Patient/caregiver was educated on the side-effects of using ranitidine as follows:
General allergic reactions
- Ranitidine use can result in general allergic reactions, such as, skin rashes, hives, and itching.
- Some patients can present with symptoms of anaphylaxis, such as, difficulty breathing, swelling of face, lips, throat, and tongue, with consequent difficulty breathing.
- Seek emergency medical help for such findings, especially with difficulty breathing, for any appropriate measures to be considered.
Nausea and vomiting
- Ranitidine use can sometimes result in common general constitutional symptoms such as, nausea and vomiting.
- Taking ranitidine tablet with a small snack can help avoid having unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms with the medication.
Compromised hepatic function
- Ranitidine use can result in hepatic damage and compromised liver function, consequently leading to mild right upper quadrant pain in the abdomen, poor digestion, and loss of appetite.
- Extreme cases of liver injury can result in findings such as, anemia with associated weakness, compromised endurance, rapid heart rate, and shortness of breath.
- Individuals can also present symptoms of jaundice, such as, yellowing of skin and white of the eyes, and dark colored urine, secondary to increased bilirubin pigment, due to liver damage and severely affected liver function.
Diarrhea
- Ranitidine use can sometimes result in gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea.
- The diarrhea can be self-limiting and resolve over a period of time.
- Report any unresolved diarrhea to your physician. Observe compliance with recommendations on fluid supplementation, to help replace fluid loss due to diarrhea.
