Patient/caregiver was educated on the precautions to be observed while taking ranitidine as follows:
- Ranitidine use can sometimes result in gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea. The diarrhea, secondary to ranitidine use, usually is self-limiting and resolve over a period of time. Occasionally it can be unresolved and continue longer. Report any unresolved diarrhea to your physician. Observe compliance with recommendations on fluid supplementation, to help replace fluid loss due to diarrhea.
- Continue taking it as ordered, even if your symptoms of heartburn and acid reflux are under control. Discontinuing the medication abruptly can lead to recurrence of the symptoms.
- Your physician could change the dose of ranitidine or discontinue the medication, based on the lab results obtained. So, maintain compliance with follow-up physician appointments and lab draws ordered. Be accommodative to the changes in plan of care, as per the physician recommendation.
- If a dose is missed, it should be taken at the earliest notice of noncompliance. If it is time for the next dose, the missed dose can be skipped. Compensating for the missed dose by taking an extra dose can pose serious risk for toxicity and side-effects.
