Bottom Line: If you take care of a patient on Ranitidine AKA Zantac you need to have them stop it ASAP
The FDA has requested that prescription and over-the-counter ranitidine drugs be removed from the market immediately. There is an ongoing investigation of a contaminant known as N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in ranitidine. The FDA has determined that the NDMA in some ranitidine products increases over time and, when stored at higher than room temperatures, may result in consumer exposure to unacceptable levels. Therefore ranitidine is not available for new or existing prescriptions or over the counter use in the Unites States.
The recommended mediation to use instead is famotidine (Pepcid). You may also elect to try an alternate therapy, such as one of the readily available proton pump inhibitors.
Recommended dosing for ranitidine and famotidine
| Ranitidine (Zantac®) | Famotidine (Pepcid®) | |
| Neonatal | PO: 1 mg/kg every 8 hours | PO: 0.5-1 mg/kg once daily |
| Pediatric | PO: 2-5 mg/kg twice daily | PO: 0.25-1 mg/kg twice daily |
| Adult | PO: 150 mg twice daily | PO: 20 mg twice daily |
References
FDA News Release: FDA Requests Removal of All Ranitidine Products (Zantac) from the Market
