If you are like many other heartburn sufferers here in Ohio, you probably take an over the counter medication for relief. If your medication of choice happens to be Zantac, whose generic version is called Ranitidine, the Food and Drug Administration says you could end up with cancer. According to the FDA, this heartburn medication contains approximately 26,000 times the acceptable level of N-nitrosodimethylamine.
The original use of NDMA was to help in the manufacturing of rocket fuel. After the water, air and soil around manufacturing plants showed high levels of contamination due to this chemical, its usage stopped, but it can still be found at some industrial sites. It was determined it presented a threat of harm to people exposed to it through eating or drinking food or water contaminated with it.
Somehow, this dangerous chemical found its way into your heartburn medication of choice. You may be like others who have taken Zantac or Ranitidine for years. Do you now need to worry that you will end up with cancer? Even though the FDA acknowledges the risk, it claims people can continue to take the medication. Not every variation of this drug has been recalled at this point, but it could be at some point in the future.
If you received a diagnosis of cancer and took or still take this heartburn medication, there could be a connection between the two. You may benefit from discussing your situation with an Ohio attorney with experience in pharmaceutical litigation. A thorough review of your circumstances could reveal that filing a civil claim could be your best way forward.
