedly increased chance of heart disease and dementia. Ugh, I’m screwed, no more food for me.

[Anonymous]

The other thread was locked in favor of this one with just a few responses? Okaaaaayyyy.

[Anonymous]

NDMA is used to give lab rats cancer. Yum yum - no problem!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/N-Nitrosodimethylamine

[Anonymous]

Causes liver tumors in low doses in rats. Bonus - maybe now , with some liver scans, they can experimentally establish it’s effect on humans now.

The EPA has not yet set a regulatory maximal contaminant level (MCL) for drinking water. At high doses, it is a "potent hepatotoxin that can cause fibrosis of the liver" in rats.[7] The induction of liver tumors in rats after chronic exposure to low doses is well documented.[8] Its toxic effects on humans are inferred from animal experiments but not well-established experimentally.

[Anonymous]

How about Pepcid. Different formula.

[Anonymous]

The FDA's actual statement on this:

Statement alerting patients and health care professionals of NDMA found in samples of ranitidine

For Immediate Release: September 13, 2019
Statement From: Director - Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Janet Woodcock M.D.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has learned that some ranitidine medicines, including some products commonly known as the brand-name drug Zantac, contain a nitrosamine impurity called N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) at low levels. NDMA is classified as a probable human carcinogen (a substance that could cause cancer) based on results from laboratory tests. NDMA is a known environmental contaminant and found in water and foods, including meats, dairy products, and vegetables.

…

When the agency identifies a problem, it takes appropriate action quickly to protect patients. The FDA is evaluating whether the low levels of NDMA in ranitidine pose a risk to patients. FDA will post that information when it is available.

Patients should be able to trust that their medicines are as safe as they can be and that the benefits of taking them outweigh any risk to their health. Although NDMA may cause harm in large amounts, the levels the FDA is finding in ranitidine from preliminary tests barely exceed amounts you might expect to find in common foods.

...

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/statement-alerting-patients-and-health-care-professionals-ndma-found-samples-ranitidine