Please read this leaflet carefully before you start taking Zantac tablets.
This leaflet does not have the complete information available about your medicine. If you have any questions about your medicine, you should ask your doctor or pharmacist (also known as a chemist).
All medicines have some risks. Sometimes new risks are found even when a medicine has been used for many years.
If there is anything you do not understand, ask your doctor or pharmacist. If you want more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
What Zantac is used for
The medicine in your Zantac tablets is called ranitidine (as hydrochloride). This belongs to a group of medicines called H2-antagonists.
Zantac is mostly used to:
treat stomach and duodenal ulcer disease (also known as peptic ulcer)
stop these ulcers from coming back
relief and treatment of the symptoms of reflux oesophagitis (also known as reflux)
treatment of chronic dyspepsia (indigestion)
treatment of duodenal ulcers associated with Helicobacter pylori infection, in combination with amoxycillin (antibiotic) and metronidazole (antibacterial agent)
These problems are caused, in part, by too much acid in the stomach. This can lead to pain such as heartburn.
Zantac works by reducing the amount of acid in the stomach. This reduces the pain and also allows the ulcer and reflux to heal.
Zantac is also used to treat:
Zollinger-Ellison disease
Before you take Zantac tablets
Tell your doctor:
the names of all medicines you are already taking including those you have bought from a supermarket or a pharmacy
if you have had to stop taking this or any other medicine for your ulcer or reflux
if you have kidney disease
if you are allergic to any medicine
if you have a disease known as acute porphyria.
if you are pregnant, likely to get pregnant or are breast feeding. Your doctor will tell you if you should take this medicine.
How do I take Zantac?
The dosage depends on the disease that you are suffering from. Your doctor or pharmacist will usually tell you how many Zantac tablets to take and how often to take them. You will also find this information on the label of your medicine.
The normal adult dosage is 150 to 300 milligrams per day, taken as one 150 mg tablet once or twice a day, or one 300 mg tablet at bedtime. Your doctor may prescribe a different dosage.
Do not
take extra tablets.
Do not
take the tablets more often than you have been told.
It does not matter whether you take the tablets before or after food.
Zantac tablets should be swallowed whole with a glass of water.
Your pain or other symptoms may take a few days to go away.
Take all the tablets your doctor has prescribed for you, even if you feel better.
Even when you have completed your tablets, your doctor may decide to continue your treatment with Zantac, possibly at a different dosage, in order to prevent the problem coming back again.
If you have taken all the tablets and still do not feel better tell your doctor as soon as possible.
Use in Children:
Zantac has not been studied fully in children. However, Zantac has been used with good results in children aged 8 to 18 years in doses up to 150 mg twice daily.
What should I do if I miss my dose?
If you forget to take your Zantac, take another as soon as possible unless it is nearly time for your next dose. Do not take a double dose to make up for the missed one.
Side-Effects
Like other medicines, Zantac may cause some side-effects. Most of the side-effects will be minor and temporary, but some may be serious. Your doctor will be able to answer any questions you may have.
Tell your doctor straight away and do not take any more Zantac if you get:
skin troubles such as rash (red spots), itching, skin lumps or hives
swelling of the eyelids, face or lips
wheezing, chest pain or tightness, slower than usual heart beat
severe stomach pain or a change in the type of pain
yellow colouring of the skin or eyes (jaundice)
confusion
fever
low blood pressure
wheezing/shortness of breath
Other side effects include:
headache
joint or muscle pains
dizziness
depression
hallucination
blurred vision
hair loss
constipation
impotence (reversible)
If you notice any symptoms that concern you or if the tablets cause any other side-effects, tell your doctor or pharmacist.
If you think you are having an allergic reaction to Zantac, TELL YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY or go to the casualty department at your nearest hospital. Symptoms usually include some or all of the following:
wheezing
swelling of the lips/mouth
difficulty in breathing
hay fever
lumpy rash ("hives")
fainting
This is not a complete list of side effects that may be experienced while taking Zantac. Do not be alarmed by this list of side effects- you may not experience any of them.
What if I take too much Zantac? (overdose)
In the event of an overdose you should contact your nearest Poisons Information Centre (0800 POISON or 0800 764 766), doctor or hospital emergency department.
Storage
Keep your Zantac tablets away from heat (store below 30°C). For example, you should not leave them in the car on hot days.
Please keep your Zantac tablets in a place where children cannot reach them.
You will find an "expiry" (or use by) date printed on the manufacturer's label of the pack. Do not use the tablets after this date. Do not use the tablets if they are discoloured.
Keep your Zantac tablets away from moisture. Leave the tablets in the pack until you are ready to use them.
Can I let someone else use my Zantac?
Never give this medicine to someone else. The medicine is only for you. It may harm other people even if they seem to have the same symptoms that you have.
Ingredients
Each Zantac tablet contains either 150 or 300 milligrams of ranitidine. Your tablets also contain the following inactive ingredients:
Cellulose (460), magnesium stearate (572), titanium dioxide (171), hypromellose (464) and triacetin. The 300 mg tablets also contain croscarmellose sodium.
Each Zantac 300 mg tablet contains 0.8 mg of sodium.
