INFORMATION FOR CONSUMERS
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This leaflet answers some common questions about ARROW - RANITIDINE.
It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have benefits and risks. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking ARROW - RANITIDINE against the benefits they expect IT will have for you.
If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with your medicine. You may need to read it again.
ARROW - RANITIDINE is used to:
ARROW - RANITIDINE is used to heal peptic ulcers. Depending on the position of the ulcer it is called a gastric or duodenal ulcer. A gastric ulcer occurs in the stomach. A duodenal ulcer occurs in the duodenum, which is the tube leading out of the stomach. These ulcers usually cause pain and discomfort (indigestion) which is felt between the navel and the breast bone. The pain may occur before or after meals, or in the middle of the night.
ARROW - RANITIDINE IS also used to help stop duodenal ulcers from coming back.
ARROW - RANITIDINE is used to treat reflux oesophagitis, also called reflux disease, and stop it from coming back. This condition is caused by the washing back, or reflux, of food and acid from the stomach into the food pipe, also called the oesophagus. This causes a painful burning sensation in the chest rising up to the throat (heartburn), and usually occurs after eating or at night.
ARROW - RANITIDINE is used to treat a rare condition called Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, where the stomach produces very large amounts of acid, much more than in ulcers and reflux disease.
ARROW - RANITIDINE is used to treat a rare condition called Scleroderma Oesophagitis, where the oesophagus is abnormal and there is reflux.
ARROW - RANITIDINE belongs to a group of medicines called histamine H2-antagonists. These medicines work by reducing the amount of acid made by the stomach. This helps reduce the pain and also allows the ulcer and/or reflux disease to heal in most people.
Your doctor may have prescribed ARROW - RANITIDINE for another reason. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why ARROW - RANITIDINE has been prescribed for you.
ARROW - RANITIDINE is not recommended for use in children under the age of 8, as there have been no studies of its effects in this age group.
ARROW - RANITIDINE is available only with a doctor's prescription.
There is no evidence that ARROW - RANITIDINE is addictive.
Do not take ARROW - RANITIDINE if you are allergic to:
Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include skin rash, itchiness or hives, swelling of the face, lips or tongue (which may cause difficulty in swallowing), shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty breathing.
Do not take ARROW - RANITIDINE if the expiry date (Exp.) printed on the
pack has passed.
If you take this medicine after the expiry date has passed, it may not work as
well.
Do not take ARROW - RANITIDINE if the packaging shows signs of tampering or the tablets do not look quite right.
Tell your doctor if you are allergic to any other medicines, foods, dyes or preservatives.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
Your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits of taking ARROW - RANITIDINE
during pregnancy.
Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding.
ARROW - RANITIDINE passes into breast milk. Your doctor will discuss the risks
and benefits of taking ARROW - RANITIDINE while breastfeeding.
Tell your doctor if you have, or have had, any medical conditions, especially the following:
Tell your doctor if you have had to stop taking this, or any other medicine, for your ulcer or reflux.
Tell your doctor if you smoke.
If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell them before you start taking ARROW - RANITIDINE.
Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including any that
you buy without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines may be affected by ARROW - RANITIDINE, or may affect how well it
works. These include sucralfate, another medicine used to treat peptic ulcer.
Your doctor can tell you what to do if you are taking this medicine.
If you are not sure whether you are taking this medicine, check with your
doctor or pharmacist.
Your doctor and pharmacist have more information on medicine to be careful with
or avoid while taking ARROW - RANITIDINE.
Your doctor will tell you how many tablets you need to take each day and when
to take them. This depends on your condition.
To heal peptic ulcers, the usual dose is 300 mg a day. This can be taken as 300
mg at bedtime or as 150 mg in the morning and 150 mg at night.
To help stop ulcers from coming back, the usual dose is one 150 mg tablet taken at night.
Follow all directions given to you by your doctor and pharmacist carefully.
If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you missed and take your next dose when you are meant to.
Otherwise, take the missed dose as soon as you remember, and then go back to taking your tablets as you would normally.
Do not take two doses at a time to make up for the dose you missed.
If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
For peptic ulcers, ARROW - RANITIDINE needs to be taken for 4 to 8 weeks.
If you are taking ARROW - RANITIDINE to treat reflux disease, you may need to take it for up to 12 weeks.
Do not stop taking ARROW - RANITIDINE, even if you feel better unless
advised by your doctor.
Stopping your tablets too early may let the ulcer come back.
Even when you have completed your tablets, your doctor may decide to continue your treatment with ARROW - RANITIDINE, possibly at a different dosage, in order to prevent the problem coming back again.
Immediately telephone your doctor, or the Poisons Information Centre
(Australia- 13 11 26; New Zealand - 0800 POISON or 0800 764 766), or go to
Accident and Emergency at the nearest hospital, if you think you or anyone else
may have taken too much ARROW - RANITIDINE. Do this even if there are no signs
of discomfort or poisoning.
You may need urgent medical attention.
Before starting any new medicine, tell your doctor or pharmacist that you are taking ARROW - RANITIDINE.
Tell all the doctors, dentists and pharmacists who are treating you that you are taking ARROW - RANITIDINE.
If you become pregnant while taking ARROW - RANITIDINE, tell your doctor.
Visit your doctor regularly so they can check on your progress.
Do not use ARROW - RANITIDINE to treat any other conditions unless your doctor tells you to.
Do not give ARROW - RANITIDINE to anyone else, even if they have the same condition as you.
Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how ARROW -
RANITIDINE affects you.
ARROW - RANITIDINE may cause dizziness or lightheadedness in some people. If
either of these occur, do not drive, operate machinery, or do anything else that
could be dangerous.
Some self help measures suggested below may help your condition. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about these measures or for more information.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking ARROW - RANITIDINE.
Like all other medicines, ARROW - RANITIDINE may have unwanted side effects in some people. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.
Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects.
You may not experience any of them.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following and they worry you:
Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following:
If any of the following happen, stop taking ARROW - RANITIDINE and tell your doctor immediately, or go to Accident and Emergency at the nearest hospital:
These may be signs of an allergic reaction to the tablets. Allergic reactions are rare.
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. Tell your doctor if you notice anything that is making you feel unwell.
Some health problems may arise from your condition, rather than from the treatment. For this reason, contact your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following:
Keep ARROW - RANITIDINE where children cannot reach it.
A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good
place to store medicines.
Keep your tablets in the pack until it is time to take them.
If you take the tablets out of the blister pack they may not keep well.
Keep your tablets in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 25°C.
Do not store ARROW - RANITIDINE or any other medicine in the bathroom or
near a sink.
Do not leave ARROW - RANITIDINE in the car or on window sills.
Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.
If your doctor tells you to stop taking ARROW - RANITIDINE, or your tablets have passed their expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any that are left over.
ARROW - RANITIDINE comes in 2 strengths of tablets:
The active ingredient in ARROW - RANITIDINE is ranitidine (as hydrochloride).
The tablets also contain:
The tablets are gluten free.
ARROW - RANITIDINE is supplied in Australia by:
Arrow Pharmaceuticals Limited
24 Rothschild Ave
Rosebery NSW 2018
ARROW - RANITIDINE is supplied in New Zealand by:
Arrow Pharmaceuticals NZ Limited
Unit B8 Mt Eden Central Business Park, 31-49 Normanby Rd, Mt Eden
Auckland, New Zealand.
Date of preparation
May 2003.