Is It True You Can Get Cancer From Taking Zantac?

Zantac is an oral drug that reduces the production of acid in our stomach, and it’s beneficial to people suffering from stomach ulcers and acid reflux. Living in a time when there are countless carcinogens that affect our health, the last thing we want to hear is that Zantac may cause cancer.

How could a common antacid be such a serious health hazard?

Ranitidine, which is the generic name for Zantac is an environmental contaminant that you can find in water and food such as meats, vegetables, and dairy products. Each dose of Zantac as highlighted by Drug Injury News contains an amount of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a carcinogen that causes liver cancer. Its poisonous effects increase over time and upon its exposure to heat.

How Does Zantac Cause Cancer?

The digestive tract is where the toxins enter our body and when the NDMA in Zantac is ingested, it’s absorbed through our gastrointestinal tract. N-nitrosodimethylamine doesn’t only affect our digestive tract as it can also affect our kidneys and lungs. Thus, the possibility of cancer developing in these organs increases as well.

Cancer develops when our organs cannot process toxins. Therefore, the best way to prevent the development of cancer is to reduce the amount of toxins in our bodies. But if they’re already present within the body, it’s up to our organs to process these toxins. The ability of our organs to do this can sometimes be reduced by substances that increase one’s chances of developing cancer. A good example of this is alcohol. In relation to ranitidine, using it together with alcohol can increase blood alcohol content by 38%.

Another important aspect of Zantac is storage, which can affect the toxicity of the drug. Research by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined the effects of various temperatures on the drug wherein high heat increases its toxicity at the fastest rate. It’s also worth noting that period of moderate heat brings toxicity levels above acceptable limits. At room temperature, Zantac was still unsafe to store for long periods and toxin levels accumulated over time.

Other Health Risks Of N-nitrosodimethylamine

N-nitrosodimethylamine also causes hepatotoxicity and. in very extreme cases, gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Common symptoms that occur as a result of N-nitrosodimethylamine exposure are nausea, vomiting, headache, fever, enlarged liver, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and jaundice.

Zantac Lawsuit

In April 2020, six months after testing indicated that the popular drug Zantac breaks down into the carcinogen N-nitrosodimethylamine, the FDA asked for the removal of ranitidine products from the market. The FDA doesn’t have mandatory recall authority, but the request to have the drug withdrawn from the market speaks volumes.

So what’s next for people already diagnosed with cancer as a result of using Zantac?

There’s light at the end of the tunnel as far as justice goes since lawsuits can be filed to secure compensation for persons affected by Zantac. Cancer has damaging effects health-wise, as well as financially, but affected persons don’t have to bear the financial burden on their own.

To qualify for the lawsuit, one should have used Zantac for at least one year before a positive diagnosis with cancer. The types of cancers that qualify for the lawsuit are those that result from the use of ranitidine. These include:

• Lung cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Skin cancer
• Small intestinal Cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Colorectal cancer
• Esophageal cancer
• Gallbladder cancer
• Intestinal cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Liver cancer
• Testicular cancer
• Thyroid cancer
• Uterine cancer
• Appendicular cancer
• Bladder cancer
• Blood cancer
• Brain cancer
• Breast cancer

Why File A Lawsuit?

According to the FDA, consumption of NDMA above 0.096mg is harmful. A lawsuit acknowledges the fact that there were no warnings on the levels of N-nitrosodimethylamine. Therefore, filing a lawsuit helps an individual recover damages for the pain and suffering that resulted from the use of the drug. The lawsuit also serves the kin of those who died of cancer as a result of using Zantac. For this particular case, one can file a wrongful death suit.

Conclusion

Yes, you can indeed get cancer from taking Zantac. The chances are even higher if the drug is taken together with alcohol. The FDA conducted tests on the levels of N-nitrosodimethylamine in Zantac and found that they were above the safe limit, thus causing cancer among people who used it. Due to a lack of mandatory recall authority, the agency requested the withdrawal of the drug from the market though this action was not enough to completely remove Zantac from the market.

For people who had already suffered from cancer and death as a result of using the drug, a lawsuit can be filed, which can enable them to seek for just compensation.