Gastrointestinal diseases are an extremely common problem that people suffer from regardless of age and gender. For example, gastritis is often diagnosed among adolescents, and sometimes in young children. Fortunately, modern medicine offers a lot of drugs for the treatment of inflammatory processes of the digestive tract. And one of them is the drug "Ranitidine." Indications for use with this medication are very broad. So what is included in its composition and how effective is such a tool?
The drug "Ranitidine": composition and form of release
The main active substance of the drug is ranitidine hypochloride. In its natural form, it is a granular powder of white color (sometimes with a yellowish tint) with a characteristic smell of sulfur and a bitter taste. This substance has antagonistic properties with respect to histamine H2 receptors.
The drug is available either in the form of tablets, or in the form of a solution for intramuscular or intravenous administration. There are so-called "effervescent" tablets for the preparation of an aqueous solution.
The tablets have a round, biconvex shape, covered with a light orange shell on top. As auxiliary substances, sodium lauryl sulfate, microcrystalline cellulose, colloidal silicon dioxide, corn starch, magnesium stearate, titanium dioxide, hypromellose, polyethylene glycol 6000, ethyl cellulose and yellow dye are used.
To date, pharmacological companies offer tablets that contain either 150 mg or 300 mg of the active substance. Injection solutions are available in 2 ml glass ampoules.
Pharmacological properties of the drug "Ranitidine"
As already mentioned, the main active substance of the drug blocks histamine H2-receptors. This medicine mainly affects the work of parietal cells of the gastric mucosa. Under its influence, the release of hydrochloric acid is inhibited, which leads to a decrease in the amount of
gastric juice secreted
, as well as a decrease in its acidity. By the way, that’s why the drug “Ranitidine” for heartburn is very effective.
It is worth noting that histamine receptor blockers reduce the concentration of digestive enzymes (pepsin) in the gastric juice. Inhibition of secretion creates optimal conditions for the healing of ulcers on the mucous membrane, which, of course, accelerates the healing process.
In addition, the active components of the drug affect the gastroduodenal zone, increasing the activity of local protective mechanisms, increasing the secretion of protective mucous secretions. The drug also accelerates the regeneration process.
Along with this, the medicine does not have any dangerous effect on the body. In particular, it does not affect the concentration of calcium ions in the blood, does not interfere with the endocrine system, and does not affect spermatogenesis. Research results also showed that the drug does not have a carcinogenic effect and does not cause mutations. On the other hand, the active substance passes through the placental barrier and into breast milk.
After taking the medicine, it is rapidly absorbed by the wall of the digestive tract. Its maximum concentration in the blood is observed after 2-3 hours. In most cases, the effect lasts about 12 hours. During metabolism, it is partially converted in the liver. It is completely excreted from the body by the kidneys within a day after administration.
The drug "Ranitidine": indications for use
This medicine is widely used as
an antiulcer drug. However, there are many violations in which doctors prescribe the medicine "Ranitidine." Indications for use are as follows:
- severe heartburn;
- peptic ulcer of the stomach and small intestine;
- today the drug "Ranitidine" is widely used for gastritis;
- An indication for its use is also esophagitis, which is caused by throwing gastric contents into the esophagus or is associated with a violation of the integrity of the tissues of the mucous membrane;
- the medicine helps people with dyspepsia in those cases if it is accompanied by severe pain in the epigastric region associated with eating;
- the drug is used in the treatment of certain benign tumors;
- as an adjunct therapy is used for aspiration pneumonitis and rheumatoid arthritis;
- this tool is part of the treatment for bleeding in the upper digestive system;
- as a prophylaxis, the drug is prescribed to patients who underwent surgery on the organs of the gastrointestinal tract.
It should only be noted that acute diseases are not the only ailments requiring treatment with the Ranitidine preparation. Indications for use include the prevention of exacerbations of chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer.
How to take the medicine?
Of course, before using this medicine, you need to consult a doctor. All doses are determined individually, as they depend on the age and condition of the patient, the form of the disease, the purpose of admission (treatment or prevention):
- Adult patients are shown taking tablets with a dose of the active substance 150 mg twice a day. In some cases, doctors recommend taking two tablets at once before bedtime.
- To prevent bleeding, the patient is administered intramuscularly (or intravenously) at 0.05 - 0.1 g with a frequency of 6-8 hours (if necessary, the dose can be increased to 0.9 g).
- Adolescents typically take 150 mg twice daily.
- In the treatment of benign tumors, the recommended dose is 150 mg of the active substance three times a day.
As a rule, the duration of treatment is from four to eight weeks. If it comes to prevention, then some patients are recommended to take the drug for several months, and sometimes a whole year, but under the constant supervision of a doctor and with regular endoscopic examinations.
Contraindications to the use of the medicine "Ranitidine"
Like any other medicine, not every patient can use this drug. In particular, it is forbidden to use to treat women during pregnancy and lactation, since the active substances easily penetrate into milk and pass the placental barrier. Contraindication is hypersensitivity to any constituent substance of the drug. "Ranitidine" is not used in the treatment process for children under 14 years of age.
In addition, this drug is used with caution to treat patients who are diagnosed with hepatic or renal failure, as well as acute porphyria and cirrhosis.
What side effects are possible during treatment?
Unfortunately, the active components of the drug affect almost all organ systems. Therefore, in some patients, taking the drug may be associated with some adverse reactions:
- Headaches, drowsiness, increased anxiety, fatigue, dizziness, blurred vision are often observed. In more serious cases, the medicine can lead to confusion, the development of depressive states, and the occurrence of hallucinations.
- Possible disruption of the cardiovascular system, in particular, a decrease in blood pressure, aplastic or hemolytic anemia, arrhythmia, tachycardia, thrombocytopenia, less commonly, bone marrow hypoplasia.
- Allergic reactions are often accompanied by the appearance of skin rash and itching, fever, swelling, erythrem. It is extremely rare that taking the drug leads to anaphylactic shock.
- Perhaps the appearance of nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain. Very rarely, treatment leads to the development of pancreatitis and some forms of hepatitis.
If any side effects occur, stop taking the medicine and describe the symptoms to the doctor.
Additional medicine information
Before you start taking this medicine, as a rule, a thorough examination is carried out, since it is extremely important to make sure that there are no malignant tumors in the stomach and small intestine. The fact is that the drug can mask the main symptoms of cancer.
Long-term treatment of patients with a weakened immune system and depletion of the body can lead to bacterial damage to the tissues of the stomach.
Reception of "Ranitidine" should be stopped gradually, day after day, reducing the dose. Abrupt drug withdrawal can trigger an exacerbation of peptic ulcer.
How does the medicine “Ranitidine” interact with other drugs?
Quite often, therapy involves the simultaneous use of this medication and antacid drugs that reduce acidity in the stomach. In such cases, the interval between the use of these drugs should be at least 1-2 hours.
The drug "Ranitidine" complicates the absorption of ketoconazole, and also inhibits the metabolic processes in the liver of diazepam, metronidazole, lidocaine and some other drugs. By the way, smoking significantly reduces the effect of taking this drug.
The drug "Ranitidine": patient reviews
Reviews of patients using this drug are mostly positive. People note the truly visible effect of such a treatment. The drug "Ranitidine" helps eliminate heartburn, relieves the main symptoms of gastritis. The advantages of this medication include a relatively affordable cost. Adverse reactions occur extremely rarely.