Re:Zantac’s Maker Kept Quiet About Cancer Risks for 40 Years
by tyingq on Thursday February 16, 2023 @01:32PM
(#34823309)
It's a different class of drug. Zantac is a PPI (proton pump inhibitor). Other drugs in the same PPI class are Prilosec (Omeprazole) and Nexium (Esomeprazole), and while not recalled, could have similar problems.
Pepcid (famotidine) and Tagamet (Cimetidine) are H2 blockers, another class of heartburn medication, that hasn't shown the same issues.
On the other hand, untreated chronic reflux is a big driver for stomach and esophageal cancers. So it's possible that having taken Zantac for a long time was less risky cancer-wise than not taking anything.
Pepcid (famotidine) and Tagamet (Cimetidine) are H2 blockers, another class of heartburn medication, that hasn't shown the same issues.
On the other hand, untreated chronic reflux is a big driver for stomach and esophageal cancers. So it's possible that having taken Zantac for a long time was less risky cancer-wise than not taking anything.