this post was submitted on 05 Oct 2024
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I used to take zantac daily from age 13 to 18 and then maybe once a month or so until 28.
I recently did a screening for colon cancer (it was surprisingly easy. They just ask you to scrape a super small sample of poop into a test tube) and it came back clear. But damn. Not looking forward to what kind of digestive tract cancer I might get in the future.
That being said, who the heck knows. My grandmother was a heavy smoker from age 12 and she lived to 80 something so maybe I'll get lucky lol
One last thought, theoretically is Zantac itself was safe, despite it having the ranitidine. It was specifically Zantac that was left exposed to heat or sunlight, So barring any shipping boxes being left out baking in the sun, your own usage of it may have been within a safe range.
However if you lived in a warm area and maybe kept it with you on your person or in the backpack that was often left outside, you may want to actually look into this class action lawsuit for yourself, if there is one still.
Also I checked and it was 10 total types from the studies. Bladder cancer, liver cancer, stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, esophageal cancer, colon cancer, kidney cancer, prostate cancer with a diagnosis under the age of 69, lung cancer (never smokers only), and breast cancer.
Finally for what it's worth, while the correlation is higher, so remember that it is the most sold one in the world, and the total suspected cases are under 100,000. So it is a relatively small percentage, enough to be worth knowing and monitoring, but not something to have looming over you!
Thank you for the additional information that's super thoughtful of you!
For some time, I did have a bottle of Zantac that was left in an area that did get sunlight. It's hard to say what kind of risk I'll have to be honest. I don't even know how someone would tell if there was a negative consequence from it, but like you said, the odds are still probably within my favor. I mean, as long as I don't get some kind of cancer before, I'm 80 or 90. I'll be happy, haha. I figure there's no point in worrying over something that might never be, but once in a blue moon, I get that tinge of worry.
I'll have to look into seeing if there's any class action I can participate in. I'm in Canada, so I'm assuming my milage may vary. It's been a year or more now, too. I'm not sure if they've already finished with those lawsuits by now, but I suppose it can't hurt to check!
Anyways, thank you again. I really do appreciate you taking the time to send me all that information. That was super kind of you!
Absolutely :) I always appreciate seeing your comments around so hey if you can get a little peace of mind, or money, then I'd rather you have that!
If I recall correctly it was predominantly stomach cancers. That said, check that for certain because I learned about a couple things related to this, so it is possible I'm mixing it up.
I'm glad your preliminary screening was looking good at least!