Thousands of people in this country get sick or even die as the result of dangerous drugs. The irony of this is that doctors prescribe these drugs to make us better. Every year, it seems like dozens of medications more are added to the list. Personal injury lawyers in Texas have represented dozens of clients who have suffered at the hands of drug manufacturers.
Some drugs and medical devices seem perfectly safe for the first few years they’re on the market. Then, someone gets sick and researchers find that the drug is actually harmful to humans. Other drugs remain on the market for decades without anyone detecting that they’re dangerous. One of these drugs is the popular heartburn medication Zantac.
Zantac is available both by prescription and over the counter. Doctors have been prescribing and recommending it for a long time. And people continue to take it because it works. It wasn’t until last year that the FDA started to realize just how dangerous the drug can be. Now that they know, they’re urging that all manufacturers recall the drug. They’re also asking that all stores and pharmacies take it off their shelves. If you are currently taking the drug, you should talk to your doctor right away. You should also contact a personal injury lawyer in Texas, especially if you’ve recently been diagnosed with cancer.
Why is the Drug So Dangerous?
One of the most common reasons so many prescription medications are taken off the market is because they cause cancer. Or, the FDA may suspect that the drug may cause cancer. The same is true for Zantac and the generic version of the drug, ranitidine.
One of the main ingredients in Zantac is something called nitroso dimethylamine. This is commonly referred to as NDMA. NDMA is known to be a cancer-causing agent. When it comes to Zantac, it’s not just that the drug contains NDMA. The problem is that the active ingredients in the medication actually cause the body to form NDMA at dangerous levels.
According to the FDA, human should not ingest more than 96 nanograms of NDMA per day. The amount of NDMA in Zantac is significantly higher than this amount. To put it into perspective, one dose of Zantac’s cool mint antacids contains more than 3.27 nanograms of NDMA. And the over the counter version of NDMA contains more than 2.5 million nanograms of NDMA. This means that, even if someone only ingest one tablet per day, they’re ingesting more than 30,000 times the levels considered safe by researchers. In addition to ingesting this toxic amount of NDMA, Zantac causes the body to create even more NDMA once it’s consumed.
Zantac is Believed to Cause Cancer
The reason the FDA is so insistent that people throw away Zantac and pull it from their shelves is that it may cause cancer. Recent studies show that the drug may be linked to stomach, liver and bladder cancer. All these types of cancer can prove fatal. In fact, if you’re diagnosed with liver cancer, it may feel like a death sentence. The evidence showing that Zantac causes cancer is so strong, the FDA has recommended it be recalled immediately. And the fact that 14 of the drug’s manufacturers voluntarily started recalling the drug last fall is proof that it really is dangerous.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney in Texas Right Away
If you’re currently taking Zantac or any generic version of the medication, you may want to talk to your doctor right away. The FDA has asked all pharmacies to take the product off their shelves. They’ve also requested that all drug manufacturers recall the drug and the generic version of the medication. In public reports, the FDA has recommended that consumers throw away any Zantac that they may have in their possession. The drug is so toxic and is proving to be lethal to humans.
Given the fact that the FDA fears Zantac may cause cancer, our personal injury lawyers suggest that anyone who has been recently diagnosed with the disease contact our office. If you’ve been taking Zantac even for a short time, it could very well have been a contributing factor for your developing cancer. Call and schedule your initial consultation as soon as possible. Sit down with an attorney who understands how this drug works and what havoc it wreaks on the body. They also know what it takes to get you compensation for your injuries. The consultation is free and you don’t pay a dime until you settle your case.