Heartburn and Acid Reflux May Indicate You Have A Serious Disease

The FDA's Zantac recall may save lives by alerting heartburn sufferers to the serious nature of the condition and convincing many to live a healthier lifestyle

Wednesday, April 21, 2021 - After reading this a person may think twice before eating that spicy bowl of chili or the extra slice of pie. Heartburn and acid indigestion are simple concepts that if left untreated can cause a life-threatening injury. Chest pains can occur when the esophageal sphincter, a one-way valve separating the stomach from the esophagus, fails to close tightly, and digestive acid in the stomach backs up into the esophagus and burns it. The more often this happens, the damaged the sphincter becomes. The burned esophageal sphincter eventually heals itself by producing inelastic scar tissue. The more often heartburn occurs, and the longer it is left untreated, the more scar tissue develops until the sphincter can no longer fully close, and surgery is needed to try and repair it to work properly. Esophageal burning from stomach acid backup causes cancer of the esophagus and is life-threatening.

Today's consumer choices of antacids to alleviate heartburn and acid reflux are limited due to the Food and Drug Administrations' recall of ranitidine Zantac, the world's best-selling brand of heartburn and acid reflux relief. The Zantac recall directly affected over 15 million Americans who relied on the pain reliever and took it three times per day. According to WebMD.com, "Zantac works by decreasing the amount of acid your stomach makes. It relieves symptoms such as a cough that doesn't go away, stomach pain, heartburn, and difficulty swallowing." As a side note, remember that heartburn usually occurs when sitting or lying down so the first thing to do when heartburn pain strikes is to stand up and walk around and let gravity move food and stomach acid back down into the stomach where they belong.

Doctors recommend that people with heartburn make lifestyle changes and use temporary, over-the-counter medicines to relieve heartburn pain. Good Housekeeping Online Magazine has come up with a list of the best heartburn medicines available on today's market. "Antacids, such as TUMS, Rolaids, and Maalox, neutralize the acid that has already been produced in your stomach. They act fast, usually within 5 minutes, but they only last for 30 to 60 minutes, so they are best for immediate relief when you're experiencing mild heartburn after a meal." Other options for temporary heartburn and reflux that may be available without a prescription are Mylanta, Alka-Seltzer, Pepcid, Tagamet, and Prilosec.

Zantac (ranitidine) was the subject of an April 1, 2020, FDA recall when online drug testing pharmacy Valisure found levels of carcinogenic NDMA, thousands of times higher than the allowable amount of 96NGS per tablet. The recall sent shock waves through homes across American where people that were obese or those with poor eating habits relied on the medicine. Thousands of individuals that used Zantac regularly for several years at least have registered to file antacid cancer lawsuits against Sanofi and GalaxoSmithKline, the makers of Zantac for failing to warn them about the dangers of taking the medicine.

More Recent Heartburn MedicineLawsuit News:

• Zantac Cancer Trials Are In Discovery To Begin In October 2022 | 7/19/2022
• Zantac Cancer Lawsuits Could Hinge On The Validity of Ranitidine Testing Methods | 7/11/2022
• Zantac Cancer Bellwether Trials In California Could Set The Stage For A Global Settlement Offer | 7/5/2022
• The FDA Recommended Protein Pump Inhibitor Drugs Like Prilosec And Nexium That May Damage Health More Than Zantac | 6/23/2022
• Truck Drivers, Firefighters, and Police Officers May Have Taken More Zantac Than People In Other Occupations | 6/20/2022

Lawyers for Zantac Heartburn Medicine Lawsuits

OnderLaw, LLC is a St. Louis personal injury law firm handling serious injury and death claims across the country. Its mission is the pursuit of justice, no matter how complex the case or strenuous the effort. The Onder Law Firm has represented clients throughout the United States in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation such as Pradaxa, Lexapro and Yasmin/Yaz, where the firm's attorneys held significant leadership roles in the litigation, as well as Actos, DePuy, Risperdal and others. The Onder Law Firm has won more than $300 million in four talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuits in St. Louis. Law firms throughout the nation often seek its experience and expertise on complex litigation.