BREAKING: Zantac May Cause Cancer

Fucking hell. I've been taking this for 15 years.

Walgreens now too! Yikes.

Thanks, just taking them for a few years. Quit them earlier this year.

Can we sue?

Now I know what I'm passing out for Halloween.

Thanks to the GI doctors I have seen over the years for my reflux problem and all they did was INSIST I take every variety of acid reducers and suppressors.

Shantac.

Anyone that has reflux or heartburn should change the diet and lose weight. CURED.

I've been taking it for quite a while. It's the most reasonably priced out there. I bought the Nexium generic at Costco and it was $13.00 for 42 pills, which is 5X as much. Anyone know what type of cancer to look out for? When the class action suit starts I want to be the first to sign up.

I'm glad I've suffered through my acid reflux all these years!

I think it's about a particular chemical in Zantac - ranitidine Not that it's in all acid reducers.

You know it's bad when they wipe the shelves clean. With diet soda, they just put the bad ingredients in bold print and keep selling it.

Gee, I wonder what kind I'll get! Pancreatic? Colon? So many options!

Something else to look forward to in this nightmare hellscape of a world.

Who wants my stuff?

[quote]Can we sue?

Of course, and we'd love to be of assistance!

It's not the ranitidine that causes the cancer in Zantac and it's generics...it specifically says it "a contaminant". WTF? Can't they just remove the "contaminant"?

It’s not the Zantac/ranitidine itself that's the problem, it’s an impurity created by the pill-making process. Same thing happened with a lot of blood pressure meds over the last couple of years. Chinese manufacturers (where else) found a cheaper way to make the pills, but it turns out the cheaper process leaves toxins in the pills. FDA oversight of these Chinese factories was cut back, and the fucking Chinese were getting away with it. It’ll probably turn up in a host of other meds before this is cleared up.

Really? We can't even manufacture pills in this country anymore?

Deregulation is the answer to everything.

Or not.

I saw a report that US has just about 3 month supply of medications and all.. ALL are made over seas USA does not manufacture medications We are seriously screwed if we as a country to not start to manufacture medications

Natural sugar free licorace does the job safely and cheaply/

R16, read "Bottle of Lies" by Katherine Eban.

I wouldn't trust the Chinese. Remember when they put melamine in dog food to mimic protein? The test dog food manufactures did wasn't able to detect it till dogs were dying...some estimates have indicated as many as 30,000 dogs had kidney failure due to the "switch".

Don't buy ANYTHING Chinese. They are killing us slowly with everything..!!!

R19, have tried every type of 'natural' approach and yet to find something that works. And you want to try deglycyrrhizinated licorice as licorice can cause high blood pressure.

And no, I'm not fat. Problem started in my early 30's when I was at my fittest. It was a really stressful time of life though.

GI doctors talk about too much acid and they stick to reducers and suppressors. But for me I think the problem is a faulty esophageal valve that doesn't close properly. So whether you have normal or larger amounts of acid--if the valve doesn't stay closed--acid reflux. Because my tests do not have the right numbers, doctors won't even consider the approach of fixing the valve but only prescribe medication.

I use the CVS brand of Omeprazole. Is that safe to consume?

^ probably not is my guess

My doctor told me it's perfectly safe to take EVERYDAY for my acid reflux.

So much for doctors.

I have GERD and I am not one for woo stuff but for ME what brings relief within 10 minutes and lasts for hours is 1 to 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar (with the mother) in a half cup of water. you can add a little honey but the taste doesn't bother me.

I dont know why it works for me and it may not for everyone but I am eternally grateful to not wonder 'is this GERD or am I having a heart attack this time'

While being overweight might have something to do with it for some people, I'm slim and fit. If I don't drink coffee in the morning and watch what I eat, I can keep it at bay. Steel cut oats, popcorn..anything with lots of fiber seems to really get the heartburn going.

R27, I've heard that ACV works before. I would try it but the thing is every time I eat anything with other vinegar, like red wine vinegar on a salad or something made with vinegar like ketchup or BBQ sauce I get really bad acid in my stomach and up my throat. Maybe it's something special about the ACV and the kind I see in the organic coop with the mother that you mentioned. Maybe I'll give it try. I think I saw a small size bottle.

[quote]I dont know why it works for me

ACV is a good neutralizer for some reason. It's base qualities neutralize acid. It's also great for food poisoning because it kills bad bacteria in the gut. But it's terrible for your teeth.

Drinking kefir seems to calm my acid reflux somewhat.

Glad I never took that shit!

Every American should read this book:

But this time it wasn't the contamination in the shithole factory in China, actually it was the shithole one in India. All fat whores are doomed after heart med & blood pressure meds recalls. Probably just drop dead and save all the drug moneys for your nieces and nephews.

I drink coffee and smoked previously and all sorts of things bad for my teeth. I suspect the acid reflux of GERD is worse for my teeth and throat.

I actually got whatever its called when the lining of your lungs gets inflammation from fluid because the (at the time unknown) GERD was making me cough and that was getting molecules of acid in my lungs (none of this is the correct medical speak, jist a basic description).

at this point in time I am willing to sacrifice my teeth enamel. I was in the emergency room and having my son fly home because I thought I was dying. I get esophageal spasms too. that's gone away AND I get less severe symptoms in general since I have started with ACV.

it's worth an educated shot if you are really in need of an alternative until this recall is cleared up.

Calm the fuck down people. It's not the active ingredients in Zantac (generic name Ranitidine), if it was a matter of Zantac causing cancer, then FDA would have banned the drugs outright. As it is, FDA issued a warning due to testing revealing carcinogenic compounds that are NOT supposed to be in the formulation. So far the FDA is saying that it is an ongoing investigation.

GI meds can be known to cause longterm side effects, just like any other meds. For instance, the medication Reglan (generic name Metoclopramide) can cause tardive dyskinesia in patients who use it longer than 3 months. But that's a small portion of the population, so many GI specialists still prescribe it and monitor for side effects. I have patients with schizophrenia who are on antipsychotics that are also known to have tardive dyskinesia as side effects, but some of them are on Reglan too. So it's a matter of finding out which one caused the symptoms. There are no prefect meds or foods for that matter, all OTC and prescribed meds have side effects and this is something that ethical prescribers should always remind our patients.

The FDA has had to recall some widely-used drugs too, remember the Vioxx debacle? Largest drug recall in history I believe, due to to increased risk of stroke and CV events after taking it for long periods of time. Vioxx isn't the only famous drug to be recalled after being on the market for years, there are many such events in the past 30 years or so. Also for those who don't know, FDA defines longterm as longer than 6 months or longer of chronic or repeated intermittent use, this applies for treatment of disorders that are not life-threatening. For a drug to be approved it has to undergo several phases with human subjects on top of preliminary clinical phases using animal subjects. Phase 3 of human testing is when the longterm efficacy AND safety is established and confirmed. But remember that longterm can be as short as being on the medication for 6 months.

r35 = Chinese drug company investor

R35, we KNOW it's not the ranitidine that's the cancer causing agent. What we don't know is how the fuck the cancer causing agent, NDMA got in there (and other drugs) in the first place, how long it's been in these drugs, and how soon they can get it out!

I've been taking it as needed, not daily for roughly four years for ulcer flare ups. This is awfully distressing news, as I thought this was settled years ago. There were several associations more than a decade ago, but recent studies claimed it was untrue. Here I thought I was making the smarter choice by avoiding the PPI class of drugs. Though Tagamet is also an H2 blocker, it gives me terrible stomach pain. I suppose I'm only left with licorice tablets from the health food store now.

Not shocking. The FDA does not test generics to determine their non-active ingredients. It doesn't test generics, at all. The drug manufacturer need merely submit their own evidence of the efficacy of the active ingredient. They could all sorts of "fillers" into these pills.

R37 the FDA acts quickly, well as quickly as it could act, when there are contaminant agents involved in the manufacturing process. Not only that, it become a criminal investigation when there's evidence of awareness then ignoring the problem. I'm not a big fan of the FDA, compared to other regulatory agencies of similar ilk in other nations, I think the FDA is less stringent and by extension less safe.

R38 You might want to try garlic extract for your ulcer, also ginger with green tea. When I was working as a FNP most of my patients were there at clinic for GI issues, but the internal medicine physician that ran the practice and whom I worked under, had preached the standard treatment protocol of medications. Maybe that's why I left the practice, it was too-conventional in prescribing meds and not encouraging much else. I hated that because I read (and still read) research that show many plant compounds can be helpful in treating symptoms of GI problems. I don't expect you to read through the article I'm linking here, because it's full of clinical and statistical analysis lingo, but skim through it and you'll see that not all is lost if you cannot tolerate prescribed meds for your ulcer. My uncle has very bad, chronic ulcer, but his symptoms are pretty much gone once he's been taking garlic extract, ginger with green tea, and eating mostly vegetarian diet not so high in fat. The tannins and phenols (among other compounds) in green tea have been found to have anti-ulcer activities both in vitro and in vivo.

I'm slim and fit. Always have been. I just have bad GERD for some reason. My doctor first prescribed it to me 15 years ago — before it was over-the-counter.

And the thing is, I was taking it to *prevent* cancer. Eventually, GERD can damage the tissue and cause a precancerous condition called Barrett's esophagus.

Now I wonder what I've ended up giving myself instead.

R41, maybe you do not produce enough acid. Your Dr. sounds as if he did not really look into this as he should have. If you eat properly (no crap and not a lot), you may want to take ACV for it. Do not eat before bed...ever.

All the real scientists at FDA have left. I don't trust a thing they come out with now. And the pork industry is monitoring itself. Trump really wants to kill us.

baking soda

Baking soda does work but just barely and only for like an hour. I've quit the Zantac and started chewing lots of Tums.

R45 Do the Tums contain aluminium? How long do you find them effective? Cheers.

I spoke to my doctor about this and he said it’s a matter of where the medicine is made, if it’s from China or India, give it a hard pass. I have Acid Reflux and am being monitored for an ulcer. Cool acting Tums has helped. Avoiding food and drink that sets it off also helps (for me it’s tomatoes and carbonated drinks).

Too many recalls to count now. Old obese creatures, are you okay?

You know you could try famotidine (Pepcid), right? It's the same class of drug. I don't think taking store-bought "natural" remedies (that are probably manufactured right next door to the ranitidine factory) is a guarantee of safety. In fact, nothing is ever guaranteed.

It's actually reassuring that the problem is a contaminant, not the drug itself. They'll sort out the contamination situation eventually. You don't have to give it up forever.

R46, Tums are made with calcium carbonate, not aluminum. I find that they work OK, but not as well as PPIs and H2 histamine receptor antagonists, and the relief doesn't last as long for me.

here are some facts, the "suspect" ingredient in Zantac (or its generic version) also a residue in bacon and cured meat, so if you love bacon or processed meat, you have been willingly consuming it for your entire life, and its level in Zantac is so tiny, you actually get more when you have an extra slice of bacon in the morning. Zantac was not manufactured in India or China, CVS generics might be imported from India, but brand name Zantac never were, so instead of blaming it on India or China or whatever other countries, you probably should blame it on your own fat ass and tiny brain.

Thanks R40 & R49. I don't have H. Pylori, yet I do obtain some relief with Ginger and black tea. I eat plenty of garlic, quite regularly, so not sure if capsules would help. Gin-Gins or ginger tea is my go to along with the licorice. I like green tea, so I suppose I ought to try drinking it more often then.

For those suffering with the ulcers from the H.Pylori, many people also find success taking Larch from tne health food store.

[quote]I use the CVS brand of Omeprazole. Is that safe to consume?

Different type of drug. Omeprazol is a PPI, Zantac is an H2 blocker.

R50 Please refrain from more fat comments R50. You made very credible points in your post up to that point. Not everyone suffering stomach ulcers or reflux, or GERD are fat. The constant needless and senseless association of everything on DL with being fat is already at a ridiculous level.

Some may struggle with weight issues here, but several of us do not. You're not helping those who are overweight by trying to shame them either.

[quote]You're not helping those who are overweight by trying to shame them either.

Shows how much you know.

It would appear these detestable mean queens on here have been possessed by an evil teen girl spirit. Seek an exorcist, or try expelling said evil teen girl spirit with a series of high colonics.

R54 It isn't funny or clever really, but rather mundane, juvenile, and ugly.

[quote] Omeprazol is awesome but you can get a three months supply for $20 bucks with a prescription 40mg. Much cheaper than OTC.

I suspect most of those who fat shame are obese themselves and self hating of being overweight probably among many other things. Most naturally thin people don't have such an obsession with heavy people. Usually it's those who are obese themselves or were and have to live a life of misery to stay thinner.

R57 Interesting take on it. I have often thought in the past that they don't work out, just starve themselves and they're hangry!

R57, no I think people who go on and on about fat people aren’t obese themselves. Rather, they’re mostly normal weight or a little overweight themselves. Mostly the latter, and I think the constant raging against fat people is a subconscious way of trying not to become obese themselves. Just my observation from being in healthcare for the past 15 or so years.

Lotsa obese people are being triggered here after getting so panicky about carcinogens in their drugs and food. Obesity is obesity; nothing good ever comes out of being in denial.

I fat shame and I'm very thin. Obese people are gross. Everyone of a healthy weight looks down on people who wear their mental illness in public the way obese people do. Also, the Fat Pride movement is offensive in promoting poor health and self-delusion among the obese.

R60, R61 I fat shame too but in private and on DL, not when dealing with fat patients though. People are so empowered by the fat pride movement that if you tell them to manage their weight, they get defensive or angry with you. I agree with it being an outward manifestation of mental illness in some people. But with most obese people it’s because our culture has normalized and accepted obesity. I work with a Black lady who’s a LMFT and does counseling at the practice. She weighs over 300 lbs and is aware that she’s morbidly obese. But she justifies it by saying Black women are naturally big boned. It’s sad because she’s nice and well-educated but dumb when it comes to her health.

Can we get back on topic please? GERD is not unique to people who are obese.

Im just hoping Omeprazol isn't found to be carcinogenic as I take this for my acid reflux when it flares up. And yes, avoiding certain foods can help with GERD a lot.

Another home remedy here, which might work for some. I used to chew small bits of Japanese agar (kanten) along with some water. I tried other types of agar but the Japanese form seemed to be the only one that had any effect. You can find it in health food stores, it's used as a thickener in cooking. You can take Tums with it too.

Aloe and dietary adjustments. Licorice in suspended form to treat severe burning at first.

I remember when Zantac blew up in the mid 90s. Didn't it start as a prescription drug and eventually became an OTC drug?

R60, R61, & R62 Don't you feel in the slightest it's a bit undignified of an adult to put someone down in this manner? Personally, I don't believe in shaming people unless they're rapists, thieves, Trumps, or murderers. R62 If you are a healthcare provider, surely you have kept apprised of the myriad of mutations somewhat recently discovered which affect size and quantity of fat cells in humans. Then there are the viruses which have been proven to cause people to develop mutated fat cells. Unless you are doing an entire scan of their genome, and testing for antibodies, how can you be so sure to blame them for lack of will-power, or not keeping within caloric guidelines? I certainly wouldn't want your approach if I were one of your patients. None of this sits well with me morally or ethically. Sorry to digress further R63.

The problem [bold] is not a contaminant, [/bold] it's the result of the chemical reactions that occur when the drug is produced.

Nitrosodimethylamine, or NDMA, "can form during manufacturing if the chemical reactions used to make the drug are not carefully controlled, the F.D.A. has said."

That may very well mean all histamine blocker antacids can have a similar problem during manufacturing. The amount of NDMA is very small though.

R66 Yes but larger dosages still require prescription both alone or as compounds in other meds. For instance TRITEC has prescriptivists strength ranitidine in it, and it’s used in conjunction with clarithromycin to treat H. pylori.

R67 Hate to break it to you but there isn’t a virus or specific biologic catalyst that induces obesity only in Americans, and I’ll add that we Americans are not a monolith ethnically or racially. So why are we affected by these genetic proliferations that cause us to be fat? We’re fat because we eat too much and we eat the wrong things. Most people don’t realize how much or how shitty their diet is or if they do, they don’t want to change. Just give me meds, I hear this all the time. Maybe you and others here don’t but I’m telling you from experience you’re in the minority.

Epigenetics is something that affects obesity of future generations, meaning fat or obese people who get fat by overeating then pass on their fat genes to their children and future generations. I think many fat activists hear this and misinterpreted it as meaning that their obesity is genetic. It’s more complicated than that. Eating the wrong types of food may also alter gut bacteria over time so that your metabolism is altered. But again it’s way more complicated than it appears and even current scientific evidence isn’t clear.

Healthcare providers have a duty to tell patients that their weight is killing them. To sugarcoat it and consider self-esteem first and foremost is not something we should do, especially when self-esteem is tied now to the fat movement. There is an honest, firm, yet dignified approach to do this with patients. But to the fat movement, anything that suggests fat is less than good or healthy is akin to personal offense. This is how many obese patients feel. Do you have a better suggestion? We have personal opinions and may express them privately or on forum like DL. We’re frustrated sometimes about things we wish we could do and things we wish patients can do.

Most of the time, the only convenient choices are unhealthy. I've had jobs where lunch has to be quick, so everyone runs over to the fast food joint for a sack of burgers. I brought my lunch most of the time, but they really make it quick and easy to run across the street for shitty, unhealthy food. There's no such thing as quick, drive thru balanced nutrition.

[quote]Healthcare providers have a duty to tell patients that their weight is killing them.

Yes, agreed. And, having told them, they have a duty to back off and let the patient live his life as he wants. What's important to you - including living as long a life as possible, or staying fit and healthy - is not necessarily a first priority with your hypothetical patient. The same applies to smokers. Maybe their lives are unhappy, and the only pleasure they have is their food or their cigarettes. Or maybe they're old - say, over 70 - and want to spend their final years enjoying life, not living the lifestyle you think is appropriate and healthy.

Inform the patient fully, remind them as needed, but don't lecture them or judge them as people when you don't understand their lives or motivations any better than they understand yours. It's their lives, not yours, that they're risking. If you can't be that understanding, then you have no business practicing in a specialty where you manage patient's overall medical conditions.

R69 Being the son and brother of Physicians, I happen to read several medical journals for "fun". Research SMAM-1 and Human Adenovirus-36. Since 2017 these two viruses have been known to play a role in Obesity. Not just Americans as you claim, but also in the Indian population.

There have been studies for roughly fourteen years now on Cytomegalovirus and weight gain. Depending on the studies, roughly 40-60% of obese people have antibodies to these viruses. Furthermore sixteen additional Adenoviruses are being studied for possible implications with weight gain. Thin people usually have no antibodies for these viruses. When people test positive who are not obese, they do place much higher on BMI, despite severe calorie restriction. What sort of healthcare provider are you? You seem not to address the genetic revelations either.

Your unwillingness to believe the science is not uncommon, yet it still doesn't excuse your behaviour in shaming people. There are far more effective strategies to encourage and educate people with weight problems. A focus on holistic health in a non-judgemental atmosphere, and encouraging whole foods and exercise is the best way.

[quote]Aloe and dietary adjustments. Licorice in suspended form to treat severe burning at first.

Licorice is also the gold standard thyroid healing herb of all time. I had my thyroid tested which came back clean, but also noticed my GERD problem got better with licorice extract. Check out the GERD-thyroid connection. When I started taking desiccated thyroid glandular I stopped having any night reflux.

R71 You make an excellent point regarding age. It is now recognised that in aged and elderly populations, too great a weight gain OR loss leads to early mortality. This has been pointed up in the literature several times now, regardless of the time frame involved in the change of BMI. Apparently it shall shorten one's life if he makes too drastic a change past a certain age.

I shall add R69 People such as yourself, healthcare providers or not completely turn me deaf to their words when they automatically assume I'm fat too, for having objections to your science, your focus, as well as your shameful behaviour. After re-reading your post, I've come to realise this is some sort of fixation for you. You either demonise your fat patients because you have no answers or strategic solutions, and you're frustrated, or you begin with a bias as I previously stated.

I'm fit, but I eat one or two meals a day, and workout on top of a very physically demanding lifestyle. As we get older, it is hard to keep a 32-33" waist in my case. You aren't even addressing hormones, and Andropause. Just continue to blame everyone for eating too much, and see how few of your patients improve.

Fat viruses in 200 million people!!!! Shouldn't the world be terrified of this pandemic in the US, now that obesity can be contagious? Ridiculous.

R76 Stop with your nonsense, nowhere did I state 200M people. The Adenoviruses are quite contagious and prevailing. There ARE other causes, other than sheer lack of willpower, and it supported by the literature as well as genetic studies.

Oddly enough I have the reverse problem. I don't eat a lot and when I don't, I get a lot of pain, UNLESS I eat something.

Over six months I gained 20 pounds, because food was the only thing that stopped the pain. Then I got Omeprazol from my doctor and the pain stopped and I lost the weight, as I no longer had to eat to stop the excess acid

What about Prilosec OTC?

My partner has been taking this for years! He had a GI bleed donkey years ago, was hospitalized and they prescribed him Prilosec. At the time, this wasn't over the counter yet. It became OTC shortly after. He's been using it ever since.

He also tested positive for H. pylori, he was prescribed antibiotics for that.

Well I can kiss my retirement goodbye. I’ve lived on that medication for years. What kind of cancer?

R80 They're being obtuse, just stating it's a possible human carcinogen. Zantac had previously been associated with stomach cancer however. At that time, this rocket-fuel constituent wasn't known of or blamed.

It's a classic chicken or egg issue. Did the person taking Zantac have pathology prior to Zantac, or a genetic predisposition to stomach cancer? Then the theory of increasing pathogens by lowering the acid levels of the stomach is quesioned. The latest studies had proven an association without declaring a cause and effect.

any updates on this?

....

I bet that's how Olivia Newton-John got cancer, now that we know that horrible movie she starred in causes cancer.

zantacdu

FDA said cancer causing substance not in other brands.

R86 I'm curious then as to why the generics, and the original Sandoz Rx version have been pulled as well? It seems the very process by which this drug is manufactured is at question. I have still taken a few tablets I have on hand, desperate for relief... I figure if I have been taking them for almost four years, whatever shall a few more do... I haven't been really able to eat regularly anymore since this news.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

Cheers R88 & R89. I've tried the Pepcid, but it doesn't seem to help really. Does one need to dramatically up the dose switching from Zantac I wonder.... Tagamet has always caused a stomach ache for me... and different to my regular ulcer symptoms and pain. PPIs give me both diarrhea and stomach cramps.

Anyone else in this situation? I do not suffer H. Pylori infection.

R90, so sorry to hear that. Have you seen a doctor? My partner had a GI bleed and had a scope and the doctors at the time prescribed him Prilosec, it wasn't available as OTC at the time, he's now taking the OTC version. so he's never taken the H2 blockers.

You should talk to your doctor when you get your annual physical check up, maybe you have other issues. Good luck and get it checked out!

R91 Thanks... was scoped a little over a year ago, and tested for the H.Pylori... since then something may have happened, certainly. Back to the Doc for sure, I'm afraid.

I was told to take the Ranitidine at the time, and had a somewhat healed duodenal ulcer. They couldn't explain why the other drugs don't agree with me. I'm going to up the Pepcid dose in the meantime. My mum had an ulcer ages ago, and oddly enough, she had horrible stomach pain with Tagamet also.

So far all recalls are voluntary actions from drug makers, not imposed by FDA. Not to say this whole thing is overblown, but the evidence is just not there yet. Link to the statement posted on FDA site, take precautions but not need to panic.

Why don't they test everyone who has taken it in the last year and see?

R94 To see what exactly? If we have cancer, or the rocket-fuel constituent in our blood? I'd be willing either way....