Patient/caregiver was educated on how to take ranitidine as follows:
- Take this medication as ordered by your physician. This medication can induce some nausea and vomiting, when taken on empty stomach. Taking the medication with some food or snack can help avoid these unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms.
- Ranitidine could be prescribed as an oral syrup, regular tablets/capsules, or effervescent granules. This medication could also be obtained OTC for relief of heartburn and dyspepsia symptoms.
- When taking ranitidine as an oral syrup, use a measuring spoon/cup to measure the correct dose being taken, in order to avoid risk for over/under dosing.
- Do not crush or chew the tablet/capsule. Take them as a whole. If you encounter difficulty swallowing the capsule, you may open the capsule, if the capsule is not sealed, and sprinkle the contents on a spoonful of soft jelly or applesauce and swallow the jelly or sauce without chewing it.
- Ranitidine effervescent tablets/granules must be dissolved in a cup of water completely, before you drink the entire mixture. Do not allow the effervescent tablets/granules to dissolve on your tongue. Dissolving the ranitidine effervescent tablets/granules on the tongue can compromise the therapeutic benefit of the medication.
- Take the medication dose at the same time, every day, as ordered, to avoid forgetting the intake of medication.
- Maintain strict compliance with intake of the medication dose as ordered, with regards to dosage and frequency, to derive the benefit of the medication.
- Do not change the dose on this medication without consulting your doctor.
- Avoid drinking alcohol with ranitidine. Alcohol carries the potential to damage the inner lining (mucosa) of the digestive tract and thus worsen the symptoms of GERD and erosive gastritis, such as, burning sensation in the stomach and throat, and abdominal pain. Alcohol use can also inhibit the healing and worsen symptoms of peptic ulcers.
- Your physician could change the dose of ranitidine, based on the relief obtained or side-effects developed. So, maintain compliance with follow-up physician appointments, to have your doctor updated. Be accommodative to the plan of frequent dose changes, until you show an optimum response.
- Ranitidine could be prescribed for long-term or short-term use, based on factors such as, severity of condition being treated and response to the treatment. Do not continue using the medication beyond the prescribed length of time. Any continuation or worsening of symptoms must be reported to the physician for further advice.
- Continue taking it as ordered, even if your symptoms of heartburn and acid reflux are under control. Discontinuing the medication abruptly, without physician recommendation, can lead to recurrence of the symptoms.
- Ranitidine could be prescribed as part of a combination therapy. It could be prescribed with an antibiotic for healing a peptic ulcer. Ranitidine could also be prescribed along with other medications such as, omeprazole/pantoprazole for better management of symptoms of GERD and erosive gastritis. Observe compliance with the plan of treatment to derive the optimum response and relief from the symptoms.
