(KMOX) — The popular heartburn-fighting drug Zantac has been pulled from the shelves of local CVS and Walgreens stores following concerns the drug may contain a small amount of a chemical that can cause cancer.
"Zantac is a class of what we call histamine blockers," said SLU Care general internist Dr. Fred Buckhold at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital. "These are slightly different from the histamines we use to take care of the sniffles. These block histamine in the stomach and therefore blocks the generation of acid."
"There are lots of other products to use in the absence of Zantac," Dr. Buckhold tells KMOX. "Pepcid is probably the most common one that's similar to Zantac. There's also a large other class of medicines called proton pump inhibitors -- some of these are available over the counter. One called Omeprazole. Prilosec is the name brand — but there are lots of manufacturers for that. Those also treat heartburn among other things."
But Dr. Buckhold says you still have to be careful.
You need to take a little bit of caution with all these drugs," Dr. Buckhold said. "We have had these out in the community for a long time and have been prescribing them for years and years. But taking them long term could lead to other side effects that are also concerning. But in the short term, all of them are fairly safe and well-tolerated."
The company behind Zantac said the levels of the chemical in question barely exceed the amount found in common foods. The FDA is continuing to investigate the matter - and while it has not recalled the product -- it does suggest you talk with your doctor about alternatives.