Ranitidine for GERD User Reviews (Page 3)

• Anonymous
• December 2, 2009

"19 years old, suffering from extreme acid reflux for the past year... after getting to the point where 4-6 Rolaids wouldn't cut it after a meal, I started on Protonix-- bad idea, made me so sick I couldn't stand it. Tried ranitidine next... so much better! I hardly ever feel sick, and when I do, it's only from super-spicy food. I love ranitidine!"

• mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 16, 2015

"As I've just recently started taking Ranitidine HCL 150 mg tablets, it is my desire to see it help to prevent all these heartburn attacks, as I call them. I've been having several attacks, feeling as if I'm having a heart attack several times a week. As of late, it has gotten so much worse, and I'm not exactly sure why. I usually don't know stomach acid is being sent from my stomach upward, due to my also having a hiatal hernia. Where the hiatal hernia is located is always where the pain starts and remains the worst. The pain is becoming much worse with each and every attack. Again, as I've already stated, it's my hope that with the use of Ranitidine HCL and Pantoprazole, both these medications taken will stop this."

• Bec...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 1, 2019

"Been on this medicine for 5 years, two 150 mg tablets morning and evening. Normally need to take Rennies at night for heartburn. Did switch to Omeprazole for a week as felt it wasn't working, feeling out of breath after eating and not being able to burp, but the dreadful side effects got too much, so back on Ranitidine. For the last 6 days, been feeling extremely tired and weak with lightheadedness. Doctor said my pulse is too slow and has arranged a heart monitoring test and blood tests in a fortnight. I now see a rare side effect of this medicine is heart damage/Bradycardia, but doctor didn't mention this medicine could be the cause of it. I don't know whether to come off this medicine or not, but maybe just take it at night? All I know is I'm too lightheaded to do much at the moment, and I'm scared."

• PRA...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 28, 2018

"I experienced bearable but significant pain exactly in the middle of the chest. As prescribed by the doctor, I took Zantac 150, 15 mins before food, but after taking food, I am now experiencing heavy chest tightness. This is for the 2nd time in this week."

• Kka...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 6, 2019

"I've been on Prilosec 2x a day for a year. I follow a strict diet, but it doesn't always work. The doctor prescribed ranitidine 150 2x a day along with the Prilosec. It's been a month now, and I've only had 2 bad episodes, which for me is great improvement."

• kwd...
• November 26, 2016

"Best drug ever. I had a horrible pepper/spicy curry with burning sensation, trouble breathing, bad discomfort like I was in septic shock or something, chest pains, spasms in the throat. Within two days of taking 300 mg of ranitidine per day, it has got me back on my feet! I was on 60 mg lansoprazole per day a month prior to this with not much of an effect. I do take both together, so it could be the both meds."

• Teh...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 7, 2019

"I've been on Ranitidine for almost 2 years, it works great for heartburn. I take it before food, and it did reduce the bloat. But currently, it has been recalled...any suggestions on the replacement drug or any brand still available?"

• Bar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 5, 2022

Ranitidine "The new Zantac 360 is identical to the ingredients of Pepcid. Zantac is trying to make a comeback by deceiving the public at a significant price increase compared to Pepcid. I guess what's even more amazing to me is that people buy it. Buffooniverse!"

• JCa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 24, 2018

"I started having regular heartburn (every day) when I was about 37 years old. I was given ranitidine (150 mg/day). It worked well. Two years later, I was pregnant and had awful heartburn. I jumped to taking two 150 mg pills a day. One and a half years later, I started having memory issues. Nothing major - just mixing up people's names, not being able to find the right word. I assumed it was lack of sleep due to having a young child. However, research pointed me toward vitamin B deficiencies as a cause of memory issues and stomach acid inhibitors possibly blocking the absorption of vitamin B. I wonder if there was a connection between the four years of ranitidine and the memory issues? Also, GERD started after changing the birth control pills. Given my terrible heartburn during pregnancy, I wonder if the hormones caused the GERD. At 44, I've been off birth control and off ranitidine for years. Heartburn occurs about once a month. Memory is better, but issues linger."

• Fat...
• April 26, 2010

"I have had an issue with GERD every night. I would lose sleep from the constant stomach pains and nausea. I would have to make myself vomit to feel even some relief. I finally got some help from my doctor and a little pill, and now I feel AWESOME! It may be a little hard to swallow at first, but I have never felt better!"

• oli...
• March 26, 2018

"My son was prescribed this for reflux about 4 years ago. After about 6 months, he started getting a pimply rash here and there. He was almost 13, so I thought it was acne. Then it got worse until it was almost all over. I research everything, so I did, looking for the answer. Nothing worked (changing to hypoallergenic laundry soap and bath soap, checking anything changed recently). I took him to a dermatologist who tried many different creams, ointments, lotions, etc., which didn't work. So I went back to researching, but further back in the timeline, and came across ranitidine. I found 1 person's case reported by a doctor who had gotten a rash. It went away when the medication was stopped. So we stopped it. It took a few weeks, but then slowly a few spots disappeared, then more. It took months to totally clear up. The dermatologist never checked side effects to the meds. Sometimes we have to be our own doctor. I didn't think about the ranitidine because the rash took so long to show."

• kat...
• October 16, 2017

"I have had severe pain in my ears and behind my left eye for 10+ years now. I've seen my family doctor and 2 ear specialists. Nothing can be explained or found wrong. In 2016, I was diagnosed with GERD. The medication made me sicker. Then I was told to take ranitidine. At first, it was hard, one pill every 12 hours. So careful of food intake day and night. Then, after 6 months of ranitidine, I noticed I haven't had any ear pain or eye pain. I now take ranitidine about every 18 hours and notice the ear and eye pain creeping up. Though ranitidine does help immensely, it's the ear pain or lack of that ranitidine has cured. Who knew ****"

• Hel...
• March 2, 2016

Ranitidine "I had been prescribed this medication. I was to take it every morning and night to prevent my symptoms of GERD. I had done that for about a month or less, and I was also to take it when the pain had come. It worked wonderfully. I had stopped taking the medication, and then when I did need the pain to stop, the medication was and is still ineffective."

• car...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 4, 2020

"Ok, folks, I can only speak for myself. Ranitidine does work, but the side effects are horrific for me: insomnia, anxiety, lightheadedness, upset stomach; the list is endless. To the extent my GP was going to send me down the mental health road. So I stopped taking them. Result: my anxiety is down, sleep better, calmness good. It has been a nightmare for 6 months. If I can help, I would suggest you question the medication. It's a double-edged sword, no gain without pain, but it surely should not be like this in the 21st century. I really do feel for you people; you are not alone."

• leh...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 25, 2015

"I was considered 'special' and was taking 150 mg Zantac and 40 mg pantoprazole. The doctor varied my treatment over a period of one year, but I was still complaining of a burning tongue. A different doctor advised Zantac only as needed, and 2-1/2 weeks later, I feel so much better."

• Nik...
• June 29, 2019

"300 mg helped a lot, but after a few months, it just didn't seem like my GERD was going away, and I was still uncomfortable, though not in horrible pain, so I got switched to a PPI, Protonix to be exact. At the time, Protonix was not generic and expensive, so I tried to stick with ranitidine, but it just wasn't enough, so I stuck with Protonix long-term for about 10 years and was happy until I found out about the long-term side effects. For the last 2 years, I've been taking 'drug holidays' from Protonix to let my body absorb vitamins that require stomach acid and taking ranitidine again for a few days, but it's just not enough to go on long-term. I believe ranitidine blocks about 30% of stomach acid (though I've read it's higher), while PPIs go over 90%, so it is quite a bit of a difference. Anyway, if you have mild GERD and ranitidine can fix you, stick to it because it's safer than PPIs. If you have a mild to severe case like me, do everything you can to keep the cancer away."

• Slo...
• October 8, 2017

Ranitidine "Stopped Nexium, and Dr. prescribed 150 mg of generic Zantac (ranitidine) twice daily. About 14 hours from the first dose, the GERD was back in full force. At 3 AM, I resorted to 20 mg of Nexium and another 20 mg an hour later. Worst night in many years. Not sure if it takes time for this medicine to build up in my system, but I can't suffer from GERD, and it did not work the first day."

• Suf...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 23, 2020

"I have suffered from GERD for many years. There is not an OTC or RX pill, capsule, or liquid that I haven't tried, and not a single one of them helped with my GERD. Zantac 150 mg once daily was what helped me be free to enjoy food again. I took it for years, and now I can't get it and have wasted hundreds of dollars trying to find something comparable in relief, and there is nothing."

• tha...
• September 1, 2009

"I have had gastritis for a couple of years now, and my doctor prescribed this for me just to see if it would help me with all the acid in my stomach, but it actually did the quite opposite. It made my stomach burn really bad! I tried it a couple more times thinking I just needed to get used to it, but it burned more each time. Everyone reacts differently, but I found that promethazine and metoclopramide worked best!"

• jss...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 16, 2023

"My primary care physician prescribed this med for more than 4 years on a daily basis before informing me about 'potential' bone loss and malnutrition. He watched me struggle for 2 more years as my teeth literally fell apart, and in 6 years did not offer to switch me to an alternative med. Did ranitidine work? Sometimes. About 50% of the time, I suffered terrible pain, including esophageal spasms, regardless. And all of my lower teeth had to be replaced."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 16, 2019

Ranitidine "This is my first time taking it after some terrible acid reflux. The first one I took, I ended up throwing it back up 45 minutes later, and the second one later that evening took me into a spiral of pain."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 7, 2020

Ranitidine "Am a young patient with GERD, had it since I was 15, and now I'm 20. This medicine also always makes me vomit, a few hours from taking it. The sensation can't be held back, it just forces you to vomit, even in the middle of the night when you wanted overnight relief. I was told to get GERD-relieving meds over the counter until the doctor prescribed famotidine, and it works wonders!"

• Jon...
• September 1, 2015

Ranitidine "Thank you. Zantac. I had a GERD attack. And about 20 minutes after 150 mg, a 93 percent improvement. Thank you so much. Jon."

• hea...
• February 23, 2009

Ranitidine "I didn't get heartburn all day, but I did feel weak and lightheaded all morning."

• Anonymous
• January 13, 2011

Ranitidine "Really helped to control my GERD symptoms."