"Acid Reducer " is worth its name!
Written: Jan 27 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Works fast, relatively less side effects compared to Tagamet.
Cons: mild fatigue
The Bottom Line: Recommended to patients suffering with Heart burn, belching, and acid reflux
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Before I go in to any details, I would like to tell you that this product contains the same active ingredient as Zantac 75 manufactured by Glaxo. This product is the brand name of Rite Aid. The only difference I find between the two brands is that Rite Aid's Acid Reducer is much cheaper than Glaxo's Zantac-75 and is as effective as Zantac-75. About 30 tablets of Zantac 75 costs $ 9.99 where as the same number of Rite Aid's Acid Reducer costs $ 5.99. Don't you think it is a big difference in price for an equally effective drug?. This made me prefer Rite Aid's product over Glaxo's Zantac.
My Experience: I am a General physician from India and I recently landed in the USA. I have cleared my exams but I have not yet been certified by the ECFMG, USA to practice in the USA. I am hoping to get certified by March. Here comes the problem. I have been having acidity problem and Gastro oesophageal reflux for the past two years. The predisposing factors for my acid reflux disease must have been the tight-fitting jeans I used to wear in my college days and the alcohol binges I used to indulge in on the week-ends. Whatever might be the causative factor I often suffer from Heart burn, Sore throat and Abdominal pain beacause of this Reflux. Back home in India I used to use " Zintac" by Glaxo and "Omeprazole" for my acid problem. Zintac in India costs only $1 for 30 tablets. But since I am in the USA now, I am not yet certified to practice and I do not get prescription strength of Ranitidine [150] here with out a physician's prescription. And this would cost me a lot because getting a medical prescription from a doctor here is very expensive. So, I decided to go for Over-The-Counter medicines category. Fortunately I found Ranitidine on OTC medicine directory and I selected Rite Aid's Acid reducer as it is cheaper than Zantac-75. Now I frequently purchase Acid Reducer to address my heartburn whenever it becomes intolerable. It works fast and it has saved me lots of dollars.
Ingredients:
Active ingredients: Acid Reducer contains Ranitidine 75 mg which is half the prescription dose of 150mg. At this dose it is literally devoid of any side effects
How does it work?
Ranitidine is the active ingredient in Rite Aid Acid Reducer 75. Ranitidine acts by reducing the production of acid in the stomach by blocking certain receptors in stomach that are needed for acid secretion. Rantidine takes about 30 minutes to act. Remember Ranitidine reduces Acid production but it does not neutralise the acid that is already in your stomach
Is it superior to Antacids?
Antacid tablets should always be the first choice in Heartburn and other acidity problems. Antacid contains a base that neutralises the acid that is already present in the stomach. Thus, it immediately relieves the symptoms. But it acts only for a short time. If your symptoms return after two to three doses of antacid per day, you should consider using Ranitidine. For best and immediate relief, use Ranitidine before food and Antacid after food with a time gap of one hour between the two. This addresses both the problems- neutralises the acid that is already present in your stomach and suppresses any further acid secretion. But there should be a gap of atleast one hour between taking antacid and Ranitidine. Taking these two concomitantly can cause failure of Ranitidine's action.
How is it superior to other drugs in its class?
Rite Aid also has two other varieties in its Acid reducer class- Cimetidine tablets [ Tagamet] and Famotidine. These two drugs act in the same way as Ranitidine. Cimetidine has many side effects like-confusion, breast enlargement [ Gynaecomastia ] in men, impotence and reduced libido in men. Tagamet also interacts with several other drugs. For example, in a women taking Oral contraceptive pills taking Cimetidine simultaneously will negate the effects of OCPills and will cause contraception failure. If taken with antibiotics like erythromycin, this can cause heart problems. Ranitidine does not have any of these side effects. So, I recommend you use Ranitidine instead of Tagamet. Famotidine is claimed by many people as more potent than Ranidine. But I personally did not notice any difference and at the same time Famotidine has some intolerable side effects like Constipation, Diarrhea, Dizziness and Headache. I have noticed alteration in my bowel habbits each time I took Famotidine. Ranitidine is free of these side effects.
Does it have side effects?
Most common side effects with Ranitidine are Dizziness and Fatigue. However I have never experienced these symptoms because the dose we get Over the counter [75mg] is unlikely to cause these side effects. However if you experience any of these discontinue the drug and see a physician. It usually does not cause allergic reaction, but if it does produce one [ rash, itching, wheeze etc.] , stop the drug and see a physician.
Precautions: As with all drugs keep this away from children. If you are a smoker try to quit smoking as smoking aggravates acidity.
How to use this product?
This is best taken before food twice daily in 75 mg dose. If you need to use it for more than 2 weeks consult your doctor. You might have a serious disease like peptic ulcer which needs to a professional consult.
Rite aid Acid reducer 75 comes in a pack of 30 tablets and 80 tablets. A pack of 30 costs $5.99 and a pack of 80 costs $14.99. This can be bought on Drugstore.com.
Now I would like to share some information regarding various problems associated with Acidity and some measures that can prevent this problem:
Our stomach secretes acid which has a Ph of 3.0. At this strength the acid should actually burn the stomach wall. But the stomach is protected by a layer that neutralises the acid. If there is any damage to this mucus layer, this causes the acid to come in to direct contact with the stomach wall causing an ulcer. Ulcer in the stomach is a terminal stage. First the acid injures the stomach and causes inflammation called Gastritis. This can produce Heart burn, chest pain, sore throat, nocturnal cough and abdominal pain. Some patients have a loose sphincter at the entry of stomach, thus allowing the acid to move up our oesophagus. This is called Reflux.
Ranitidine can be used to relieve symptoms in all these conditions. But some life style modifications are very important in preventing Reflux and Peptic Ulcer.
These are:
- Quit smoking: smoking injures the stomach wall and also increases acid.
- Do not go to bed immediately after food: If you lie down immediately after food it may increase the Reflux.
- Avoid indulging in alcohol binges. For a person with Reflux disease, alcohol is an absolute no-no. Alcohol and smoking together have been implicated in the cancers of oesophagus and stomach.
- Avoid tight fitting pants: these will increase the back pressure and may cause Reflux.
- If you have a chronic Reflux problem, try to lie down with a back rest when you go to sleep because this head-up position reduces Reflux.
- Avoid heavy meals. A heavy meal causes stomach distension and promotes acid secretion.
If you can stick to all these life style changes, probably you would not need a Ranitidine
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
ruthless77
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Location: NJ, USA
Reviews written: 19
Trusted by: 22 members
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The Fittest Survive!-Darwin never gave his law, a philosophical touch!Lets apply this to life!
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