Source: Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (GB) Revision Year: 2016 Publisher: Glaxo Wellcome UK Limited, Trading as GlaxoSmithKline UK, Stockley Park West, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1BT
Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients listed in section 6.1.
The possibility of malignancy should be excluded before commencement of therapy in patients with gastric ulcer and in patients of middle age and over with new or recently changed dyspeptic symptoms) as treatment with ranitidine may mask symptoms of gastric carcinoma.
Ranitidine is excreted via the kidney and so plasma levels of the drug are increased in patients with renal impairment. The dosage should be adjusted as detailed in section 4.2 Patients with renal impairment.
Regular supervision of patients who are taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs concomitantly with ranitidine is recommended, especially in the elderly and in those with a history of peptic ulcer.
Rare clinical reports suggest that ranitidine may precipitate acute porphyric attacks. Ranitidine should therefore be avoided in patients with a history of acute porphyria.
In patients such as the elderly, persons with chronic lung disease, diabetes or the immunocompromised, there may be an increased risk of developing community acquired pneumonia. A large epidemiological study showed an increased risk of developing community acquired pneumonia in current users of ranitidine alone versus those who had stopped treatment, with an observed adjusted relative risk increase of 1.82 (95% CI 1.26-2.64). Post-marketing data indicate reversible mental confusion, depression, and hallucinations have been reported most frequently in severely ill and elderly patients (see section 4.8).
Ranitidine has the potential to affect the absorption, metabolism or renal excretion of other drugs. The altered pharmacokinetics may necessitate dosage adjustment of the affected drug or discontinuation of treatment
Interactions occur by several mechanisms including:
Inhibition of cytochrome P450-linked mixed function oxygenase system:
Ranitidine at usual therapeutic doses does not potentiate the actions of drugs which are inactivated by this enzyme system such as diazepam, lidocaine, phenytoin, propanolol and theophylline.
There have been reports of altered prothrombin time with coumarin anticoagulants (e.g. warfarin). Due to the narrow therapeutic index, close monitoring of increased or decreased prothrombin time is recommended during concurrent treatment with ranitidine.
Competition for renal tubular secretion:
Since ranitidine is partially eliminated by the cationic system, it may affect the clearance of other drugs eliminated by this route. High doses of ranitidine (e.g. such as those used in the treatment of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome) may reduce the excretion of procainamide and N-acetylprocainamide resulting in increased plasma level of these drugs.
Alteration of gastric pH:
The bioavailability of certain drugs may be affected. This can result in either an increase in absorption (e.g. triazolam, midazolam, glipizide) or a decrease in absorption (e.g. ketoconazole, atazanavir, delaviridine, gefitnib).
There is no evidence of an interaction between ranitidine and amoxicillin or metronidazole.
If high doses (2 g) of sucralfate are co-administered with ranitidine the absorption of the latter may be reduced. This effect is not seen if sucralfate is taken after an interval of 2 hours.
Ranitidine crosses the placenta but therapeutic doses administered to obstetric patients in labour or undergoing caesarean section have been without any adverse effect on labour, delivery or subsequent neonatal progress. Like other drugs, ranitidine should only be used during pregnancy if considered essential.
Ranitidine is excreted in human breast milk. Like other drugs ranitidine should only be used during breast-feeding if considered essential.
There are no data on the effects of ranitidine on human fertility. There were no effects on male and female fertility in animal studies (see section 5.3).
None reported.
The following convention has been utilised for the classification of undesirable effects: very common (≥1/10), common (≥1/100, <1/10), uncommon (≥1/1000, ≤1/100), rare (≥1/10,000, ≤1/1000), very rare (≤1/10,000). Adverse event frequencies have been estimated from spontaneous reports from post-marketing data.
Very Rare: Blood count changes (leucopenia, thrombocytopenia). These are usually reversible. Agranulocytosis or pancytopenia, sometimes with marrow hypoplasia or marrow aplasia.
Rare: Hypersensitivity reactions (urticaria, angioneurotic oedema, fever, bronchospasm, hypotension and chest pain).
Very Rare: Anaphylactic shock.
Not known: Dyspnoea.
These events have been reported after a single dose.
Very Rare: Reversible mental confusion, depression and hallucinations.
These have been reported predominantly in severely ill patients, in elderly and in nephropatic patients.
Very Rare: Headache (sometimes severe), dizziness and reversible involuntary movement disorders.
Very Rare: Reversible blurred vision.
There have been reports of blurred vision, which is suggestive of a change in accommodation.
Very Rare: As with other H2 receptor antagonists bradycardia, A-V block and tachycardia.
Very Rare: Vasculitis.
Uncommon: Abdominal pain, constipation, nausea (these symptoms mostly improved during continued treatment).
Very Rare: Acute pancreatitis, diarrhoea
Rare: Transient and reversible changes in liver function tests.
Very Rare: Hepatitis (hepatocellular, hepatocanalicular or mixed) with or without jaundice, these were usually reversible.
Rare: Skin Rash.
Very Rare: Erythema multiforme, alopecia.
Very Rare: Musculoskeletal symptoms such as arthralgia and myalgia.
Rare: Elevation of plasma creatinine (usually slight; normalised during continued treatment)
Very Rare: Acute interstitial nephritis.
Very Rare: Reversible impotence, breast symptoms and breast conditions (such as gynaecomastia and galactorrhoea).
The safety of ranitidine has been assessed in children aged 0 to 16 years with acid-related disease and was generally well tolerated with an adverse event profile resembling that in adults. There are limited long term safety data available, in particular regarding growth and development.
Reporting suspected adverse reactions after authorisation of the medicinal product is important. It allows continued monitoring of the benefit/risk balance of the medicinal product. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard.
Not applicable.
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